The Norwegian Forest Cat
Breed Advisory Committee
Under the British Governing Council of the Cat Fancy
The health of the breed
The Norwegian Forest Cat is generally a very healthy breed, with one of the widest gene pools. However it is still very important that breeders should do everything they can to protect the health of their cats, and any potential problems should be researched and nipped in the bud. This page includes some links that we hope you will find useful.
General GCCF guidelines for healthy breeding:
***UPDATE ON HEALTH TESTING FOR PKdef and GSDIV ***
There is now a very strong push by DEFRA, RSPCA, Cats Protection and other animal welfare organisations to test for hereditary diseases where such reliable tests exist. It is becoming evident, from information being provided at the GCCF Delegates meetings, that such tests are being recommended as a standard requirement for breeders. These organisations are also educating the public with regard to what health questions they should be asking when looking for a kitten or cat, including requesting information regarding what testing has been done by the breeder for their breed.
The GCCF is also promoting that where definitive genetic tests for any breed are available they should be carried out and that these tests may in the not too distant future become mandatory for breeds where currently they are not.
In the light of the above all Norwegian Forest Cats registered with the GCCF as breeding animals must now be tested for PKD and GSDIV.
Please click here for more information about genetic testing
Glycogen Storage Disease: