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Breed Profile

Size: Medium
Origin: Thailand
Colour: Silver and Blue

An ancient domestic breed from Thailand. Known there as the Si-Sawat, its existence is recorded in The Cat Book Poems written in the Ayudhya Period, some time between 1350 and 1767.

Owner's Guide

Domestic Breed: An ancient domestic breed from Thailand. Known there as the Si-Sawat, its existence is recorded in The Cat Book Poems written in the Ayudhya Period, some time between 1350 and 1767, and now lodged in the Bangkok National Library. In the 1970s, a Thai cat expert, Pichai-Ramadi Vasnasong, described this cat as one of the eight types of 'Siamese Cats' (using the term in an unusually broad sense) known to exist in Thailand: '1. The Koraj. This is better known as the Si Sawat (purple grey, the colour of the Sawat nut.)'. This Thai spelling, Koraj, has been changed to Korat by European breeders because the Thai pronunciation of 'j' is equivalent to our soft 't'.

Appearance: A trim, medium-sized, muscular, short-haired cat with tall ears and a heart-shaped head. The luminous green eyes are unusually large and prominent. The silver-blue coat is glossy and fine, lying close to the body - essentially a hot-country coat. The hairs have a delicate, silver tipping, eloquently known in the East as 'sea-foam'.

History: In its native Thailand, where to own one is thought to bring good fortune, the Korat has been a highly prized cat for centuries. The symbolism of their colours has led to their being used in rain-making ceremonies. At the end of the dry season they are taken in procession and water is poured over them to bring the rains. They have sometimes been called the 'Cloud-coloured Cat' and, because their eyes are the colour of young rice, they have been thought to help in producing a good crop. Traditionally, a pair of Korats was given to a bride on her wedding day to bring her prosperity in the years ahead. Because of the sheen on their coats, they were said to symbolize a gift of silver.

It is said to have acquired its present name from King Chulalongkorn at the turn of the century, when he asked where such beautiful cats came from. He was told that they were found in Korat (Cao Nguyen Khorat ), one of the eastern provinces of the country. It was this same king, also known as Rama V, who commissioned a monk (with the catchy name of Somdej Phra Buddhacharn Buddhasarmahathera) to paint a copy of the ancient Cat Book Poems, with its revealing illustrations of the different types of local cats. This Smud Khoi (papyrus book), is on view in the Minor Arts Room at the National Museum in Bangkok and carries a lyrical description of the Korat breed:

'The hairs are smooth, with roots like clouds and tips like silver.
The eyes shine like dewdrops on a lotus leaf.'

This book also says of the Korat: 'The cat "Ma-led" has a body colour like "Doklao". The word 'Ma-led' is used to describe the silvery-grey seed of a wild Thai fruit called the 'Look Sawat'. 'Doklao' refers to the silvery-tipped flower of a local herb. The name 'Si-Sawat' means 'Colour of the Sawat Seed'. This insistence of the specific hue of the Korat makes it clear that, for this particular breed, any individual animal deviating from the traditional coat colour would cease to be a true Korat.

Because this breed was valued so highly, it was never sold. As a result, exported examples were extremely rare. Only occasionally was one presented as a special gift to honour some dignitary or aristocrat. The first record of a Korat Cat being seen in the West dates from 1896, when one was exhibited in London at the Holland House Show. According to the well-known cat judge, C.A.House, writing some years later, it was entered by a Mr Spearman, a young Englishman just back from Siam. It is not clear how he obtained it, although it is clear that he had brought it personally from its country of origin. Sadly, despite his protestations that it was a distinct and separate breed, the judge of the day, the famous cat artist Louis Wain, disqualified it because, in his ignorance, he foolishly considered it to be a poor specimen of a blue Siamese.

After this, the breed then disappeared without trace for many years. It was not heard of again until 1959, when a pair, called Nara and Darra, was presented to the American Ambassador to Thailand. They were sent to Mrs Jean Johnson the United States, who had become fascinated by the breed when she had visited what was then Siam in 1947. She had been searching for a typical Siamese Cat, but was shown the Korats and told that these, and not the local colour-pointed varieties, were the most important local felines. Twelve years later she now had a pair of these 'special cats' and was able to use them to start a breeding programme. In the early 1960s more Korats were obtained and brought safely back to the United States. In 1965 a Korat Cat Fanciers Association was formed in America and published a quarterly news letter called Mai Pen Rai . They insisted that, to be accepted as a true Korat, a cat must have a pedigree stretching back to an origin in Thailand. Others clubs were also formed, including the Si-Sawat Society, the Sa-Waat-Dee and the Korat Fanciers of the East. The Korat was eventually recognized as a pedigree breed there in 1966.

Korat breeding stock did not reach Britain until the 1970s - to be precise, at 10.30 am on the morning of March 11th, 1972. A five-weeks pregnant female called Saeng Duan and an unrelated male kitten called Sam. The female gave birth to six kittens in quarantine on Easter Sunday - the first Korats ever born in Britain. Twelve years later the breed was given full recognition and granted Championship status.

Personality: Terms used to describe this breed include: intelligent, inquisitive, gentle, active, soft-voiced, cautious , shy, powerful, faithful, shy, reserved, calm, friendly, intuitive , swift, agile and playful. The males are said to make good fathers if left with their kittens. They are said to be unusually territorial and to hiss and growl at unknown intruders. According to legend, the males were sometimes taken into battle on the shoulders of the warriors and would launch themselves at the enemy.

Colour forms: All Korats are a slate blue/grey colour.

Breed Clubs:

The Korat Cat Association publishes a regular newsletter. Address: 25 Stapleford Road, Whissendine, Oakham, Leics LE15 7EY, England.

Korat Cat Fanciers Association. Formed in 1965. Address: 1601 North Federal Highway, Lake Worth, Florida 33460-6695, USA. The KCFA publishes a quarterly newsletter called Mai Pen Rai. Address: 2790 Newberry Avenue, Green Bay, WI 54302, USA.

Si-Sawat Circle. Address: 23 Kingsway Avenue, West Point, Manchester M19 2DH, England.

Si-Sawat (Korat) Society. Publishes a Newsletter. Address: 251 Connell Ct., Reynoldsburg, OH 43068, USA.