The Korat was discovered in Ampur Pimai of the
Korat province in Thailand. The earliest known
record of the Korat appears in The Cat-Book of Poems
or Smud Khoi of Cats, produced some time during
the Ayudhya Period of Siamese History (1350-1767).
This book presents the seventeen “good luck” cats of
Thailand, including the Korat, and is presently located
at Bangkok’s National Library.
The Korat has a unique color, defined as silver-tipped
blue, which gives it a shimmering shine. The color
appears to absorb light, giving a “halo” effect. It is a
short, single and close-lying coat. Their hair does not
float off when they are stroked or petted, so most people
with allergies to cat hair find their proximity tolerable.
The roots are lighter with color increasing in shade up
the shaft to a deeper blue until it reaches the tips, which
are silver. The silver tipping is more prevalent on the
muzzle and toes. The Korat only comes in the silvertipped
blue color.
The Korat has a unique head structure that is based
off of a “heart shape.” There are a total of five hearts
associated with the Korat. The head contains three of
these heart-shapes: looking straight on at the Korat,
you see the Valentine-shaped heart of the head. The
second heart is found by looking down over the top of
the Korat’s head, and the third heart associated with the
head is the nose. The fourth heart can be found in the
muscular area of the chest when the cat is in a sitting
position. But the most commonly forgotten heart is
the one inside the cat! As the Korat matures, the heart
shapes become more prominent.
The Korat’s body is semi-cobby, with a tapering at the
waist. They do not appear to have much weight but are
surprisingly hefty. The feeling is that of a well-coiled
spring! The bulk of the weight is carried towards the
front through rounded, well-developed, muscular
shoulders. The neck is fairly short and heavy, connecting
to a broad chest, with the shoulders somewhat wider
than the chest.
Korats have extraordinary powers of hearing, sight and
scent. They form strong bonds with their owners and
respond warmly to cuddling, sitting as close as possible.
They are very active in play but gentle with children.
The Korat is possibly the cat in the fancy that most closely
resembles its original look – more than any other breed.
Comparing a Korat from the earliest pictures to one from
today, one finds little to no difference in the cats.
For more information, please send
inquiries to CFA at cfa@cfa.org.