Consider The Sweet Korat Cat

Korats are small- to medium-sized cats, often weighing between 6 and 10 pounds. They have a lean, muscular, compact build with slightly shorter front legs than hind legs. Their medium-length tails have a full base that tapers to the tip.

This breed has a short-haired blue coat with silver tips, heart-shaped head, and green eyes. The average lifespan for healthy Korats is nine to 15 years.

Korat cats are an ideal family pet because of their affectionate and playful nature. The cats interact well with both adults and children. However, young children should always be supervised to ensure a safe interaction.

Korats bond strongly with their families. These cats often like to follow their favorite people around the house. This breed enjoys cuddling and playing and often communicates with their people with a robust vocabulary of sounds.

Korats prefer to be the only cat in a household. When other pets get the attention they crave, Korats can get jealous and become territorial. They are capable of adjusting to other pets in a small household with some work; however, it may be challenging for a Korat to join a household with multiple pets. This breed may get along better with another cat, especially another Korat, than a dog.

Korat cats are extremely intelligent and easy to train. They can learn basic commands. Training can be incorporated into play time, as they respond well to praise and food rewards.

Pet owners should provide daily activities to engage these smart cats. A bored cat may get into mischief. Puzzle toys, mazes, and tunnels are all great interactive cat toys for Korats.

These social cats love spending quality time with their families and want to be part of daily life. They can be prone to separation anxiety if frequently left alone. Korats can be happy in calm households as lap cats or in active ones that include them in family activities. These activities should include regular playtime, though Korats will also enjoy independent play with interactive toys.

Korat cats are easy to groom because of their short single coat. Their fur does not tangle easily or shed much, so weekly brushing is sufficient for fur maintenance. Use a brush with fine wire bristles to be gentle to the skin and remove shed fur.

You should also try to brush your Korat's teeth at least three times a week to prevent dental problems and trim their nails as needed. Cats usually only need a bath about once a month.

It is best to raise Korats as indoor cats. Traffic dangers, illness exposure, and animal attacks are among the reasons to not allow cats to roam freely outdoors. There is also a risk of someone stealing this rare, distinctive breed if they are left alone outdoors. However, Korats can safely spend time outdoors if trained to walk on a harness and leash. An outdoor cat enclosure is also a safe option.

Korats are generally healthy. The biggest risks to the breed are two rare genetic neuromuscular degenerative diseases, GM1 gangliosidosis and GM2 gangliosidosis. These diseases affect cats that are missing the necessary enzymes for nervous system function. Testing for these conditions has made the disease less common than in years past.

The Korats' low body fat makes them prone to anesthesia side effects. It is recommended to consult with a veterinarian about anesthesia safety if your cat ever needs an operation. The veterinarian may order preoperative blood work to determine anesthesia safety.

Since the breed was available only in Thailand before their 1950s introduction to the United States, Korats are rare, and it may be difficult to locate breeders. Korats retain many characteristics of their ancient forebears due to this small gene pool.

Kittens are often born with blue eyes and have fur markings before attaining their adult eye and coat color. Sometimes, Korats are born with other color coats, like white and lilac, or retain distinct coat markings in adulthood. However, the Cat Fanciers' Association only allows blue-silver cats to be officially registered as Korats.

A fourteenth-century Thai work of poetry titled “The Cat-Book Poems” first mentions the Korat as one of seventeen "good luck" cats. A pair of Korats were often given as wedding gifts for good fortune. Korats also protected the family through their training to check babies’ cribs for scorpions. Originally called Si-Sawat because their coats resemble blue-gray sawad seeds, King Rama V named the cats “Korat” and held state funerals for his beloved pets.