Isn't that just like a cat?

Ever since my hubby and I welcomed our Norwegian Forest kitty, Tabitha, into our little cat family, she has continued to surprise me in her own way. Where she immediately bonded with my hubby at first, she had always seemed rather aloof in regards to me. Well, to be honest, she used to down right continuously run away from me!

Mind you, granted, I am our cats mommy guardian in every way i.e. "I" feed them twice a day, "I" clean their litter boxes, and "I" spend the most time spoiling them to the moon and back. As is so often seems to be the case with felines, gaining her trust was a slow process, but one that has (apparently) finally paid off!

For the past week or so, Tabitha has waited for me to come home from work. She patiently sits and watches from the living room window for me to get out of my car and then sweetly greets me at the back door. This particular maneuver reminds me so very much of my beloved Maine Coon, Sabrina, who used to routinely greet me at my apartment door the minute that I came home from work every day ...

Sabrina with my black & white Mini Lop, Barney circa 1994

 ... and with our male Tuxedo kitty, Mr. Bojangles

 

Yesterday, she actually tried to touch me with her paw from the other side of the window.  She has also made it a habit to follow me in the bedroom all of the time and then stares at me until I lie down and take a little nap with her on the bed while she snuggles up next to me purring.

Hmmm,  cats ... go figure, eh?

The Sweetest Cats in the World!

If the Maine Coon (and I, personally, believe this to be so) is considered to be the “gentle giant” of the cat world, then the legendary Norwegian Forest Cat has got to be the sweetest!

Based on personal experience and everything I have read about this breed thus far, the Norwegian Forest Cat is not only intelligent, but loyal and loving as well. Much like the Maine Coon but has been around a bit longer, “Wegies” as they are sometimes nicknamed, are believed to have a direct connection to the Vikings, who kept them on their ships in order to keep the vermin population down. As is often true of Nature’s rule, they are a product of the “survival of the fittest” and/or natural selection as they easily adapted to the harsh Norwegian climate.  Using their sturdy bodies already equipped with strong legs, bushy tail to cover themselves thus keeping warm, and overall healthy biological make-up, these cats lived on plants, rodents and even tree bark to survive.

By 1934, it became evident to the Norwegian people that this beautiful but hardy breed was on the verge of extinction. They formed a club and every effort was made to continue breeding them until World War II. Then in the early 1970’s, serious efforts began when a group of dedicated cat fanciers formed Norsk Skogkattring in order to preserve this living historical monument. In 1976, Wegies were recognized by the Feline International Federation, the international cat organization in Europe. This was no easy task; however, as not only had these cats needed to be approved as breeding stock by a panel of breeders and judges, but litters also had to be approved. A very time-consuming project, the end result was well worth it as no attempt to change the breed to appeal to what is considered “in” took place and these cats have remained untouched over the years.  I believe this is exactly why they are described by breeders as having a “straight” profile. It’s worth mentioning that, according to Cat Fancy Magazine’s Susan Shaw, “it is common to see a Forest Cat snuggling in the arms of a judge, giving him or her a kiss.”

The Norwegian Forest Cat is also a big part of Norse mythology as they are said to be the cats depicted pulling the goddess Freya’s chariot across the sky as they accompanied her during battle.  As much as I love Maine Coons (and trust me, I certainly DO!), living with our Wegie, Tabitha, I can’t help but to adore her. We have only had her a couple of years so far, and already she has me wrapped around her little poofy paws!

Some NEW cat books!

Yesterday at work on my lunch hour, I decided to go web surfing for a couple of books on Norwegian Forest Cats. Since we took in our Tabitha, we realized that we know next to nothing about her breed.


We had done a web search a couple of  months ago and only found two books ~ one was written way too much like a "children's" book and the other was written entirely in Ukrainian!!!! UH!!!

Then yesterday while broswing, I was finally able to find a few items of interest which looked really good! ...

 

"Norwegian Forest Cats: The Complete Owners Guide" by Alex Halton

 "Norwegian Forest Cat" by Jesse Russell & Ronald Cohn

Along with a couple cat magaines ...

There was one more book called, "Cats From The Scandinavian Woods: A Study of Norwegian Forests Cats," but it was a bit too pricey for me! Perhaps, another time.

I definately plan to write a book review post for each after I have read them.  :)