What is a Khao Manee cat? White Gem coat, eyes, origin

What is a Khao Manee cat? It is a pure white shorthaired cat from Thailand with brilliant, gem-colored eyes. The Cat Fanciers' Association (CFA), a cat breed registry, lists its coat length as "Shorthair", its characteristics as "Pure, glistening white cat with luminous, vibrant eye color" and its personality as "Curious and Intelligent". This guide follows the CFA's Khao Manee breed page and its breed standard, opened for this post, and then shows how Cat Go handles the question "Which breed is it?"

Cat Go is a game you play in your browser: walk anywhere, photograph a real cat, lure it with food and catch it, and pick its breed from a list that has a mixed breed answer too.

What is a Khao Manee cat? The short answer

The CFA says the name means "White Gem" in Thai, and the breed standard gives a second reading, "Like white diamonds". The cat is a curious, clever feline with an enduring sense of mischief, and it loves to snuggle in laps. The CFA says the brilliant, richly colored eyes are its most striking feature. They may be any shade of blue, green or yellow, or odd-eyed, with odd eyes the rarest and most prized.

The coat is white and only white. The breed standard says the Khao Manee exists only in white, and it disqualifies any other color.

Where the Khao Manee comes from

The CFA says the Khao Manee is currently thought of as a "new" breed but is actually a very old one. It is referenced as a "good luck" cat in the Tamra Maeo, an ancient Thai book of cat poems produced during the Ayutthaya period of Thai history, from 1350 to 1767.

From an old Thai poem book to CFA registration, as the CFA tells it.

Legend tells us that Thai royalty kept the breed hidden from visitors, to preserve it as a primarily royal pet. The CFA adds that, true or not, the breed was exclusive to Thailand until 1999, when its numbers had dwindled. That year an endangered species specialist, Colleen Freymouth, was permitted to bring the first Khao Manee to the United States, where she set up a breeding and conservation program. The CFA accepted the breed for registration in 2018, and the page says it is currently shown in the Provisional class.

The breed standard repeats the older story. It says Thai people considered the Khao Manee the most auspicious cat in Thailand and believed it had healing powers, and that it was present at traditional royal ceremonies. Like other native cats of Thailand, the standard says, it should suit a hot, wet, tropical climate, with a lithe but not extreme body, a medium-length nose, a short smooth coat and an athletic, never bulky build.

The coat and the eyes

The CFA says the combination of a glistening white coat and large, luminous eyes is the essence of a Khao Manee. The standard asks for a pure, glistening white coat, with pink nose leather, lips and paw pads. It describes the hair as medium short, fine and slightly open, smooth enough to reveal the muscles, with a sparse to moderate undercoat, and "not coarse nor fluffy".

The coat and eye colors in the CFA's Khao Manee standard.

One detail surprises people. The standard says a headcap of color, which shows the cat's underlying genotype, may persist until 18 months of age. The eyes should be "brilliant, clear and vivid", like precious gemstones. The standard also allows and appreciates multiple colors or shades between the eyes or within one eye.

Face and body

The CFA says there is a distinct structure that judges expect to see in the show ring. Its standard lists these features:

• Head: a modified wedge of medium width, with an oval face seen from the front, a chiseled look and high cheekbones. The tip of the nose and the tips of the ears form the three points of an equilateral triangle.
• Eyes: slightly to moderately large and luminous, an open almond shape with a noticeable Asian slant. The standard penalizes fully round eyes with no slant, and small or dull looking eyes.
• Ears: slightly large, wide at the base with oval tips, pointing toward 11 and 1 o'clock.
• Body: a medium torso with very firm muscles. The CFA says it should feel flexible and springy rather than heavy, and the standard says it should not be meaty, cobby or thick-necked.
• Paws and tail: oval paws with five toes in front and four behind. The tail is medium in length and tapers gradually. The CFA says tail kinks often occur and are not a disqualifying factor unless they are clearly visible.

Temperament: curious, social and chatty

The CFA says that, like the Korat and the Siamese, the Khao Manee is extremely intelligent, but it is very easy to win over because it is so friendly and social. It enjoys games of fetch and loves to carry toys, or one of your socks, around in its mouth. Highly inquisitive, it is interested in anything you may do and ready to pitch in with some feline assistance. Our posts on the Korat and the Siamese cover the other two Thai breeds the page names.

Khao Manee owners say these active, athletic cats are also lap lovers and shoulder riders, with a balance of activity and affection. They get along well with other pets, and the CFA says their activity level makes them a good choice for children. There is nothing shy about them, and they communicate through body language or a variety of vocalizations. The CFA says they are not necessarily noisy, it is just that some have more to say than others. The standard adds that they can be shy with strangers, having lived secluded lives for centuries.

Grooming and health, as the CFA describes them

• Shedding: not heavy, but white hair can be conspicuous on clothes and furniture. The CFA recommends regular brushing with a rubber brush.
• Baths: an occasional bath may keep the coat sparkling white. The CFA says to consult your breeder about the bathing procedure and ask for product recommendations.
• Health: the CFA calls it a natural breed not known for any specific health problems. It adds that white cats can be prone to deafness, especially blue-eyed cats, and that odd-eyed cats may be deaf in one ear. For your own cat, ask your vet.
• Nonwhite kittens: the dominant gene that produces white masks an underlying color, and the underlying colors are recessive, so the CFA says an occasional nonwhite kitten can pop up in a litter. These cats cannot be shown but can be used for breeding, and breeders often do so to help reduce the likelihood of deaf kittens.

The CFA says the Khao Manee is still relatively new to the show ring and may be difficult to find at a cat show. It suggests asking exhibitors with other breeds for recommendations or introductions, and points to its Find-A-Breeder website.

How to check an all-white cat on a walk

Here is a worked example. On a walk you see a sleek white cat with bright, unusually colored eyes, and you wonder whether it is a Khao Manee.

1. Look at the coat. A Khao Manee is pure white, short and smooth, with pink nose and paw pads. The standard disqualifies any color but white. A young cat may still show a headcap.
2. Look at the eyes. Blue, green or yellow, bright and clear, with an almond shape. An odd-eyed cat, with two different colors, is the rarest.
3. Look at the shape. A springy, muscular body, not a heavy one, with high cheekbones and a wedge-shaped head.
4. Allow for look-alikes. White cats are not all one breed. Our post on telling whether a cat is mixed breed gives the longer checklist.
5. Do not stop at the coat. Only papers can settle a breed.

At the end you have a guess, not an answer.

Where Cat Go comes in

After a cat is spotted, Cat Go asks "Which breed is it?" and gives you a list with a search box. The game also says "Most cats you meet are mixed breed. Rarer breeds are warier." and "Mixed breed is always a safe pick."

That fits what you just read. A white cat can be a Khao Manee, a breed the CFA says may be difficult to find even at a cat show, or something else, and you choose the breed yourself. The game counts 34 breeds, and every catch is saved to your Catdex with its breed and the place you found it. It needs the camera and location allowed in your browser, and its camera screen says to fit the whole cat in the frame, which helps here, since the coat and the eyes are the clues and they need to be in the photo.

Frequently asked questions

What does Khao Manee mean?

The CFA says it means "White Gem" in Thai, and its breed standard says "Like white diamonds".

Do Khao Manee cats have different colored eyes?

Some do. The CFA says the eyes may be any shade of blue, green or yellow, or odd-eyed, and that odd eyes are the rarest and most prized.

Are Khao Manee cats deaf?

Not by rule. The CFA says white cats can be prone to deafness, especially blue-eyed cats, and odd-eyed cats may be deaf in one ear, and that breeders often work to reduce the likelihood of deaf kittens.

Are Khao Manee cats good with children?

The CFA says they get along well with other pets, and that their activity level makes them a good choice for children.

Can you tell a Khao Manee from a photo?

Not reliably. A white coat and bright eyes are clues, but they are not proof of a breed, and most cats you meet are mixed breed.

Get started

You do not need a pedigreed cat to enjoy looking at cats. Play Cat Go in your browser: walk anywhere, photograph a real cat, lure it with food and catch it. The game needs your camera and location allowed in the browser. Each catch is saved to your Catdex with its breed and the place you found it.