Korats, the Good Luck Cats

The rough translation for Korat is 'Good Fortune.' Going way back into history, the earliest mention of a Korat comes in the form of a book of poems produced sometime between 1350 and 1767. Like many breeds, it has its share of folk tales and legends associated with it. One particular piece of folklore claims that if your Korat has kinks in its tale, it will bring you increased good luck. A native of Thailand, the Si-Sawat, as it is called there, is highly revered and honored, and at one time was only owned by royalty and members of the government. The Korat was slow to emigrate from its native Thailand, only reaching North America and Europe in the late 1960s.

They have a particularly romantic description of the Korat, which goes as follows: "The cat has a body color like Dok Lao. The hairs are smooth, with roots like clouds and tips like silver. The eyes shine like dewdrops on the lotus leaf." In case you are wondering, Dok means flower, and Lao is an herb similar to lemongrass, with silver-tipped flowers.

A gentle cat that loves to play, but abhors loud noises, probably because of its exceptional hearing capabilities, the Korat is sweet and very affectionate, making it an excellent cat to have around children. It has a keen sense of sight and smell.

When you gaze upon your Korat pets, with their highly expressive faces, you could almost swear that you know exactly what is running through their minds. Korats are very observant, watching all that you do and trying to duplicate it as well. With total loyalty, love, and respect, they will have you believing, without a doubt, that they know exactly what is going through your mind. Korats will race around a mile a minute just to keep up with you and are always ready to lend a helping paw with whatever you happen to be doing. They don't necessarily want to be all over you all the time, but they do like to be involved. Curious and indeed possessive, Korats will investigate anything that comes into your home, whether it's people or things, and do not be surprised if you find that they have confiscated everything, including your friends and family.

The Korat's coloring is unlike that of any other breed of cat. Silver-tipped blue, it has a shimmering effect that actually gives off an aura. The Thais call this color "rain cloud gray" topped with sea foam. They have large, luminous eyes that begin as golden-green when kittens but change to a beautiful peridot green as they reach adulthood.