Norwegian Forest Cat vs LaPerm - Breed Comparison

The beautiful Norwegian Forest cat has a thick fur to survive the snow and icy weather in Norway. It is the official cat of Norway.

It originated in Northern Europe. It is believed that the cat was brought to Norway from Great Britain way back in the time of the Vikings. It is also believed that it reproduced with farm cats and has become the modern-day Norwegian Forest breed.

They were discovered in the early twentieth century by cat enthusiasts and in 1938 an organization was established devoted to this breed.

Also, a club was started for the cat in Oslo so as to preserve the breed. The 2nd World War saw the cat all but disappear but a breeding program was started. It was registered in Europe by the 1970s, and in 1994 by the American Cat Fanciers Association and others.

The LaPerm cat hails from the United States of America but you’ll find him in many other countries around the world.

The cat has a dominant gene which results in the unusual curly coat of the cat. This means he is part of the rex breed. This is a term given for the naturally occurring genetic mutation that gives the cat its wavy coat.

It’s not an old cat breed this and it seems to have come about in the early 1980s for the purposes of controlling rodents. The breed founders were Linda and Richard Koehl from Oregon. They started a formal breeding program and the breed was named after their curly coat.

After the cats got the name LaPerm, it was in 2002 that they got recognition from the Cat Fanciers Association.

This domestic cat is a natural breed with a thick coat of long water-resistant fur and a woolly undercoat. The coat can be in many colors and patterns.

This is a big, strong, heavy boned cat with a bushy tail and long legs. It’s larger than your regular cat and can weigh anything between 3 and 9kg. The eyes are almond-shaped and can be any color while the large ears are high set.

Temperament:

In spite of this being a large cat, they are energetic and yet they don’t like being around boisterous, energetic pets. They are friendly, calm, gentle, and intelligent and enjoy being part of a human family.

They tend to be a bit reserved around strangers. It’s not a demanding cat and can entertain himself with his toys.

The LaPerm is a medium-sized cat that can weigh anything between 3 and 7kg. They’ve got an athletic build. The legs and the neck are fairly long.

It is thought that they are more hypoallergenic than many other cats but no cat is truly hypoallergenic. The coat is the cat's most exceptional feature, with loose curls. The coat can be long or short. All colors and patterns are acceptable, with red, tabby, and tortoiseshell being more common.

There is no undercoat. The eyes of the cat are medium-sized and almond-shaped.

Temperament:

These are affectionate cats with an outgoing personality. He has a sense of humor so becomes an entertaining cat.

He gets on well with children in the home. People who have owned the cat describe him as clownish. He is playful and that means providing him with some interesting toys.

It’s an intelligent cat and learns to use his paws to open doors and tap you to take notice. He is also fairly active and will willingly retrieve small balls. He is gentle, loving, quiet, and affectionate towards his human family.

Remember that your large Norwegian Forest cat likes to scratch so you want to provide him with a scratching post. He is so companionable, you want to reward him by ensuring you make his life as easy as possible.

Known as a gentle giant, the beautiful and undemanding Norwegian Forest cat will appreciate a calm household where he can quietly enjoy the companionship of the humans he loves.

The LaPerm cat is known for its loyal, loving personality. It’s a cat that thrives on being involved with its human family and can easily turn into a lap-cat.

They’re active and also intelligent, and will love you to play some games with him. He will become quite vocal when he demands your attention.

Provide him with a climbing tree as he is active and loves to climb where he can survey the room and decide which human being’s lap he has in mind.

The lifespan of this big, longhaired cat is usually 14 to 16 years, but you need to check out kidney and heart disease with this particular breed as well as patellar luxation.

You don’t want your cat having problems with the knee cap as this takes away from his ability to leap, pounce and crouch. It’s when the patella or kneecap is out of place. There may not necessarily be pain for your pet and in fact, your cat may not show any signs of abnormality till the condition has become quite advanced.

Your cat can actually become lame. You want to avoid this with the Norwegian as it's a particularly good climber.

La Perms are generally healthy cats. However, any cat owner needs to recognize the signs of some of the common cat illnesses there are.

Cancer, feline immunodeficiency virus, diabetes, and heartworm are all diseases that your healthy cat can at some time succumb too.

Keep an eye on your furry friend, and if he is lethargic and no longer his happy self, get him to the vet immediately for a check-up.

The Norwegian has a long coat so you will need to brush it at least twice a week to keep it nice and shiny and free from tangles.

Trim your Norwegian forest cat’s claws. You will need a special nail clipper, but if you're nervous to cut the nails yourself, your vet or pet groomers can do it for you.

Cats battle quite a bit with periodontal disease and an excellent diet can help to prevent this. Cats hate you sticking a toothbrush into their mouths – they can become terrified - and it would b kinder to simply have your cat’s teeth checked out at the vet when you suspect that something might be wrong. At the same time, you can ask to have the inside of your cat’s ears checked for dirt and infection.

Keep your cat’s litter box spotlessly clean. These cats dislike a dirty litter box intensely. Remove all feces every single day – more often even if possible.

One good way to select the best food for your cat is to read the ingredients. The first two ingredients listed on the package should always be meat. Select a high-quality cat food. Keeping Norwegian Forest cats in good health requires high-quality cat food to meet all of your Norwegian forest cat’s nutritional needs.

You can feed your Norwegian Forest cat two meals per day. Always check with your veterinarian for a recommendation on how much and what to feed your cat.

Provide a constant supply of fresh, clean water for your Norwegian Forest cat.The bowl should be in an easy place for your cat to reach and in the shade.

Provide your Norwegian with a soft bed in a quiet, restful place.

The LaPerm’s unusual coat is easy to care for as it isn’t a big shedder. You’d think that the curls would tangle but they don’t. You can gently comb or brush the curls once or twice a week. Just like with a human perm, you can mist the cat’s curls and comb and fluff them out with your fingers.

Cats are particularly prone to periodontal disease, so look into your cat’s mouth occasionally to see that the teeth are as they should be. Brushing the teeth can stress a cat out and make it miserable and the dry cat foods help to keep the teeth clean.

Pet groomers and the vet can check out the teeth for you and make sure they are in tip-top condition.

Make sure your cat’s eyes are clear and bright and free of discharge. Trim the nails as required – something the vet or the pet groomers can also do for you.

Provide your LaPerm with a litterbox and keep it spotlessly clean, ridding it regularly of the cat’s droppings.

Even though there are excellent commercial cat foods on the market, some cats develop finicky eating habits. Don’t start feeding your cat human foods and snacks to coax him to eat. It can cause a host of digestive problems.

Cats are carnivores and require foods high in protein to remain healthy. A veterinarian will need to examine your cat if he is refusing to eat and is losing weight.