Huge Norwegian Forest Cat the size of a large Maine Coon

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On average, the Norwegian Forest Cat (NFC) is smaller than the Maine Coon but there are exceptions and this is one of them. Not all MCs are larger than NFCs. This TikTok video illustrates the point. This NFC is very classic in terms of 'type' meaning desired appearance as per the breed standard. Super appearance. Huge Norwegian Forest Cat the size of a large Maine Coon. Image: MikeB from screenshots. Here is the video. For me it is a bit irritating because of the soundtrack. Horrible for me. But the point is made about size. This is a great NFC. A classic in terms of coat: a grey tabby-and-white. It is his size which is untypical for this breed although they are one of the largest domestic cat breeds challenging the supremacy of the Maine Coon sometimes .

Notable differences between the Norwegian Forest cat and the Maine Coon

In 1991, the Norwegian Forest cat was not accepted for championship competition by every association in the United States. I'm surprised to hear that. One reason for this anomaly was the breed's resemblance to the Maine Coon. And there is a similarity - there is no doubt about it - but there are differences and the Norwegian Forest cat breeders stressed this. Richard H Gebhart, a former president of the Cat Fanciers' Association Inc. tells us that some of the differences between these two well-known and popular breeds are as follows:

  • The Maine Coon had a slight curve in its nose. The Norwegian, especially the male, has a straight nose.
  • The Maine Coon has a prominent, squared off muzzle. The Norwegian's muzzle fits neatly into its triangular face. Comment: this is quite a marked difference and if in doubt I would refer to this difference to distinguish a Maine Coon from a Norwegian Forest. In fact, the European and Russian breeders have exaggerated this squared-off muzzle which makes the cat very much different from the triangular muzzle of the Norwegian (see photo below).
  • The Maine Coon's ears sit upright on top of its head; the Norwegian's ears are wide spaced and tilted forward. Comment: I think you can add that the lynx tips of the ears of the Maine coon are far more prominent than those of the Norwegian. There are quite pronounced tufts of hair protruding out of the top of a Maine Coon's ears. And these too are further pronounced by some breeders particularly those in Europe and in Russia in my opinion. This may in part be because they breed cats under the auspices of the World Cat Federation (WCF) rather than in America either The International Cat Association or the Cat Fanciers' Association.
Massive muzzle on a Russian bred Maine Coon:


Below is Norwegian Forest cat with far more delicate features and a triangular muzzle:

Norwegian Forest cat




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