A Korat is a lively and extroverted cat that demands close contact with its owner/family to thrive. It is not necessarily the easiest cat to live with, as it has a great degree of self-confidence and expects you to adapt your habits to its needs and ideas... But, if you are ready to accept a few compromises

in your everyday life and ready to give the Korat the attention and love it demands - when it wants it - you will have a very loyal and true friend for life. A cat that will follow you in EVERYTHING that you do - a cat that will sleep with you - it may even go into the shower with you.

Good to know, if you are thinking of living with one (or more) Korat(s):

if you are away many hours a day, it is advisable to have two cats, so they have each others’ company. They don’t have to be two Korats - Korats get along well with other breeds.

one must be prepared to spend time with the Korat when one comes home from work for example. Another cat as company doesn’t substitute human contact which the Korat doesn’t thrive well without.

it is close to you whatever you do, so remember to get it out of the closet before closing the door..., also be careful that it doesn’t run out the door while you are on tour way in or out or jumps out the open window...

 

it has its very own view of how the world works - it is the center! Everything is about the Korat - or it will be! :))) One is very seldom in doubt as to when a Korat wants something... it is not always clear what it wants, but it is easily understood that it wants something!

be prepared that the Korat uses its voice often and loudly (especially if it doesn’t get its way!). How much it uses its voice for everyday communication is very individual, but if they feel neglected or bored , THEN they can all lift their voices!

In spite of the strong will of the Korat, it can quite easily be trained with respect and firmness. If the Korat from the very beginning learns that "no" means "no" (and not "maybe") and this is used consistently it will learn what is allowed and not allowed quite fast. That does not mean it won’t try the limits once in a while... isn’t that part of being a cat? The Korat has a mild will of iron - that says it all, doesn’t it?

The Korat has all its mating instincts fully intact, which means that it is advisable to neuter it BEFORE it reaches maturity.

a Korat female in season can be very tiresome - the noise level is impressively high, not to mention the spraying... females can reach maturity as early as 5 to 6 months of age

a whole male will guaranteedly spray a lot and call loudly for girls! Males can father litters at 4 months of age, though the more usual age for maturity is around 6 months.

On the other hand the parental instinct is also intact - you have to search far and wide to find a more tolerant cat mother than a Korat queen.

In an old Thai monk writing that describes all the Thai cat breeds and patterns of the time in poems and drawings, the Korat is described like this:

Keeping this in mind it should be clear that the Korat can only be blue with green eyes! These characteristics are what Korat clubs around the world are working to protect.

In 1997, one of the oldest American breeders, Norma O'Neill, wrote the following about the Korat:

Its ancestor is a jungle cat, still living in some of the most remote areas of Thailand (as i.e. the Korat province, which has given the breed its name). The Korat has chosen its own partners in this free life, and according to the rules of nature that means survival of the fittest - only the best (healthiest) and strongest cats could survive and produce off-spring to continue the species. In these dangerous surroundings only cats with the absolute best physical traits could survive. The body of the Korat is subtle and compact at the same time, made for quick jumps and endurance, with an elegance as if it were of steel. The head is strong as in wild cats. In the close jungle forest the soft lines of the Korat have helped it move unremarkedly on its hunt for food for survival. The eyes which are very big and luminous have also been a great help while hunting. They vary in color from golden-green in daylight to having an emerald-green glow at night. No matter the nuance the eyes are always observant and aware. The exceptionally big eyes are protected by a bone ridge, which goes over the eyes and down around the broad cheek bones. It is this "eyebrow bone" which gives the Korat the special heart

shaped face , with the short slightly downward bent nose and the well developed muzzle and jaw to underline the heart shape.The ears which are placed high on the head are large and very broad at the base. That stimulates the hearing, since the ears are directed straight towards the sound. The front paws are more like hands than feet - just look at the Korat, when it uses its elegant "fingers" during play or when it handles objects, and you will notice what a help the front paws/fingers must have been for the cat in the wild. It seems that it was not necessary to have the light undercoat, you find with many other breeds, in Thailand because the Korat is completely without one. The single short coat lies close to the body. The color has by Westerners been described as silver blue, by Thais it is described as being "rain cloud grey" or "shining black pearl colored" in the darker shades and the silver sheen is described as "sea foam". This silver sheen throws a glory around the lines of the body, which centers at the nose and the paws, where the coat is very short. It is easy to imagine that the Korat cat with these colors was very well camouflaged in the flickering sunlight at the ruins in Pimai's granite plains in the Korat province and in the close shadowy jungle forest. The Korat has a healthy outward character and enjoys being a part of its owner's life. When it is lifted to be cuddled it "gives itself" to its owner and clearly shows its adoration and love.

This article very clearly describes what Korat breeders around the world are trying to protect and keep about the Korat. In all ages the Korat has its own way of connecting and bonding with its family. People are very important to them. But Korats seem to prefer their own kind and are most content in a home without too many other breeds.

A Korat will greet you at the door, where you sit, sleep on or beside you along your relaxed shape. It won't let you out of sight, but keep a close eye on everything you do. Because of their unique bonding ability, Korats are ideal pets. The curiosity of a Korat and need to be close to its owner makes it necessary to be careful that it doesn't follow you out the door or jump out an open window when you are in the garden. It is a very quiet and smart at times - sometimes even cunning.

If you want to know more about the Korat, try these links:

Primprau’s Korats
KoratWorld
FIFe Korat Standard

© 1999 Camilla Baird