Want to make Lady Luck your friend? Meet the Korat, a symbol of good fortune in his native Thailand. And it’s easy to see why. His blue-gray fur glistens like silver, his bright green eyes symbolize prosperity, and his heart-shaped face is said to bring happiness to brides.
The medium-size Korat is muscular but compact, weighing 6 to 10 pounds. The breed is slow to mature and may not reach his full physical and emotional development until he is 5 years old. For instance, the eyes do not achieve their luminous green color until the Korat is 2 to 4 years old.
The demanding and intelligent Korat rules his household with an iron paw sheathed in velvet. He loves attention and likes to think of himself as the one in charge, whether of other cats, dogs, or the people in his family. Expect him to be closely involved in everything you do, from reading the paper to preparing meals to paying bills. When you are home, he will always be near — if not on — you, and he won’t like being left alone for hours on end. The Korat is less talkative than his Siamese cousin, but he definitely knows how to express himself both verbally and with body language. You will know if he doesn’t approve of what you’re doing or how you’re feeding him.
The Korat is well suited to any home with people who will love him and give his gorgeous coat a weekly combing. Keep him indoors to protect him from cars, diseases spread by other cats, attacks from other animals, and simply to prevent his curiosity from leading to the end of his nine fortunate lives.
Other Quick Facts
- The Korat shines like silver and is distinguished by a heart-shaped head; huge, luminous eyes of peridot green or amber; large ears flared at the base, rounding at the tip and set high on the head; and a medium-length tail that tapers to a rounded tip.
- The Korat is never outcrossed to other breeds and has not been used to create any other breeds.
- The name is pronounced ko-RAHT, not KO-rat.
