The Khao Manee cat (, , lit. "white jewel"), or Khao Plort (, lit. "complete white"), also known as the Diamond Eye cat, is a rare, natural

breed A breed is a specific group of breedable domestic animals having homogeneous appearance (phenotype), homogeneous behavior, and/or other characteristics that distinguish it from other organisms of the same species. In literature, there exist seve ...

domestic cat The cat (''Felis catus''), also referred to as the domestic cat or house cat, is a small Domestication, domesticated carnivorous mammal. It is the only domesticated species of the family Felidae. Advances in archaeology and genetics have sh ...

originating in

Thailand Thailand, officially the Kingdom of Thailand and historically known as Siam (the official name until 1939), is a country in Southeast Asia on the Mainland Southeast Asia, Indochinese Peninsula. With a population of almost 66 million, it spa ...

, which has an ancient ancestry tracing back hundreds of years. They are mentioned in the ''

Tamra Maew The Treatise on Cats (, , ), also referred to as the Cat-Book Poems, is a class of ''samut khoi'' manuscripts, believed to originate from the Ayutthaya period, though most extant specimens date to 19th-century Thailand. They contain illustrations ...

'' (''Cat Book Poems''). Khao Manee cats are short-haired solid-white cats.

History

The Khao Manee is an ancient cat breed comparable to the Siamese, Thai,

Korat The Korat cat (, ) is a silver-tipped blue-grey, short-haired Cat breed, breed of Cat, domestic cat with a small to medium build and a low percentage of Adipose tissue, body fat. Its body is semi-cobby, and unusually heavy for its size. It is an ...

, Suphalak, and other natural cat breeds from

. The Khao Manee is mentioned in the ''Tamra Maew'' (''Cat Book Poems'') that also mention the Siamese cat breed and other different coat coloured cats endemic to Thailand, or ''Siam,'' as it was previously known.

Ayutthaya Kingdom

In the

Ayutthaya Kingdom The Ayutthaya Kingdom or the Empire of Ayutthaya was a Thai people, Thai kingdom that existed in Southeast Asia from 1351 to 1767, centered around the city of Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya (city), Ayutthaya, in Siam, or present-day Thailand. Europe ...

(AD 1351–1767) there are many books about ancient Siam cats recording cats such as the Siamese/ Thai,

, Suphalak, Konja, etc.. There are 23 species in Ayutthaya. 17 species were fed at the Ayutthaya royal palace, but there are no records about the Khao Manee. There are a few records about white cats, but no specific records about the Khao Manee. Only 23 species have been recorded.

Thonburi Kingdom

Khao Manee cat in Tamra cat Rattanakosin

After the

collapsed during the Burmese-Siamese War (AD 1765–67), the Siamese people emigrated to the

Thonburi Kingdom The Thonburi Kingdom was a major Thai people, Siamese kingdom which existed in Southeast Asia from 1767 to 1782, centered around the city of Thonburi, in Siam or present-day Thailand. The kingdom was founded by Taksin, who reunited Siam follow ...

(AD 1768–1782). One of the most important temples in

Bangkok Bangkok, officially known in Thai language, Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon and colloquially as Krung Thep, is the capital and most populous city of Thailand. The city occupies in the Chao Phraya River delta in central Thailand and has an estim ...

is in the Wat Arun. A Buddhist temple had existed at the site of

Wat Arun Wat Arun Ratchawararam Ratchawaramahawihan ( ) or Wat Arun (, "Temple of Dawn") is a Buddhist temple ('' wat'') in the Bangkok Yai district of Bangkok, Thailand. It is situated on Thonburi on the west bank of the Chao Phraya River. The temple ...

since the time of the Ayutthaya Kingdom. When King Taksin established his new capital of Thonburi near the temple after the fall of Ayutthaya, the Khao Manee's historical records were found there.

Rattanakosin Kingdom (Bangkok)

In the reign of King Nangklao (AD 1824–1851), the Khao Manee is more frequently mentioned. Khao Manee cats are famed and there have been paintings found of them at temples. The white cat was originally known as the ‘Khao Plort’, then became known as the Khao Manee in the reign of King Chulalongkorn (1868-1910 AD).

Introduction worldwide

The Khao Manee was said to be kept and bred initially by Siam royals, as was the case with other rare coloured 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 Freymuth imported 12 Khao Manees. In 2004, she was joined by Frédéric Lachaud-Goedert in France who began another breeding program. With the help of Janet Poulsen, an edifying contributor to the establishment of the breed, they worked to have the breed recognised in all the world's cat registries. Breeders in the West are still working to promote and establish foundation lines for the Khao Manee. The Thai breeders used to breed only white to white Khao Manees. This is the most distinctive trait of the breed. While most western breeders perpetuate this heritage by screening their genetic informations, other breeders prefer to cross their subjects with coloured Asian breeds of cats.

Breed registration

Registries

There are a variety of breeders from where you may acquire your new kitten or cat, in

or in the West now. Outside of

, a registration of your kitten is mandatory with one major association to secure it is a real Khao Manee from imported ancestors. Although the breed is well known in its native land, it has only recently been adopted by Western cat breeders, gaining " registration only" status from TICA in May 2009. On 3 September 2011, the breed was promoted to " Preliminary New Breed", effective from 1 May 2012 and on 30 August 2013 the breed was promoted to "Advanced New Breed", effective immediately. On January 24, 2015, the Khao Manee breed was advanced to Championship level in TICA, effective May 1, 2015. On 8 September 2010, at the meeting of the

GCCF The Governing Council of the Cat Fancy (GCCF) is a cat registry, established in 1910 and the largest organisation that registers Pedigree (animal), pedigree cats in the United Kingdom. It was formed from a small number of cat clubs which were ...

Executive Committee, the Khao Manee was granted breed name in GCCF, and was approved for exhibition only. The Khao Manee Cat Club was granted GCCF pre-affiliation at the Council meeting on 26 October 2011. The breed received official recognition by the CFA on February 7, 2018, and has been welcome in their shows since May 1, 2018. The breed is also accepted in other registries, such as WCF, however it is not recognised by

FIFe Fife ( , ; ; ) is a council areas of Scotland, council area and lieutenancy areas of Scotland, lieutenancy area in Scotland. A peninsula, it is bordered by the Firth of Tay to the north, the North Sea to the east, the Firth of Forth to the s ...

Popularity

Khao Manee cats are one of the rarest feline breeds in the world, therefore the prices are relatively high, in some cases reaching up to US$11,000. In its country of origin, the Khao Manee is very popular because it is associated with the monarchy but also because several legends of extreme felicity and healing were reported by the press. Known as the "White Gem", the Khao Manee was rumoured to be highly coveted by Thai royalty, and is thought to bring good luck to those fortunate enough to have one. It's always in relation with religious discovery and about sudden fortune. Some stories mention sums going up to 150 billion Baht (over US$4 billion) in 1993 for a subject with eyes like precious stones which funded the construction of a monastery."The Legend of Siamese Cats" by Martin R. Clutterbuck

Distinction

The Khao Manee is not to be confused with the Siamese or Thai, or any Siamese relative including the Foreign White, which was bred from purebred Siamese with one white-coated

British Shorthair The British Shorthair is the Purebred, pedigree version of the traditional British Domestic cat (landrace), domestic cat, with a distinctively stocky body, thick Fur, coat, and broad face. The most familiar colour variant is the "British Blue", wi ...

ancestor. Though both white cats have a common background, the Siamese cat and the Khao Manee have different genetic structures, bloodlines and breeding policies, thus Khao Manee are considered a completely different breed in the West, as well as in its native home of

Characteristics

Appearance

Body

Khao Manee cats are pure solid-white with a short, smooth, close-lying coat without undercoat. The paw pads and the nose leather are pink. They are muscular, athletic cats of moderate build and are reputed to be active, communicative and intelligent.

Eyes

The eye colour is brilliant, clear and vivid, and should resemble that of precious gemstones. They can have blue (including aqua), golden (including shades of brown, copper, amber, yellow, and hazel), or green eyes. Furthermore, odd-eyes are allowed; with one of each colour or multiple colours within one eye. The odd-eyed Khao Manee is the rarest variety.