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My name is Lotte and I was born in 1962.
My first meeting with the "Wegie" was in 1994, at Roskilde Agricultural
Fair, and I completely lost my heart to these beautiful cats. In 1995 I
bought my first male. In the beginning it was the looks that captured
med, but after Felix moved in, my main affection became their wonderful
spirit.
A Norwegian Forest Cat is a very kind cat, full of attention on every
move you make. It is playful and does a lot of crazy things. It is
capable of having long and intelligent conversation with its owner and
is always in the middle of any commotion. At the same time, it also
keeps its dignity, and will defend "his property" with both teeth and
claws.
As time passed and more Wegies moved in, the idea of breeding arose,
and in 1998 I became a registered breeder under Felis Danica (FIFé)
with the name - DK Musplheim. Musplheim is from the Norse Mythology -
The land of fire.
At the time when I began breeding there was no such things as
breeder-education, and I wasn't so lucky either, that I bought my first
cats from a breeder who wanted to mentor me. So my first 2 litters were
made with not much planning behind - I was lucky those kittens actually
turned out just fine.
Then I began attending the shows first as a spectator later showing my
own cats. That way I came to know the different "types" of Forest Cats,
and I became acquainted with other breeders and this way finally got
someone with who experiences could be discussed.
I have already from the beginning had my own idea about the looks of "a
real" Wegie, and my mind has not changed much through the years - I
still don't go for (too) big ears or long noses.
You can read the breed-standards here.
As a Wegie is a so-called nature cat, there is some of the standard
which is more important for me to achieve with my kittens than other:
Fur:
An NFO must have a long water-repellent upper coat over woolly
undercoat which is not too thick, nor too woolly. A perfect fur needs
no (or at least very little) attention from the owner.
An NFO would not survive a winter in the forests of Norway, if it got
wet in the rain, or if the undercoat was not able to insulate from the
cold because it was filled with fur-balls.
Ears:
Must be medium-big and well placed - ideally with long tufts and long
hairs out of the ear. If we get back to the wild-living cat - these
things will ensure that the cat has ears at all when spring comes back.
If the ears are too big and they are not covered with a good fur, they
will freeze off.
Temper:
My goal is, that my kittens grow up to be loving and fearless cats that
doesn't loose their temper, unless they have a very
good reason.
If you are still reading you have deserved to get a few pictures of Pan's Truls - he must be the ultimate/original NFO as the standard was written from his looks.