Khao Manee

Appearance and features:

Also known as the Diamond Eye Cats, the Khoa Manee  (meaning White Gem) has one blue eye and one eye that is a color ranging from copper to yellow, or green.  He is built for warm weather having somewhat large ears, high-set on a triangular head with medium boning and a muscular, athletic body.

Size:

This is a medium-size cat weighing 8 to 10 pounds.

Family:

Khao Manee, a native cat of Thailand, have remained a very well kept secret.  There are references to the Khao Manee in the Tamra Maew, an ancient collection of Thai cat poems dating back to 1350.  It was originally called the Khao Plort, and later it’s name was changed to Khao Manee.  The eyes were originally described as the color of Mercury, the eye color was intentionally changed to the odd-eyed coloring because it was considered to be lucky.

Coloring:

Pure White

Origin:

The Khao Manee was said to be kept and bred initially by Siam royals, as it was with other rare colored cats such as the Siamese. Breeders in Thailand are promoting and breeding the Khao Manee in the effort of preserving its lineage and breed standard. The first Khao Manee cat imported to the United States arrived in 1999 when Colleen Freymouth imported a Khao Manee by the name of Sripia. Her efforts were not immediately well perceived and few people became interested in the breed. From 2004, she was joined by Frédéric Lachaud-Goedert in France who began a more discriminating breeding program with his breeding experience since 1987 dedicated to another Thai natural breed: the Korat. He revived the craze for Khao Manee thanks to the 7 descendants of the first imported cats. With the help of Janet Poulsen, an edifying contributor to the establishment of the breed, they worked to have the breed recognized in all the world’s cat registries. Breeders in the West are still working to promote and establish foundation lines for the Khao Manee, as they have acquired registration acceptance through several cat associations now.

Temperament:

Khao Manee are a playful breed who are devoted to their owners.  A very curious, active, and love to play games with their owners.  They have a loud voice and will let you know when they need something or will curl up on your lap and sleep with you.

Health concerns:

Khao Manee can be deaf or partially deaf, and are susceptible to skin cancer due to their white ears.

Breed Characteristics

Here is a helpful guide for the different characteristics of the breed.  On a Scale of 1-5.  1 being very low level to 5 being high level.

Adaptability
5/5
Energy Level
5/5
Extra Grooming
1/5
Affection Level
5/5
Social Needs
5/5
Shedding
2/5
Kid Friendly
3/5
Friendly to Strangers
5/5
Health Concerns
2/5
Dog Friendly
4/5
Intellegence
5/5
Vocalization
5/5

Hypoallergenic: No

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