Korat Cat
Note: Nearly all the
cat breed photographs on this website are by Helmi Flick a professional
photographer of distinction. She mainly photographs show cats with a full pedigree. I am not
sure of the pedigree or history of the cats on this page because I
don't know the photographers. That does not mean that they are not
purebred or pedigree Korat Cats or indeed fine cats.
Introduction The Korat is an ancient and natural cat from Thailand (formerly Siam the country of origin of the Siamese cat) with a "silvery sheen"1 originating in the court of King Rama V1. It was known as "Si-Sawat, a symbol of good fortune. A similar cat, in terms of its naturalness and colour comes immediately to mind, the Chartreux. The Chartreux is a native of France while the Korat, as mentioned, originally comes from Thailand (see map below) where the cat is associated with good luck. Apparently, a pair of Korats are, on occasions, given to newly weds as a way of wishing good luck (and on other special occasions, I presume). They were also said to have been used to guard homes and villages in Siam1. View Larger Map
This cat is relatively rare in its native country. My research did not revel reference to this breed of cat on websites about Thailand. The Korat is spoken about in a reverential way by the Thai people in respect of its fine appearance. The coat is very fine and discussed below. It would seem, and I am speculating, that this cat was kept by the more wealthy people of Thailand. The cats of Thailand are more likely, these days to be moggies, Siamese (Vichien Mat) or Oriental Shorthair for example. History
Appearance and Character The coat is special in its make up and appearance. This cat has only one color, blue (solid division, traditional category) - the color you see in these photographs (any slight differences is due to color reproduction). Other cats with a similar single color are the Chartreux, Russian Blue and Nebelung. These are the Grey Cat Breeds . There are no tabby markings.The coat is a single coat (no undercoat), which means easier maintenance and medium in length. Also the fur doesn't come off quite so easily, making this cat less of a problem potentially for people who suffer from cat allergies. However this would seem to be anecdotal information.
They describe the color as, "rain cloud gray". The silver aura or the "polished silver dollar" effect (used by the CFA author) is described as, "sea foam". There is an interesting difference in the reference to nature in Thailand and the reference to money in the USA. The "halo" effect may be due to the absorption of light by the dark middle area of the hair follicles and the silver tipping. 
The silver tipping is more concentrated on the muzzle (the front of the
cat's face) and the toes.The face is said to be "heart-shaped"1. This comes from TICA's breed standard, "Face is heart- shaped with smooth curved lines.." The eyes the colour of "peridot gem-stones"1 - what are they!? Answer: see picture adjacent right. TICA's breed standard says this about the eyes, "Luminous green color preferred, amber cast acceptable.." The body is semi-cobby, cat fancy language for about average or between slender and stocky in conformation - see cat body types. The body is compact and muscular. As to character, they have, like other cat breeds, (but perhaps more so) superb hearing and a very sensitive nose. As a consequence they like it quiet. Plus they have all the usual beautiful and natural characteristics of all domestic cats. They are said to be intelligent.
Breeders See a full Korat cat world list of breeders on this page.As usual, the listings are from the top non-directory cattery sites on a Google search. If you'd like a listing please contact me. Gentlegift Korats This is the only website (2009) listed in the first 3 pages on the above criteria at the time of building this page. This site malfunctions in its operation and it is not clear where the cattery is or whether it is still operating - please advise. Sources:
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