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Norwegian Forest Cat

Wegie, Skogkatt

The GCCF describes the Norwegian Forest Cat as gentle and friendly, a cat that enjoys being part of a family. It is slow to mature and is not considered fully grown until about four to five years; males weigh about 5.4–7.3 kg and females 4.1–5.4 kg, and the GCCF gives a lifespan of 14 to 16 years.

It has a lot of energy, enjoys interactive games and climbs readily; the GCCF says it is tolerant of respectful children, other cats and cat-friendly dogs. PetMD advises combing and brushing at least once a week, more often while it sheds in spring and autumn, and notes that separation anxiety can be an issue if it is often left alone for long periods. Pedigree kittens usually go to their new home at 12–13 weeks (PDSA).

Available in the 12-week PetPrep Challenge (paid breed).

Updated: 10 October 2026

Norwegian Forest Cat — photo (AI) — AI-generated photo

At a glance

Adult weight: males 5.4–7.3 kg, females 4.1–5.4 kg — GCCF C37
Lifespan: 14–16 years — GCCF C37

Key facts from the sources at the bottom of the page. Where sources differ, each value is listed.

Who it suits

No sourced suitability tags for this breed yet.

What it needs

From cat breed registries, veterinary organisations and studies. Where sources differ, each one is shown.

Play

General guidance for cats (not breed-specific):

Play: 2–3 sessions of 10–15 minutes a day. — PetMD C10
Kittens need to play more often. — PetMD C10

Litter box

General guidance for cats (not breed-specific):

Scoop the litter: 1–2 times a day — ASPCA, Cats Protection C5 C6 C7
Change all the litter: every 7 days — ASPCA, Cats Protection C5 C6 C7
Urinates (adult): 2–4 times a day — Cats Protection C6
Passes faeces (adult): 1–2 times a day — Cats Protection C6

Scratching

General guidance for cats (not breed-specific):

Scratching is natural and necessary: give a scratching post and never punish it. — AAFP C23

Coat and grooming

Brushing: at least once a week — PetMD C38

Meals

General guidance for cats (not breed-specific):

6–12 weeks: 4 meals a day — Royal Veterinary College C3
3–6 months: 3 meals a day — Cornell Feline Health Center, Royal Veterinary College C2 C3
6–12 months: 2 meals a day — Cornell Feline Health Center, Royal Veterinary College C2 C3
Adult: 2 meals a day — Cornell Feline Health Center C2
Senior: 2 meals a day — Cornell Feline Health Center C2

Water

General guidance for cats (not breed-specific):

Fresh water at all times; wash and refill the bowl daily. — Cornell Feline Health Center, ASPCA C2 C5
Water need: 55–70 ml per kg of body weight a day — IVIS C4

Lifespan

Lifespan: 14–16 years — GCCF C37

Life stages

Reaches adult size at: about 48–60 months — GCCF C37

General guidance for cats (not breed-specific):

Kitten: until 12 months — AAHA / AAFP C1
Young adult: 1–6 years — AAHA / AAFP C1
Mature adult: 7–10 years — AAHA / AAFP C1
Senior: from 10 years — AAHA / AAFP C1
Sleep (adult): 12–16 hours a day — PetMD C12

Size and weight

Adult weight: males 5.4–7.3 kg, females 4.1–5.4 kg — GCCF C37

Questions and answers

Answered only from the sourced facts on this page; every answer names its sources.

How long does a Norwegian Forest Cat live?

According to our sources, the lifespan of the Norwegian Forest Cat is: 14–16 years — GCCF C37.

How big does a Norwegian Forest Cat get and how much does it weigh?

Size and adult weight of the Norwegian Forest Cat, according to our sources: males 5.4–7.3 kg, females 4.1–5.4 kg — GCCF C37.

How much grooming does a Norwegian Forest Cat need?

Coat and grooming of the Norwegian Forest Cat, according to our sources: at least once a week — PetMD C38.

Game rules, not veterinary advice

How PetPrep simulates it

In PetPrep one real week is one month of the pet's life. These are the rules the game uses for this breed. PetPrep chose them from the sources on this page; they are not care instructions for a real animal.

Life stage	Starts	Meals a day	Play a day
Kitten	arrives at 3 months	3; from month 6: 2	3 play sessions
Young cat	month 12 (1 year)	2	2 play sessions
Mature cat	month 84 (7 years)	2	2 play sessions
Senior	month 120 (10 years)	2	2 play sessions

No walks: an adult cat needs 2 play sessions a day with a wand toy, at least 2 hours apart.
Litter box: an adult cat uses it 2 times a day; each use is scooped within 4 hours (outside quiet hours), and all the litter is changed every 7 days.
After a day without enough play the cat scratches something once; the child carries it to the scratching post.
Combing once a week.

Each game number is a PetPrep decision recorded with its sources. — Cornell Feline Health Center, Royal Veterinary College, ASPCA, Cats Protection, PetMD, PDSA C2 C3 C5 C6 C7 C10 C13 C38

Health

For information only, not vet-reviewed. Ask your vet about your own animal.

Glycogen storage disease type IV (GSD IV), an inherited disorder that affects kittens, occurs in the breed; a DNA test of the parents lets breeders avoid it. — GCCF C37
Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM), an inherited heart disease in which the heart muscle thickens, occurs in the breed. — PetMD C38
Hip dysplasia, a poorly developed hip joint, can occur in the breed; PetMD advises keeping the cat at a healthy weight to protect its joints. — PetMD C38

Before you buy: what to check with the breeder

Questions to settle before you take a kitten home. The points are advice from vets, welfare charities and cat federations; each cites its source.

For every breed

See the kitten with its mother, where the kittens live. — GCCF, International Cat Care K12 K14
Under FIFe pedigree rules, a kitten does not go to a new home before 14 weeks of age. — FIFe K11
The kitten is fully vaccinated (panleukopenia, calicivirus, herpesvirus) and comes with a vaccination record. — FIFe, GCCF K11 K12
A pedigree kitten comes with a pedigree certificate showing at least three generations. — GCCF K12
Ask whether either parent has had health problems the kitten could inherit. — PDSA K13

Laws on the minimum age, microchipping and vaccination differ by country — check the rules where you live.

Health tests of the parents for this breed

Tests a cat federation requires before a cat is bred

DNA test for glycogen storage disease type IV (GSD IV) — World Cat Congress K21

This list comes from a foreign cat federation's breeding rules (see the source) and is an orientation. Ask the breeder which tests the parents have done.

Other cats in the register with similar needs — each with sourced facts.

Sources

Every fact on this page cites one of these sources.

C1AAHA / AAFP, JFMS / JAAHA 2021. Read through the AVMA JAVMA News summary of 2021-04-15. — 2021 AAHA/AAFP Feline Life Stage Guidelineshttps://www.avma.org/javma-news/2021-04-15/aaha-aafp-update-feline-life-stage-guidelines
C2Cornell Feline Health Center (Cornell University CVM), edited 2024 — How Often Should You Feed Your Cat?https://vet.cornell.edu/departments/cornell-feline-health-center/health-information/feline-health-topics/how-often-should-you-feed-your-cat
C3Royal Veterinary College — Beaumont Sainsbury Animal Hospital (London) — Kitten carehttps://www.rvc.ac.uk/beaumont-sainsbury-animal-hospital/kitten-care
C4IVIS — Horwitz D. F., Soulard Y., Junien-Castagna A. (2010), in Encyclopedia of Feline Clinical Nutrition (Pibot P. et al., eds.) — Water drinking in catshttps://www.ivis.org/library/encyclopedia-of-feline-clinical-nutrition/water-drinking-cats
C5ASPCA — General Cat Carehttps://www.aspca.org/pet-care/cat-care/general-cat-care
C6Cats Protection (UK), blog, 2025-01-16 — How often should cats poo and pee?https://www.cats.org.uk/cats-blog/how-often-should-cats-poo-and-pee
C7Cats Protection — The Cat magazine, Autumn 2013, pp. 24–25 (Vicky Halls) — To pee or not to peehttps://www.cats.org.uk/uploads/documents/Behaviour_-_To_pee_or_not_to_pee.pdf
C10PetMD — Nicole Zittritsch, LVT; reviewed by Veronica Higgs, DVM; updated 2024-05-08 — How Long Should You Play With Your Cat Each Day?https://www.petmd.com/cat/care/how-long-should-you-play-your-cats-each-day
C12PetMD — Nicole Zittritsch, LVT; updated 2026-03-25 — Why Do Cats Sleep So Much?https://www.petmd.com/cat/behavior/evr_ct_why_do_cats_sleep_so_much
C13PDSA (UK veterinary charity) — Things to think about before getting a kittenhttps://www.pdsa.org.uk/pet-help-and-advice/looking-after-your-pet/kittens-cats/things-to-think-about-before-getting-a-kitten
C23AAFP — Claw Friendly educational toolkit, client resources (2024) — Claw Friendly client resourceshttps://catvets.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/ClawFriendlyEducationalToolkit_ClientResources-upd.pdf
C37GCCF (Governing Council of the Cat Fancy, UK registry) — breed page — Norwegian Forest Cathttps://www.gccfcats.org/getting-a-cat/choosing/cat-breeds/norwegian-forest-cat/
C38PetMD — Kristen Seymour; reviewed by Barri J. Morrison, DVM; updated 2023-04-19 — Norwegian Forest Cat (cat breeds)https://www.petmd.com/cat/breeds/c_ct_norwegian_forest
K11FIFe (Fédération Internationale Féline) — Breeding and Registration Ruleshttps://fifeweb.org/app/uploads/2023/11/br_reg_en.pdf
K12GCCF (Governing Council of the Cat Fancy) — Choosing a Kittenhttps://www.gccfcats.org/getting-a-cat/choosing/choosing-a-kitten/
K13PDSA — Things to think about before getting a kittenhttps://www.pdsa.org.uk/pet-help-and-advice/looking-after-your-pet/kittens-cats/things-to-think-about-before-getting-a-kitten
K14International Cat Care — Where to get a cat or kittenhttps://icatcare.org/articles/where-to-get-a-cat-or-kitten
K21World Cat Congress — Norwegian Forest Cat — a comparison among the member organisationshttps://worldcatcongress.org/wp/cat_breed_comp_nfo.php

PetPrep is a simulation for families. This page is not veterinary advice — for a real animal, ask a vet or the breed club.

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