Fun Korat Facts For Kids

Thailand is the place of origin for the Korats, also known as Si-Sawat in Thai culture. Si-Sawat means the color of the sawat seed.

They are also known as good-luck cats according to native traditions of Thailand. Here's a fun fact: Korat cat was first mentioned in the cat book poems that are dated back to the late 1350s. In those literary works, the Korat was mentioned among seventeen other lucky cats.

Well, this is a rare species with a silverish-shiny coat, which is usually confused with the Russian blue species.

Although, there are a few similarities between these two like the fur-coat color, eyes being a shade of green, and their smart mind with apt intelligence; there are a few differences that make it easier to distinguish a Korat from the Russian blue.

Read ahead to know more about these characteristics. For more about the felines check Balinese cat and leopard cat.

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Korat Interesting Facts

What type of animal is a Korat?

Korat is a type of cat.

What class of animal does a Korat belong to?

Korat cat belongs to the mammal class of animals.

How many Korats are there in the world?

Korat cat breeds are rare and mainly found in the jungles, shops, and open lands of Thailand. Although they can be seen in different pet shops across the world, the exact number of their population is yet unknown.

Where does a Korat live?

The Korat Cat Fanciers' Association has promoted this breed and has played an important role in the domestication of these cat breeds since 1966-1967. Post that, pairs of Korats are found in houses and pet stores across different countries, plus mainly found in wild locations of Thailand.

What is a Korat's habitat?

Korats have a stronghold in Thai culture, as Thailand is their place of origin. The Korat's appearance was further acknowledged in Britain and the US, in the 20th century.

The breed was confused between the blue Siamese and the Russian blue cat earlier but finally was given the specification of Korats over the years. Today these cats are considered rare, quiet and peace lovers, who adhere to quiet places in the house when domesticated.

Who does Korat live with?

The Korat breed of cats can live with other pets and humans. They are considered to be a little controlling and stubborn when it comes to living with their own species and might follow a hierarchical structure in such cases.

Although they might feel like they are in charge of other cats or pets as well as their humans, they love the affection they get while living with humans and are usually good with children.

How long does a Korat live?

Korat's lifespan ranges anywhere from 10-15 years of age. Although, the average age of Korats is considered to be 15 years.

How do they reproduce?

There is no particular research done about Korat, a Thailand-based cat's breeding proceedings. There have been a few mixed-bred Korats who are said to be living in different parts of the world.

Just like the other breeds of cats, Korat female cats have also been known to birth a litter of around two to five babies.

The female Korat cat is said to teach her litter of kittens to survive and protect their own selves.

This is done when the mother cat takes a small animal for the pair of Korats babies to play with as a means for them to practise. Unlike the adult Korats, the Korat's kittens are said to have golden-green eyes rather than the typical peridot green eyes.

What is their conservation status?

Korats belong to the Thai tradition and have a rare population status especially in countries other than Thailand because of their rare gene history. This might be the reason why their conservation status is Not Evaluated.

Korat Fun Facts

What do Korats look like?

Korat is a rare breed of cats with a heart-shaped head. They have a single coat of silver-tipped hair, which may sometimes also look like a silver-blue coat.

The cat is considered a pure Korat by the Cat Fanciers' Association only if they have a silver-tipped single coat of the short silver-blue hair on the body along with a heart-shaped head to participate in their cat show competition.

These cats have big eyes that are peridot green in color, though the kittens are known to have an amber or golden-green eyeshade. The young ones too have heart-shaped heads, but they do not have the bright body coat as the adult cats.

They take around four to five years to mature into the silver-blue coat that makes the Korats stand out in the crowd.

How cute are they?

The Cat Fanciers' Association recognized and even accepted that a pair of Korats are rare cats that bring good luck. Due to the breeds' easy grooming and high affection towards humans, they can surely be included in the cute cat group.

How do they communicate?

In comparison to their cousin Siamese cats, Korats are considered to be not so talkative in nature. They are known to communicate through their different sounds of meow, changing body language, and non-verbal gestures.

These may include purring sounds, clinging to the human or guardian, following the humans everywhere, and gazing or staring at humans while doing so.

This will show their mood prominently with these gestures, and you will know when the Korat does not approve of certain actions. In case the cat sees a stranger, there's a possibility of it scaring or making a sound before running to the human or its guardian.

How big is a Korat?

Korat cat's appearance would be that of a medium-sized cat. The breed matures at a slow pace and reaches its physical and emotional maturity only after a span of four or five years of age.

Their body can grow up to 9-13 in (22.9-33 cm) in length, with a height of 7.9-9.8 in (20-25 cm). This Thai breed of cats is twice as big in size as the Singapura cat.

How fast can a Korat run?

Although there is no exact record available, it is said that the Korat has extremes when it comes to movement. They might either run around 35 mph (56.3 kph) all around the house or be laid back in the silent corner of the house.

How much does a Korat weigh?

With a medium size, this Thai breed of rare cat can weigh between 6-10 lb (2.7-4.5 kg).

What are their male and female names of the species?

According to the import history of the US, the male Korat is called Nara and the female Korat is called Darra.

What would you call a baby Korat?

Like other cat breeds, the young ones of Korats are also called kittens.

What do they eat?

Felines are carnivores and it is important to feed them with the necessary nutrients. Though Korats would rarely hunt for themselves, they will always prefer raw meat or kitten food that is made with the wholeness of animal fat and proteins.

Are they slobbery?

It is very unlikely for a cat to drool or be slobbery. This particular statement applies to Korat, too.  

Would they make a good pet?

Yes, Korat breeds are considered the best pets.

The few reasons for them being good pets are that they are affectionate creatures and enjoy the company of people around them, they are good with children, and are considered to be good luck according to the Thai traditions. An additional positive reason is that these cats need minimal grooming and exercise.

Although, while keeping a Korat as a pet, one needs to be careful about its health as the cat might carry genetic diseases that can be incurable even with a lot of treatment.

Did you know...

Korat is popularly used for the process of crossbreeding all around the world. There are three types of Korats if they do not follow the traditional color scheme of blue and silver. Their names are Thai Lilac, Thai Blue Point, and Thai Lilac Point, based on their color shade to be specific.

Due to their rarity, these cats have a rather hefty price when it comes to buying them. Their cost would range somewhere from $500-800, depending on their location, the grooming, and breeding requirements.

What are the four traits of the Korat?

The top four characteristics of a Korat that makes it stand out can be as follows. Korat is considered a really intelligent and strong-willed species. If left away from home, the cat is capable of finding the trail back to its owner and home.

According to the culture in Thailand, the Korat is considered a symbol of good fortune. This good luck is supposed to work even more when the cat has been gifted to the owner. This belief is also considered one of the reasons for its breeding to be rare.

Korats are not mean at all. They might have an authoritative appeal to them, but when it comes to their owner or guardian, they are usually very affectionate and love to be in people's company.

Like a few other cats, Korats are also known for being laid-back cats who would rather seek themselves to a silent corner and play with their owner, than create havoc by running around and breaking things.

What is the difference between a Russian Blue and a Korat?

There is a considerable amount of confusion between the Russian blue cat and the Korat. This is also the reason why there are a lot of details that focus on the Korat cat vs. Russian blue trend. Although both these species are highly intelligent, the major difference between these two is their appearance.

Korats have a gunmetal-gray or silver-blue single coat, a heart-shaped head with a heavier body. The Russian blue on the other hand has a bluish-blackish double coat, and a wedge-shaped head without any muscle fat.

Korats can be comfortable in the wild and have a playful nature, whereas, Russian blues usually prefer cold climates and have a rather sensible and silent nature.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly animal facts for everyone to discover! Learn more about some other mammals including Egyptian Mau cat, or Somali cat.

You can even occupy yourself at home by drawing one on our Korat Cat coloring pages.