Norwegian Forest Cats: The Pets of the Vikings

The “mystic wildcat of fairy tales” is quickly becoming a favorite family pet in Northern Europe. The Norwegian forest cat (or scogkatts in Norwegian) originated between 1500 and 4,000 years ago, as a result of natural selection.

The strong, giant cats were almost certainly the cats that traveled on Viking ships, and were kept back in Viking barns, keeping them mouse-and-disease-free. Impressive hunters and climbers, one Norwegian tale describes them as "mountain-dwelling cats with an ability to climb sheer rock faces that other cats could not manage."