Khao Manee kat

Khao manee kat liggende på en hvid baggrund

En smuk khao manee kat med et gult øje og et blåt øje

En khao manee kat med sine mærkelige farvede øjne

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.