The Extraordinary Silver Blue Korat

When you look at a Korat’s eyes, you will see that they are extraordinary.  Compared to other breeds, they are expressive and have a depth that can take your breath away.  As newborn kittens, their eyes are blue.  Then they change to amber with a tinge of green as they grow into adolescence.  As they reach two to four years, their eyes turn into a wonderful luminous green.

 

The Korat’s eyes is just one of the many amazing features of this breed.  This breed originated in Thailand.  The first known picture of this Korat or “Si-Sawat” (Color of the Sawat Seed) is said to be found in an ancient book of verses and paintings that can be foung in Bangkok’s National Library called “The Cat-Book Poems.”  It was found to be among the Good Luck cats.  It was named by King Rama V after the Nakhon Ratchasima province and is one of the oldest cat breeds.  As Good Luck cats, they are usually given in pairs during weddings.  

The Korat is silver-blue in color from its birth until its death.  It must be noted that a cat that has any other color is not considered a Korat.  They have a small to medium build and are surprisingly heavy for their size.  Its head is usually described as “heart-shaped” which distinguishes it from other breeds, like its color.  When you stroke or pet a Korat, its hair does not float or come off.  This makes it more tolerable especially for people that have allergies.  The roots of their hair are blue in color, and as it reaches the tip it darkens and eventually becomes silver at the end.  Because of this silver color, it looks like it has a halo.

Korats are extraordinary in terms of their senses.  The breed is said to have excellent powers in sight, hearing, and scent.  They are very intelligent, playful, active, but shy cats that can build strong bonds with their owners.  They usually move softly and are very gentle.  They dislike sudden loud noises.  If the cat owners plan to enter the Korat in a show, they must be trained very early on to accept and handle noise.  The Korat is very fond of cuddling and settling close to its owners as close as possible.  Though they mingle well with other cats, they will try to keep an upper hand when it comes to maintaining and keeping their rightful place with their owners.  

They are considered to be good luck charms and as a symbol of good fortune especially in their native Thailand.  Until much recently, they Korats were only given as gifts and not sold.  As mentioned earlier, they are usually given in pairs to newlyweds to ensure a very fortunate marriage.  They are considered bearers of good fortune because of their characteristics such as their silver color which signifies wealth, their eyes being the color of young rice and their bluish color being the same as rain clouds signify good crops.