Norwegian Forest Cat Club
Guardians of the Norwegian Forest Cat in the United Kingdom since 1962
Welcome to the Norwegian Forest Cat Club
For more than sixty years, the Norwegian Forest Cat Club has been the home of the Norwegian Forest Cat in the counties of Cornwall, Devon, Somerset, Dorset, Wiltshire and Gloucestershire. Ours is a small, proud community of breeders, owners, show exhibitors and admirers — united by a shared love of the Skogkatt and its place in British cat fancy.
We were founded in 1962 by a handful of enthusiasts who had come to know the breed through Scandinavian friends and by private import, long before the Norwegian Forest Cat was formally recognised in the UK. We became a fully-affiliated single-breed club of the Governing Council of the Cat Fancy in 1987, the year the breed gained championship status in Britain, and we have met continuously every year since.
Today NFCC supports more than 140 members across the South West and beyond. We run the region’s longest-established Norwegian-only show, publish the quarterly Forest Gazette newsletter, offer mentoring to new breeders, and maintain the most active directory of registered Norwegian Forest Cat catteries in the South West of England.
Find a Breeder
Our directory lists member catteries across the South West — all GCCF-registered, all breeding to the UK Norwegian Forest Cat Breed Standard, all signed up to the NFCC Code of Ethics.
Join Our Community
Membership connects you to Norwegian owners and breeders, full access to the Forest Gazette, member-only show discounts, and the annual members’ lunch in September.
Attend Our Show
The NFCC Annual Show at Westpoint Arena, Exeter is the largest Norwegian-only championship event in the South West. Visitors welcome.
About the Norwegian Forest Cat
The Norwegian Forest Cat — the Skogkatt of her homeland — is one of the natural breeds of the cat fancy. Her ancestors were the hardy farm cats of Norway: long-haired, weather-proof, sure-footed on ice, and substantial enough to keep the barns of the cold northern farms clear of rodents through the long winters.
She is a slow-maturing breed — it is not unusual for a Norwegian to still be filling out into her fourth or fifth year — and the breed carries a characteristic long, water-resistant double coat with a distinctive ruff and breeches. Behind the coat sits a strong, well-muscled cat with a triangular head, almond eyes and a long bushy tail carried high.
Temperamentally, the Norwegian is gentle, watchful and slow to startle. She is sociable without being demanding, playful into old age, and as good a companion as you will find among the long-haired pedigree breeds. She thrives in households with access to a secure garden or catio; she will do well as a house cat but is happiest with space to climb.
Latest News From the Club
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Spring 2026 Show Round-Up: Norwegians Shine at Three GCCF Shows
Our breed has had a spectacular start to the 2026 show season, with Norwegian Forest Cats taking top honours at the Western Counties, Coventry, and Supreme Show qualifiers.
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Updated Breeding Policy 2026: What Members Need to Know
The committee has approved updates to the NFCC Breeding Policy for 2026. Key changes cover health testing, outcross permissions, and transparency requirements for breeding members.
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Welcome to Our New Committee Members for 2026
At the AGM in January, members elected three new faces to the NFCC committee. We are delighted to introduce them and the portfolios they will be holding for the year…
Our Annual Show
Saturday 14 March 2026 — Westpoint Arena, Clyst St Mary, Exeter. Our fifty-eighth championship show welcomes Norwegians from across the UK, with three Best in Show judges, full-class schedules in both Adult and Kitten sections, and our traditional Members’ Award for the best-conditioned home-bred cat.
Visitors welcome from 10:30. Entry £5 adult, children free.