Ragamuffin cats

The Ragamuffin is a breed of domestic cat that first made its appearance in 1994. Ragamuffins are notable for their friendly personalities and thick, rabbitlike fur.

Ragamuffins are a muscular, heavy breed of cat not reaching full maturity until approximately four years of age. The physical traits of the breed include a rectangular, broad-chested body with shoulders supporting a short neck. The head is a broad, modified wedge with a rounded forehead and a nose dip. Ragamuffins come in all coat colors and patterns with a medium-length coat that increases in length toward the stomach. Although the coat is thick and plush, it does not readily mat or clump and is easy to care for. Ragamuffins are bred to be sociable, intelligent, affectionate, cuddly companions that are playful throughout their lives.

The head is a broad, modified wedge with a rounded appearance. The forehead should be moderately rounded. The body should appear rectangular with a broad chest and broad shoulders and moderately heavy muscling in the hindquarters, with the hindquarters being equally broad as the shoulders. There should be a fatty pad (omentum) in the lower abdomen. Fur length is to be slightly longer around the neck and outer edges of the face, resulting in the appearance of a ruff, and increasing in length from the top of the head down through the shoulder blades and back, with the coat on the sides and stomach being medium to medium long. Every color and pattern is allowable, with or without white. Some colors patterns, such as pure white, are rarer than others and are generally in greater demand.

Norwegian Forest Cat

The Norwegian Forest Cat is a breed of domestic cat native to Northern Europe, and adapted to a very cold climate. In Norway they are known as the skogkatt/skaukatt which means forest cat ("skog" and 'skau" being alternate words for "forest" in different Norwegian dialects), or more formally as the Norsk Skogkatt (Norwegian Forest Cat). A common name for them is weegie.

The breed is very old, and occurred as a natural adaptation to the cold climate of the region, but it was not regarded as anything other than a standard house-cat until the late 1930s, when a small number of 'Skaukatten' were shown in Germany and received very favorably by the judges. World War II brought an abrupt end to the fledgling Norwegian show cat industry, and the breed was forgotten until the 1970s. The cats are now being bred and shown in several countries. The first international association to accept the breed was FIFe, in 1977.

Norwegian Forest Cats have a thick fluffy double-layered coat, long tufts of fur in their ears and between their toes, and a long bushy tail to protect them against the cold. Their coat is essentially waterproof due to its water repellent outer layer and dense underlayer. They are very large cats with adult males weighing 6 to 10 kg (13 to 22 lb), while females are generally smaller. Their hind legs are longer than their front legs. They are very intelligent, playful cats that enjoy human company but can get upset if left alone for long periods of time. The nickname of "Weegie" (pronounced to rhyme with 'squeegee') began in the United States and is a shortened version of the word Norwegian.


Source: Wikipedia
Photo: Froskeland