The Korat is a silver-tipped blue cat from Thailand with a heart-shaped face and green eyes, described in old Thai manuscripts and traditionally given as a token of good fortune.
Breeding cats are DNA tested for two inherited diseases of the nervous system.
The Korat is a medium-sized, silver-blue cat from Thailand with a heart-shaped face and large green eyes. It has been regarded as a bringer of good fortune in its homeland for centuries.
The breed is one of the cats described and illustrated in the Thai "cat-book poems", manuscripts thought to date from the Ayutthaya period, where it is called Si-Sawat. Korats were traditionally given in pairs, notably to brides, as a wish for prosperity. The name comes from a province in the north-east of the country. The first breeding pair reached the United States in 1959, and Korats arrived in Britain in 1972.
The Korat comes in one colour only. Each hair is pale at the root and darkens to blue-grey before ending in a silver tip, which gives the coat a sheen. There is no undercoat, so the fur lies flat. The head forms a heart shape, with a broad brow and gently curved cheeks. The eyes are oversized, round when open and a luminous green; kittens' eyes are amber and may take two to four years to reach their final colour. The body is compact and muscular, heavier than it appears.
Korats form strong bonds with their people and like to be close to them. They are intelligent, playful and gentle, sensitive to loud noise, and inclined to want to be the centre of the household.
The single coat sheds little and needs only occasional brushing. Two fatal inherited diseases of the nervous system, known as GM1 and GM2 gangliosidosis, occur in the breed. DNA tests identify carriers, and registries and breed clubs require breeding cats to be tested.
The Korat is recognised by the Governing Council of the Cat Fancy and the international registries. About 40 kittens a year are registered in Britain.