What do cats & the Nordic people have in common? You may relate to the findings!

There is this eternal dilemma: cats or dogs? Are you a cat person or a dog person?

You don’t have to answer. You only have to love them. Both. So do the people in the Nordics.

Having a pet is very popular among people in Scandinavia, especially the younger generation.

If you happen to take a walk around Copenhagen or Stockholm, you will surely spot way too many pet parents (namely dog parents) around.

If cats were to be taken for walks, you would definitely see them around, too.

When it comes to cats, though, things become a bit more sophisticated. You know what they say: cats are independent beings. And they are mostly towards the more introverted side of the spectrum.

What does that have to do with the Nordic people? Do they resemble feline behaviour? Do cats behave a little bit like the people in Scandinavia and around do?

Let’s find out! Cat life is a purrrfect manifestation of the Nordic lifestyle.

Minimalism

Cats can be happy by having a few simple things. They adhere to minimalism, in a way. They don’t talk too much (rather meow) but when they have something to say they do speak or speak up! The same goes for the Nordic people. They are famous for being chatty #not, but when they feel the need to express themselves, they do it. Cats can also live by simple things (OK, apart from food and petting). You may buy the most expensive cat toy, yet they will most probably play with a bottle cap or hide-and-seek in the box of your new pair of shoes. Cats are simple (yet sophisticated) beings, much like the Nordic people.

Best friends forever

Cats don’t trust other cats or humans, for that matter, easily. But when they do, they show it and it feels wonderful. They need to feel trust and a connection before they get to become friends with you. This is almost the same with the Nordic people. It is said that you can’t become friends with them easily or quickly. But when you do, they will be friends for life. Despite the embarrassing statistics that show foreigners in the Nordic countries find it extremely hard to connect and make relationships (of any kind) with them (the worst score in the world belongs to Denmark…), Nordic people like meaningful and deep relationships. It’s sometimes hard for them to open up quickly. A glass of alcohol or two can speed up the process, but that does not guarantee that they will greet you if they see you on the street the next day (rather from embarrassment than indifference, to be honest).

Love for sleep

Cats spend half of their lives sleeping. On average, they sleep over 12 hours per day, while research has shown that some of them (over 40%) sleep more than 18 hours per day. The Nordic people love to sleep, too. The Finns are famous for topping the charts as the longest-sleeping people in the world. In another research, the Finns were found to sleep the most among all people in the world: a solid 8 hours per day. The Swedes are not far behind. The Danes stand at 7 hours and 50 minutes on average.

Determination

Be it a treat or something they find a toy, cats are determined to do what is necessary to get it. They are patient; they can revisit the “crime scene” and apply a different approach to get what they want. Despite that, they won’t complain (only a bit, maybe) or cringe (a few angry meows are more cute than intimidating). Cats may embrace what the Icelanders hold on to: their “thetta reddast” approach. It roughly means something like “saved at the end of the day”. Everything will work out fine in the end. Similarly, the Finns have their own “sisu”, the grit and inner strength to go after their goals and don’t stop until they get it.

Effortless style

Cats are beautiful beings, no doubt. And they don’t engage in long beauty sessions to maintain their beauty. They simply lick themselves and clean what needs to be cleaned and taken care of. Some dogs may like a shower but cats, hell no. Not even water. They rely on their cutie little pink tongue for their beauty routines. Similarly, people from the Nordics don’t really try that hard to dress and be stylish. They look effortlessly chic without spending too much time to dress up. Besides, why bother, when the weather is mostly cold, windy, humid, and all other not style-friendly conditions? When it rains, they won’t hold an umbrella so hair is accepted to be messy and wet. When it’s windy, hair gets messy in a blink of an eye. During winter, scarves and hats make everything sloppier. But that’s OK! And the list goes on. They prefer simple yet stylish (and sometimes posh) clothes in layers, any time of the year. Plus,