It has bright emerald green eyes with a band of gold, long flowing hair. Sweet-expressional face, jaunty ear and toe trimmings. Each time you see a Norwegian Forest Cat is a feast for the eyes. Each time you touch their spun-silk soft coats is a delight to the fingertips. The inner-ear hair that deflects the wind and snow (and can be three to four inches long, curving out and around the ear like flexible racing stripes) remains all year. Perhaps the most impressive part of the coat is the mane. Darker cats require fewer coats to keep warm since they absorb more heat from the sun. Lighter cats tend to have fuller coats with more undercoat. Some colors change from light to darker tones with the seasons. Since they are a natural breed, their mature size differs from line to line. The skogkatt, meaning forest cat, really did come out of the Scandinavian forests some time in the last 4,000 years. However, they are not feral but are among the most people-oriented cats. A question frequently asked is about the care the long coats require. Very little combing is required for non-show cats, but is recommended during spring shedding. The Forest Cat was presented to the CFA Board for registration acceptance in February 1987, and in 1993, these wonderful works of art from nature were accepted for full championship status.