Firstly – thank-you. There are many people who don’t consider the best interests of the cat when they are acquiring more than one. They will just buy the two that look the cutest, regardless of their breed or temperament. So, thanks for not being that person – I like you already 🙂
It’s actually a very good question as it certainly shouldn’t be assumed that you can just plonk any two cats together and they’ll just get along okay. This is far from the truth. In fact, if you introduce any two cats together that haven’t seen each other before – the chances are they most definitely will not get along. At least initially.
However, the Norwegian Forest cat, as I’m sure you know, is somewhat special. In so many ways. But what if you’re trying to introduce one of these to another cat – what would be the result?
Do Norwegian Forest cats get along with other cats? The Norwegian Forest cat can get along with other cats just fine, however, there can be no guarantees. Note that the younger the cats are the easier the process will be.
What kind of cats get along the best?
Let’s forget about the breed of cat for the time being as actually, this isn’t the main contributing factor as to whether two cats will get along. But what is the main contributing factor then?
Well, this is the easiest bit – it’s their age. There’s a direct correlation between the age of the cat and the chances you have of them accepting each other.
Of course though, this doesn’t mean that just because they are older you have no chance of two cats getting along – it just means the percentage chance of them accepting each other is lower and it will also take longer for them to become more comfortable with the new arrangement.
If you introduce two kittens to each other that are less than 12 weeks old (typically this wouldn’t happen as a breeder shouldn’t let them out until after this time and it’s rare for any rescue center to have kittens of this age) then they’ll just play with each other.
At this early age, they aren’t really interested in marking territory or setting boundaries – all they want to do is get milk from their mum and jump on each other whilst making squeaking noises and looking cute.
Also, bear in mind that cats can remember cats that they have lived with previously. We bought a cat (Mona) from a breeder a few months ago and whilst she was there, she had a best friend (Rosie).
I know this is only about 3 months but the reason I mention it is that you may want to consider (if possible) speaking to the rescue center or breeder to see if you can acquire a cat from there as your NFC may be more comfortable living with a cat that it already knows.
What kind of cat is the Norwegian Forest Cat?
The Norwegian Forest cat is often confused with the Maine Coon as they share a lot of physical attributes and actually, their personality isn’t too dissimilar too.
I’m not going to spend too much time on this as if you’re reading this then you most likely already know a whole load about the Norwegian Forest cat. They can be extremely affectionate and don’t do well without interaction from us.
To me, they are a cat that only serious cat-people should consider. You know who you are. I am one of these people and it’s a perhaps a reason why I love these so much. I ended up with Maine Coons as they are very similar and bizarrely, the MC seems to be the only cat breed my patient wife isn’t allergic to!
But is the Norwegian Forest cat typically okay with other cats? Well, considering its nature they have as good a chance at accepting other cats as any other. I think it’s important to remember this. With the NFC being generally quite a relaxed breed you’ve got your cards stacked in your favor for sure, but there are no guarantees.
You see, not only does every breed have different personality traits but each cat within the breed is an individual. So, just because one cat in a particular breed does something – certainly doesn’t mean all cats in that breed with have the same trait!
What if the two cats start fighting with each other?
Even cats that have been brought up together from kittens will occasionally have a little spat. But, it’s important to differentiate playing with actual fighting. Typically, when cats are playing, one will just jump onto the other and they’ll tumble around for a bit. This often escalates into a proper scrap when one of them nips the other just a little bit too hard!
One of the best things you can do in this situation is to distract them. Also, don’t expect miracles. It’s natural for cats to play around in this way. When you notice it getting too rough, just gently separate them (without getting your hand bitten off) and try and play with them with a wand-toy or something similar.
Eventually, they’ll form connections that whenever they get too rough the same thing happens (you play with them) and so (hopefully) they will stop doing it so much.
Conclusion – do Norwegian Forest cats get along with other cats?
This was always going to be a tricky one to answer. The answer is ‘yes’ but with caveats. The best time to introduce two cats together is when they are kittens and failing that, as young as possible.
You will have an easier job with the NFC than you would with many other breeds due to its nature but there are no guarantees. However, this shouldn’t stop you from trying as long as you go into the process with your eyes open.
As you probably know, the Norwegian Forest cat (like most breeds) aren’t good with being left alone and this is even more important when you’re introducing it to another cat. You need to spend as much time as you can with them, not only for reassurance but to ensure any initial fights don’t get too naughty.
Introducing two cats that haven’t seen each other before is a topic for a whole other article, one that I shall be revisiting shortly!