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Khao Manee breed guide
Khao Manee means White Gem in Thai. The Cat Fanciers' Association describes a sparkling white shorthair with eyes of any shade of blue, green or yellow or odd-eyed, which is the rarest and most prized.
The breed is old: the Tamra Maeo, an ancient Thai book of cat poems from the Ayutthaya period, calls it a good luck cat.
Temperament
Friendly and social, Khao Manee are easy to win over. They get along well with other pets. Their activity level makes them a good choice for children.
Owners call them lap lovers and shoulder riders that balance activity with affection.
Personality
Extremely intelligent like the other Thai breeds, the Korat and the Siamese, Khao Manee play fetch and love to carry toys or one of your socks, in their mouths. Highly inquisitive, they are ready to pitch in with feline assistance.
Nothing about them is shy. They communicate by body language or a variety of vocalizations and some simply have more to say than others.
Care
Khao Manee are not heavy shedders, but white hair shows on clothes and furniture, so regular brushing with a rubber brush helps. An occasional bath keeps the coat sparkling white and human shampoos should not be used on cats.
Health
This natural breed has no specific health problems. White cats are prone to deafness, especially blue-eyed ones and odd-eyed cats may be deaf in one ear.
The white gene masks an underlying recessive color, so an occasional nonwhite kitten turns up in a litter. Those cats cannot be shown but are used in breeding, which helps reduce the likelihood of deaf kittens.
History
Legend says Thai royalty hid the breed from visitors to keep it a royal pet. It stayed exclusive to Thailand until 1999, when numbers had dwindled and endangered species specialist Colleen Freymouth was permitted to bring the first Khao Manee to the United States and set up a breeding and conservation program.
CFA accepted the breed for registration in 2018.