Khao Manee

The Khao Manee was a lucky charm breed in its country of origin and also the preferred breed of the King of Siam Chulalongkorn (Rama V). Formerly known as Khaao Plort (all white), its current name means precious stones, because of its eyes, which can each be of different colours. The Book of Cat Poems, a collection of Thai texts, is the supposed oldest trace of the breed, described from the fourteenth century onwards. According to legend, for fear of theft, King Rama V had all the Khao Manee from the palace hidden at the arrival of the English and French. The breed was kept apart by members of the royal family. To these foreigners, he would have offered Siamese cats, presented as being the royal breed, in order to preserve the true royal breed, the Khao Manee. Threatened with extinction, this breed is one of the rarest in the world. Until 1999, no individual was present outside Thailand. An American specialist in the conservation of endangered species, Colleen Freymuth, received that year the first Khao Manee to leave Thailand. She developed a conservation programme through breeding and promotion of this breed. In total she imported twelve subjects. These subjects and their descendants were subsequently transmitted to Frédéric Goedert, who for several years was the only Western breeder of Khao Manee.

The Khao Manee is generally described as a very affectionate cat and very attached to its owner. It is generally very sociable, lively, curious and intelligent. In fact, its character is close to that of the Siamese. The term 'dog-cat' suits it well: naturally rather talkative, it likes to communicate with its owner, whom it adores, and often recognizes its name.

The Khao Manee cannot in any way be confused with another white-coated cat breed. Although some Khao Manee may have black coats, these are not recognized and are used only for breeding purposes. The Khao Manee is, however, little affected by deafness phenomena, unlike the Foreign White, which, for a white cat, suggests a long selection process, in this case by Thai breeders, and thus recalls the antiquity of this breed, contrary to what some fanciful comments published on the internet have long suggested. Due to the fact that Khao Manee, unlike other feline breeds, do not have known defects or serious genetic diseases proves this long selection process in its country of origin and contributes to the growing appeal of this resistant and healthy breed. The Khao Manee is also recognized by its characteristic gait of oriental-type cats: filiform, slender, supple and fine. Its head is triangular and its coat is obligatorily short in all seasons. The Khao Manee is an elegant and graceful cat, without excess.