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Khao Manee Cats
Breed Rating (1 Reviews)
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History
The Khao Manee cat originates in Thailand and has remained a well-kept secret which is why so few people have heard of it. The Khao Manee is referenced in an ancient collection of Thai cat poems called the Tamra Maew which dates back to 1350 although in that text it is called the Khao Plort.
While the eyes were originally referred to as the color of mercury, the eye color was changed to reflect the odd-eyed cats that were considered lucky.
In 1999 Colleen Freymuth imported the first Khao Manee, a female cat called Sripia, from Thailand to the USA which created a spark of interest in the Western world. She also imported a male and bred the first Khao Manee litter in North America.
A breeder called Janet Poulsen exported the first Khao Manee to the UK and interest in the breed is growing as breeders have begun importing directly from Thailand to continue developing the breed. TICA accepted the Khao Manee for Registration Only status in May 2009 and in May 2012 the Khao Manee Preliminary New Breed, since May 2012.
Behaviour
As a breed the Khao Manee cats love human interaction and are loyal to their owners. They enjoy taking on the role of the house doorman and will welcome any guests to the house. When there are no strangers about the Khao Manee will curl up on your lap and enjoy a nice cuddle. These are intelligent cats who are always curious to explore their surroundings or play a game.
Varieties
All must be an even, snowy white
Breed Details
- Status: Rare
- Place of Origin: Thailand
- Rough date of Origin: 14th Century
- Hair length: Shorthair
- Activity Level: High
- Vocalness: Medium
- Child friendly: Good with children
- Intelligence:
- Playfullness: Playfull
- Grooming Requirements: Less than once per week
- Weight: 2.5 - 5.5kg
- Size: Medium
- House Cat or Outdoor Cat: Outdoor Cat
- Pet Compatibility:
- Social Needs:
More to love
Khao Manee Pictures
Latest Reviews For Khao Manee (1 of 1)
All of a sudden I heard a 'mew' - Kurt,
This is going to sound incredulous, but I may have found a stray Khao Manee in my garage. I was working around the house, and a few times I thought I was losing my mind, I heard a faint 'mew' and then there it was, an emaciated, white hunchback with a limp.. just a wee lil lad. That was three years ago and now we are buddies. It took two weeks of floor feeding and back away from it before he would let me get close enough to hand feed him. Then another week and some string play before he was distracted enough that I could grab him the very first time. He was vaccinated then neutered by the Humane Society and his ear notched as an outdoor eunic, 'a community cat' a member of TNVR and they also gave him an ID chip. So I got him home after his shots and when I went to look up "white cat breeds" he fits all the check boxes as a Khao Manee, except the bi-color eyes... in fact the humane society director called him an ASH but did note that "he has really interesting eyes" and I suppose that she sees a lot of cats eyes, and for her to make that statement... Reality, what are the odds that a super rare and valuable katten ( neither a kitten nor a cat, a teenager ) is going to find it's way to me? I'm not even a cat person, but now I am. He regularly goes out of his way to engage me to play 'hide and seek' and 'tag' with me. His mannerisms, face, long ears, activity level, pure white bunny fur coat, his intelligence and vocal communications ... I really think he's escaped the Thai palace and wandered thousands of miles and crossed oceans to 'save me'. Today he is beautiful and healthy, no more does he limp and no more hunch back. While he will always be known as 'mew mew' to me, he does the cat version of Yoga 'downward dog' stretch so after many names that didn't stick, his forever name is "Namaste"... Go home little kitten, go back to your litter. "Nah, I'm a stay" I was in a grey area until he came to 'save me'. Cheers!