Orlovia
The Khao Manee is a beautiful animal that can create a mystical aura around it with its diamond-like eyes. For many centuries, the “white jewel” was only at home in Thai noble families, but due to its impressive appearance, it is now also known in the rest of the world.
History and Origin of the Khao Manee
The Khao Manee originally comes from Thailand. It has existed there for hundreds of years. In the “Book of Songs about the Cats” from the 14th century, their existence is textually documented.
So the cat has a long tradition in its country of origin. However, it is rarely found outside the country’s borders, as it was reserved for Thai nobility until the late 20th century.
However, since the Khao Manee was an endangered breed, the Americans intervened in the 1990s with protective measures to preserve the breed. In a global comparison, however, it is striking that the Khao Manee is still an underrepresented pedigree cat.
Essence and Character
The Khao Manee has a reputation for being curious, playful, and active. In contrast to this, however, she has a calm core of being.
Cuddles are particularly popular with Thai beauty. Since the Khao Manee is very open-minded, a stranger (e.g. a visitor) can also take on this task.
The Khao Manee feels most comfortable when it is integrated into the everyday life of its owner. She always needs social contact. Since she can’t have undivided attention around the clock, it makes sense to add another cat to the family.
However, it should be noted that the Khao Manee needs a certain amount of time to get used to major changes.
The Appearance of the Khao Manee
The Khao Manee is a slender cat with an athletic build. You can see that she leads an active lifestyle. Nevertheless, their proportions are harmoniously built and delicate.
Only individuals with white fur are recognized. This has hardly any undercoat and is close-fitting, short, and dense.
Special feature: Kittens sometimes have colored markings between their ears. These grow out again in the first year of life.
Attention: Because many white shorthair cats look very similar to the Khao Manee, confusion or deliberate fraud often occurs.
The snow-white cat’s head is heart-shaped and framed by medium-sized ears. The nose is slightly convex and pigmented pink. The eyes are yellow, blue, or green. They do not necessarily have to look the same but can be different in color (so-called odd eyes).
Attitude and Care
Overall, the Khao Manee is very easy to care for. This is partly due to the fact that there are no hereditary diseases typical of the breed. The deafness that can occur with a white coat/blue eye combination is not a breed specificity, but a genetic issue that can affect all blue-eyed, white-coated cats. Because reputable breeders carefully select their breeding stock, the rate of deafness in purebred cats is very low.
So only the standard care comes to the cat owner:
- Annual vaccinations
- check-ups
- parasite protection
- Check eyes, ears, claws, and mouth
- With a good general condition, the house tiger is about 14 years old.
The Khao Manee is also easy to care for in handle. Since she is very sociable, she enjoys social encounters. She develops a particularly close bond with her caregiver. However, she also needs contact with other dogs and can enjoy interacting with other species (dogs) and with children. However, it is always important that the cat first gets used to its communication partner and, if necessary, can also distance itself from them.
Outdoor Cat or Indoor Cat?
The Khao Manee originally comes from Thailand. There is a tropical climate, the temperatures are in an average range of 26 to 30 degrees all year round. With its short fur, the white pedigree cat is designed for summer weather. However, the German weather conditions are often very harsh, which is why housing for these cats is recommended. But a secure balcony or garden is something that house tigers like to see. Due to the fact that the Khao Manee is very human-related, there is not a great danger of an outbreak.
Note: The cat may not be suitable for people who are sensitive to noise, as they have a reputation for being communicative. How talkative the four-legged friend is ultimately also depending on his personality.