Korat

The Korat is one of the oldest natural breeds, a silver-blue cat from Thailand known as Si-Sawat, the cat of good fortune. It takes its common name from the Korat plateau, now Nakhon Ratchasima. Old Thai manuscripts describe cats of this kind as bringers of prosperity, and they appear in a book of poems.

The Korat is a traditional gift. According to custom, a pair of Korats is given to a bride as a good-luck wedding present, and the cats were never sold in the old days. They were first brought to the United States in 1959 by Jean Johnson, and the breed was built from those and later imports.

The coat is silver-blue, with each hair tipped in silver, and the short, glossy fur lies close to the body. The Korat has only one color, and that is its own. The nose and paw pads are dark blue or lavender, and the eyes are a luminous green.

The head is a heart. Seen from the front, the Korat’s face forms a perfect heart shape, from the broad brow to the narrow chin, with large ears and round, wide-set eyes. The body is medium, muscular and surprisingly heavy for its size.

The personality is devoted. A Korat bonds closely with its family, and it is gentle, intelligent and a little sensitive. It likes routine and quiet and can be startled by loud noise. It enjoys playing, but it is also happy to sit beside you and watch.

The coat needs only a weekly stroke. Health notes include an inherited nerve disease, GM1 gangliosidosis, for which responsible breeders test, and a tendency toward dental problems. A healthy Korat commonly lives fifteen years or more, and in Thailand it is said that you bring luck to anyone who loves it.