Khao Manee | Cat Breed Information & Facts – Pictures

Khao Manee comes from Thailand and means “white gem” – referring to the size and color of this cat breed.

These medium-sized cats have pure white fur and bright eyes – hence their other name, diamond-eyed cat. Literally the “White Gems” of Thailand, Khao Manee is both rare and mysterious. They are an ancient breed mentioned in literature dating back to the 14th century.

Khao Manee is a natural breed of cats, meaning that they evolved without the need for human intervention. These cats are known for being energetic, intelligent and outgoing.

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The Khao Manee cat has a slender silhouette typical of oriental cats. They are elegant and graceful.

These cats are slender, graceful and muscular with a pure white coat that is short and smooth close to the body. The ears are medium to large. In Thailand, the Khao Manee with different colored eyes is considered the best cat. It is often believed to bring good luck. Sometimes white kittens are born with a small darker mark on the head, which disappears around the age of about a year.

Sexual dimorphism is strongly pronounced: males are larger and heavier than females, have a heavier skeleton and pronounced muscles, the weight of a male is 4-5 kg, the female is 3-4 kg.

• Head: The head of the Khao Manee is heart-shaped, with high, rounded and well-defined cheekbones. Frontally, the head forms an ellipsoidal shape. The nose is of medium length and the tips of the ears form an equilateral triangle. The profile is elongated, almost straight, with a slight gentle slope. The forehead and nose may be slightly protruding. The chin is moderate.
• Ears: The ears are large, tapering to oval tips. The location of the ears on the head indicates 11 and 1 o’clock, the distance between the ears is slightly less than the width of the base of the ear.
• Eyes: Moderately large, oval in shape, slightly slanted. The color can be any shades of blue and blue, green, yellow-green, gold, amber, copper. Eyes of different colors (heterochromia) are found, but not so often.
• Body: Muscular, tense, flexible, but not giving the impression of being extreme or bulky. Fairly wide chest. Males have slightly more developed muscle mass than females. A small amount of freely hanging skin is allowed on the abdomen, the abdomen itself should be tight, tense.
• Legs: The limbs of the Khao Manee are muscular, rather long. The front legs are slightly shorter than the hind legs. Oval legs. 5 toes on forelimbs, 4 on hindlimbs.
• Tail: The tail is of medium length, in proportion to the body. There is a slight break at the tip.
• Coat: The coat is of medium length, elastic, with a smooth texture, neither coarse nor fluffy.
• Color: Color should be uniform, clean, sparkling white. Young animals may have residual color in the form of a translucent “cap” on the head, which may persist until 18 months of age. The color of the nose pads, lips and leather is pink.

When it comes to Khao Manee’s personality, you will instantly know that this is a super playful and curious cat! This breed will love to play the game and explore every corner of the environment – so make sure you have at least one cat tree installed for your kitten and preferably lots of safe furniture that can be changed.

The breed gets along well with children and other small pets, and will quickly become your kids’ best new friend. Adding on the playful side of Khao Manee, this is a companionable cat who always wants to be at the center of whatever action happens. If you are not at home most of the day, the cat may suffer from loneliness.

In fact, Khao Manee also became known for being very talkative kittens – so be prepared for a lot of conversations with your new feline friend!

Khao Manee is great for young children because the breed is so playful. Just be sure early socialization occurs and boundaries are properly set on both sides – and control the interaction of babies and cats.

As for other pets, Khao Manee goes well with many pets, including dogs. Don’t forget to reward your Khao Manee for good behavior when you bring him home to your family!

Khao Manee is generally considered a healthy cat, but always schedule regular visits with your cat’s veterinarian.

One of the problems associated with the Khao Manee breed is potential deafness. It’s actually something any cat can suffer from when combined with white fur and blue eyes.

They are short-haired cats, and therefore they should be combed once a week, and that will be enough. Also remember that you should regularly brush your cat’s teeth, at least 3 times a week, and, if necessary, clean the eyes and ears of dirt.

A Khao Manee cat needs a bath once every 2 months, or as often as needed, but it should not be bathed too often. The claws can be clipped once every one or two weeks.

The Khao Manee cat breed is truly legendary. In ancient times, in the kingdom of Siam, this breed was considered privileged, and only representatives of the royal family could have these cats. On the territory of modern Thailand in ancient times there were different cats, some were considered sacred, some were considered to bring good luck. At different times, certain breeds were especially distinguished by any of the kings, however, the Khao Manee cat had a privileged status at all times.

Only in the modern world has it become possible to freely buy and sell these animals, although, even 100 years ago, it was simply impossible. And 300 years ago, for this they could be executed on the square. In ancient times, there were breeders of their own, and they were engaged in targeted breeding and improvement of the breed, preserving all its distinctive features and characteristics.

We can say that modern breeders only follow the inherited principles that were developed many centuries ago. Surprisingly, until 1999, the breed was distributed only in Thailand. In 1999, Colleen Freimut’s cattery began breeding these cats in the United States, however, despite all the efforts of this and other breeders, the breed has not yet been recognized by any felinological organization. That, however, does not prevent her from being one of the most ancient and desirable among cat lovers.