Korat
The Korat is one of Thailand's most ancient and revered natural breeds — described in the Tamra Maew alongside the Siamese and Khao Manee.
Photo: Wikimedia Commons
Origin
Thailand
Lifespan
15–20 years
Weight
2.5–4.5 kg (5.5–10 lbs)
Height
23–28 cm (9–11 in)
Diet
Obligate carnivore — high-quality wet and dry food.
Taxonomic Hierarchy
Kingdom
Animalia
Phylum
Chordata
Class
Mammalia
Order
Carnivora
Family
Felidae
Genus
Felis
The Story
The Korat is one of Thailand's most ancient and revered natural breeds — described in the Tamra Maew alongside the Siamese and Khao Manee. Known as the "Si-Sawat" in Thai (sawat means good fortune), the Korat has been given as a wedding gift and auspicious blessing in Thailand for centuries — a pair of Korats was traditionally given to newlyweds to bring good luck and prosperity. The Korat's coat is a distinctive blue-grey with silver tipping that gives each hair a luminous quality, and the large peridot-green eyes are among the most striking in the cat world.
Also Known As
Quick Facts
Discover which pets match your lifestyle
Physical Profile
Source: wikimedia
The Korat is a small to medium, well-muscled, semi-cobby cat with a distinctive heart-shaped face — the forehead, cheeks, and chin form a gentle heart outline when viewed from the front. The coat is exclusively blue-grey with silver tipping, single-layered (no dense undercoat), and lies close to the body with a distinctive luminous sheen. The eyes are large, luminous, and peridot-green — the green colour is fully developed only in adults.
Grooming
Low
Shedding
Low
Coat Colors
Recognized By
Source: wikimedia
Temperament & Personality
Korats are gentle, quiet, and loyal — they form deep bonds with their chosen family. They are sensitive to noise and disruption, preferring calm households. They are less demanding than Siamese but more interactive than Russian Blues. They are good with children who handle them gently.
Living Profile
Care & Wellness
Professional Care Protocol
- •Minimal grooming — weekly brushing of the single-layer coat. They are sensitive to environmental changes and loud sounds — a calm, stable home suits them best. Regular dental care.
Vaccination Schedule
Vaccination Schedule
Health Overview
Gangliosidosis (GM1 and GM2) — two inherited storage diseases that are rare but documented in Korats; DNA test available. HCM. Generally a robust, long-lived breed. The small gene pool of the breed (no outcrossing permitted — the Korat must breed to Korat) requires careful management.
Common Conditions
Fun Facts
The Korat is one of only a handful of cat breeds that is naturally restricted to a single colour — blue-grey with silver tipping — and has no accepted colour variants. Any Korat of a different colour is considered to be of mixed ancestry.
Korat kittens are born with blue eyes that change through amber to the final adult peridot-green — the green is only fully achieved at approximately 2–4 years of age, making young Korats appear to have a different eye colour from adults.
In Thailand, Korats are never sold — they are only given as gifts, as selling them would nullify their good-luck properties. This tradition is still observed by some Thai breeders even when exporting to other countries.
