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Getting a Cat or Kitten
17 min read
| Family-friendly: | 2/5 |
| Playfulness: | 3/5 |
| Intelligence: | 3/5 |
| Tendency to Vocalise: | 2/5 |
| Likes Other Pets: | 5/5 |
| Grooming needs: | 2/5 |
| Shedding: | 3/5 |
Korat
The Korat is a medium sized cat with a robust, cobby build. The face is attractive and alert with a heart-shaped appearance and large mobile ears. The overall impression the Korat gives is of smooth curves and huge eyes, wrapped in a gleaming blue-silver coat. Eye colours are green, or greenish-amber, and may take up to two years to fully develop their final colour.
Lifespan
10 - 15 years
Weight
2.7 - 4.5kg
Colours
Blue is the only colour the Korat comes in, though the degree of silver shading may vary.
The need-to-know
- Benefits from an experienced owner
- Needs high-level of enrichment including simulated hunting games and interactive play
- Highly active and inquisitive cat
- Sociable and dependent cat
- Slightly talkative cat
- Average build cat breed
- Requires grooming once a week
- Needs extensive outdoor space
- Not ideal for family homes
- Can be left alone all day
- Needs a calm environment
Generally healthy breed
The Korat cat breed can suffer from:
- Gangliosidosis GM1 and GM2 which are storage diseases that affect the nervous system, but it is worth noting there is a low prevalence of this disease in this breed.
Testing available:
- DNA testing for gangliosidosis which tests whether or not a cat has the potential to be affected by this condition.
Personality
The Korat is an engaging and affectionate cat, inclined to ‘help’ owners with anything they are doing around the home but in an unobtrusive rather than irritating way. Whether you are doing a little light plumbing, or simply watch TV, the Korat will be by your side, on your lap or possibly, in your toolbox! Korats are also excellent problem solvers and not just at opening containers or cupboard doors. Korats have even been known to alter radio settings to a station more to their liking! Korat owners say that the breed is not only expressive and easy to read, but are adept mind readers and they know what you are thinking, often before you are thinking it!
Another of the ancient Thai breeds, the Korat is mentioned in the 14th century ‘Cat-Book Poems’, which describes their coat: ‘the base of each hair, is the colour of a cloud’ and that their eyes are: ‘like dew when dropped on the leaf of a lotus’. Despite their ancient history in Thailand, the Korat wasn’t imported to the US until the 1960’s and the first UK litter was born in 1972. There is some suggestion that the Korat was imported and shown in the UK in 1896 but this cat, described as blue, and shown in the Siamese category, was disqualified for not being of the typical Siamese colouring!
Although well equipped for the outdoor world, the Korat is so intent on hunting and playing and so affectionate and friendly, it would be a risk to let one out unsupervised. A cat-proofed garden or a large built-in cat-run will give your Korat room to play, climb and enjoy fresh air whilst remaining safe from the dangers of the wider world.
Clever and very playful, the Korat loves cat games and toys. They are particularly keen on ‘fishing’ games, with a toy on a string, but can learn to chase and retrieve thrown toys as well. The Korat will be kept entertained by food dispensing toys designed to recreate cat hunting behaviours, and investment in cat-trees and climbing gyms will pay off in cat entertainment terms.
Every cat is unique and each has their own particular likes, dislikes, and needs when it comes to food. However, cats are carnivores and every cat must obtain 41 different and specific nutrients from their food. The proportion of these nutrients will vary depending on age, lifestyle and overall health, so it's not surprising that a growing, energetic kitten needs a different balance of nutrients in her diet than a less active senior cat. Other considerations to bear in mind are feeding the right quantity of food to maintain 'ideal body condition' in accordance with feeding guidelines and catering to individual preference regarding wet or dry cat food recipes. Find out more about cat feeding guidelines with our article.
The Korat has an easy-care coat, when it comes to cat grooming, just a quick brush through once a week will suffice. Remember that a greasy coat can be evidence that your cat is no longer attempting to groom themselves, which can be indicative of poor or failing health. As with all cats, Korat benefit from regular vaccination, parasite control and an annual veterinary cat health check.
The Korat adores people, and will enjoy a home where someone is around most of the time. As with most cats, Korats do not enjoy being handled by very small children but they are fine with older children who can respect a cat’s space and needs.
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