Historical Origins
Ke Late test cat northwest originating LVL plateau of Thailand is an ancient species. This was introduced in the U.S. from Thailand in 1959, and in 1965 recognized by the U.S. cat lovers. Ten years after the British had just admitted that cat. Flat cat test, also known as Korat cat is a province of Thailand, its country of origin is named, locally known as “West w”, which means good luck. Thai people often give the bride a pair of such representatives as the auspicious marriage of traditional cat gift.
Origin: Thailand
Reproduction: viviparous
Body Description
Shape: Semi-Dwarf horse like type, muscular
Department head: for the heart-shaped form
Ears: large, cylindrical curved tip
Eyes: large, round, green crystal was
Nose: nasal short
Four limbs: of medium length
Paws: claws small, oval-shaped
Tail: medium length
Coat: short, shiny hair
Hair colour: silver blue
Breed Profile: Korat
“The eyes of the Korat are like those of no other cat; expressive and oversized for the face with depth and an intense gaze that takes your breath away…as sparkling as the ‘dewdrops on a lotus leaf.’ ” Like all newborn kittens at first the eyes are blue, changing to amber with a green tinge around the pupil during adolescence. Then, when the cat reaches approximately two to four years of age, the eyes are luminous green.
Korats have extraordinary powers of hearing, sight and scent. They are gentle pets, moving softly and cautiously, disliking sudden, loud or harsh noises. Those destined to be shown must be trained from birth to accept noise and handling, possibly by keeping a radio on in the nursery, and by lifting and posing the kitten as judges do. Korats form a firm bond of affection with their owners and respond warmly to cuddling, setting as close as possible. They mix well with other cats but tend to want to have the upper hand and will not let the others keep them from their rightful place at their owner’s side. They have been cherished for centuries in their native Thailand, and they naturally expect this tradition to be maintained wherever they go. Korats are active in their play but are very gentle with children.
Their hair does not float off when they are being stroked and petted, so many people with an allergy to cat hair find their proximity tolerable. The roots of the hair are a light bluish colour, darkening before the ends become silver-tipped. This silvering over the whole body should make a halo, or aura, effect and the close-lying fur shine like a polished silver dollar.
They are considered a symbol of good fortune by the Thais. Many good luck traditions surround the Korat: they are the colour of silver, signifying wealth; they are the colour of rain clouds, with eyes the colour of young rice, meaning good crops. The gift of a pair of Si-Sawat cats to the bride ensures a successful marriage.
The earliest known picture of a Korat, or Si-Sawat, the cat is to be found in the ancient book of paintings and verses known as The Cat-Book Poems in Bangkok’s National Library. It is believed by the Fine Arts Department, a division of Thailand’s Ministry of Education, to have been produced sometime during the Ayudhya Period of Siamese History (1350-1767).
A high-ranking monk, Somdej Phra Buddhacharn Buddhasarmahathera, was commissioned by King Rama V (1869-1910) to copy The Cat-Book Poems on special Khoi paper. Known as the Smud Khoi of Cats, it hangs in a large glass case in the Minor Arts Room of Bangkok’s National Museum. Books were folded, not bound as is a more recent version, known as The Book of the Cat, also in the National Museum, which is a twentieth-century version of the cats and their accompanying verses. This shows seventeen cats, whose ownership brings good fortune and six with boding of the very reverse. Among the God, Luck cats are the Korat.
King Rama V is said to have named the breed when he remarked, “What a pretty cat – where is it from?” and was told “Korat.” Presently in Thailand, the Korats are generally referred to as the Si-Sawat cats (see-sah-waht) and are found in other provinces as well. There’s no changing the colour of the breed. Korats are silver-blue from their first day until their last; a cat of any other colour is not a Korat. Their coats are soft and close-lying, with each blue hair tipped with silver.
In 1959, the first known pair of Korats (Nara and Darra), were imported into the United States. The Korats were accepted for competition in CFA in the championship category in 1966.
Pricing on Korats usually depends on the type, applicable markings and bloodlines distinguished by Grand Champion (G.C.), National or Regional winning parentage (N.W. or R.W.) or of Distinguished Merit parentage (D.M.). The D.M. title is achieved by the dam (mother) having produced five CFA grand champion/premier (alter) or D.M. offspring, or sire (father) having produced fifteen CFA grand champion/premier or D.M. offspring. Usually, breeders make kittens available between twelve and sixteen weeks of age. After twelve weeks, kittens have had their necessary inoculations and developed the physical and social stability needed for a new environment, showing, or being transported by air. Keeping such a rare treasure indoors, neutering or spaying and providing acceptable surfaces (e.g. scratching posts) for the natural behaviour of scratching (CFA disapproves of declawing or tendonectomy surgery) are essential elements for maintaining a healthy, long and joyful life.
