About Fairy Belles

Hi. Blue Belle, Daisy May and I moved to Northamptonshire in November 2007 with my partner Neil, although Neil and I originate from Cambridgeshire and Essex respectively.

I’m still learning about Norwegians as a breed; there’s so much to learn and every day brings something new. But once you start you can’t stop. I’m totally hooked on Norwegian Forest Cats now!

Once I’d bought Blue Belle, my first Norwegian, and had begun to learn a little about the breed, I decided to start showing and breeding Norwegians. However, deciding on my breeder’s prefix was difficult as I wanted a prefix that represented the breed, had a link to forests and included a reference to Blue Belle, my first Norwegian. But as many breeders had a head start over me, the pick of the best names had already been taken.

Following some research into both English and Norwegian folklore, I decided on Fairy Belles. The Norwegian Forest Cat is an old breed which is thought to have originated in the forests of northern Scandinavia; accounts suggest that the breed was known as long ago as 1599. The Norwegian Forest Cat had long ago been mentioned in Norse legend as the ‘fairy cat’ (Huldrekat in Norwegian) and, as I wanted to maintain a Norwegian theme for my prefix, I decided that it should contain the reference to ‘fairies’.

But I also wanted to include a reference to Blue Belle. And whilst researching Bluebells on the internet, I found the perfect reference. Bluebells are famous for their rich history in English folklore. In past times when forests were forbidding places, people believed that the bluebells rang out to summon fairies to their gatherings. A field of bluebells was thought to be associated with fairy enchantment. I had found the perfect prefix which included links to Norway, forests and fairies. ‘Fairy Belles’ had been born!

And in addition to all this an artist friend of mine designed for me my fantastic logo, my Norwegian Forest Cat Blue Belle with a fairy sheltering her with bluebells.

My Norwegians live both in the house and in a large enclosure we have built for them in the garden. Time outside is really important for Norwegians; in addition to providing a source of stimulation for them and allowing them to stay active, the conditioning their coats receive from being outside means it fully reflects the seasonal elements, which is vital for successful showing.

By the way, I really enjoy going to shows. In addition to my girls I go with my mum, Brenda, and Blue Belle’s first kitten Fairy Belles Master Mason (Mason for short). I’m slowly building up my show-time, my breeding experience and thanks to my Norwegians, my rosette collection!

Maybe we’ll see you at a show soon. I’ve had my logo and prefix embroidered onto the T-shirts I wear at shows so please look out for me and come and have a chat.