Khao Manee breed guide

Friendly and social, Khao Manee are easy to win over. They get along well with other pets. Their activity level makes them a good choice for children.

Owners call them lap lovers and shoulder riders that balance activity with affection.

Extremely intelligent like the other Thai breeds, the Korat and the Siamese, Khao Manee play fetch and love to carry toys or one of your socks, in their mouths. Highly inquisitive, they are ready to pitch in with feline assistance.

Nothing about them is shy. They communicate by body language or a variety of vocalizations and some simply have more to say than others.

Khao Manee are not heavy shedders, but white hair shows on clothes and furniture, so CFA recommends regular brushing with a rubber brush. An occasional bath keeps the coat sparkling white and human shampoos should not be used on cats.

CFA knows of no specific health problems in this natural breed. White cats are prone to deafness, especially blue-eyed ones and odd-eyed cats may be deaf in one ear.

The white gene masks an underlying recessive color, so an occasional nonwhite kitten turns up in a litter. Those cats cannot be shown but are used in breeding, which helps reduce the likelihood of deaf kittens.

Legend says Thai royalty hid the breed from visitors to keep it a royal pet. It stayed exclusive to Thailand until 1999, when numbers had dwindled and endangered species specialist Colleen Freymouth was permitted to bring the first Khao Manee to the United States and set up a breeding and conservation program.

CFA accepted the breed for registration in 2018.