Korat

History
The Korat is the native of Thailand that founds mention in The Cat-Book Poems (written between 1350 and 1767 AD). It is known as the Si-Sawat in Thailand and its name originated when King Rama V of Siam was presented with the cat. When the King asked about the cat, he was told that the cat came from Korat - a high plateau in northeast Thailand. Korat is believed to be a good-luck cat in Thailand. In late 19th century, firstly, the Korat was exhibited in England. The first modern Korats were introduced in U.S. in 1959.

Soon after the Korat arrived in the U.S., the Cat Fanciers Association (CFA) was formed which helped in protection and development of the Korat. The CFA was active in getting the Korat recognized in all associations. Since then, many additional Korats have been imported into Thailand. The Korat is recognized for championship status in the Cat Fanciers Association (CFA), The International Cat Association (TICA), American Cat Fanciers Association (ACFA), Cat Fanciers' Federation (CFF), Federation Internationale de Feline (FIFe), and Canadian Cat Association (CCA). Until the recent times, Korats were not sold, but only given as gifts.

Appearance
The Korat cats are medium to small sized, shorthair cats. Korat females usually weigh between 6 and 8 pounds, while the males weigh from 8 to 10 pounds. These cats are very compact with very less body fat; they are much heavier and more solid than they appear. They boast of broad chests with well-developed muscles, even the females. They have a single close lying coat which is always silver-blue, but the silver tipping become more prominent as they get mature. Their head is heart shaped. They have round eyes which are oversized for the face, usually peridot green in color. The Korats often take up to 5 years to reach their full potential. The Korat is one of the few cats that get better and better as it ages.

Personality
Korats are intelligent, shy, soft-voiced, playful, active cats with strong likes and dislikes. They form strong bonds with people and thus, make great companions. They are loyal and very possessive of their owners. They tend to attract the attention of their care-taker. Their bonding is not limited to humans and can bond with what ever entity they like best, could be an adult, a child, another cat, or a dog. Being intelligent, Korat cat is easy to train and play games, like fetch, and walk on leash. Korats, typically, are not fearful cats.

Care And Training
Since these cats tell their needs, Korats are easy to take care of. They are not particular about eating, but should always be fed high quality dry food or canned food. Korats have a low body fat percentage, but if fed too much, they can easily gain weight. Training Korats is quite easy and they easily learn the game of fetching the toy.