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Cats/Korat?

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Expert: - 1/25/2010


Question

Sadie as Kitten
I adopted my blue cat 2 years ago as a 5-week old kitten. I had seen an all grey kitten advertised by an adoption agency and decided that that was the color kitten I wanted -- I didn't know anything about breeds, etc. -- but I just started searching Craigslist and other adoption listings for all-grey kittens. Finally I got in touch with a girl who had discovered a litter of three grey kittens under a stoop in Harlem - only one of them was entirely grey (the other two had white patches on their chests I believe), and that was the one I wanted. Sadie was a little scruffy, with blue-green eyes that became yellower within a few months. She's grown up into a beautiful, all-grey cat with green eyes.

I always assumed she was some sort of Russian Blue mix - it seemed highly unlikely that such a rare cat as a Korat could end up abandoned in the streets of New York, and Russian Blues seemed more common. But Sadie, now 2.5 years old, does not really exhibit any of the traits attributed to the Russian Blue, and instead seems to match the description of a Korat perfectly:

She has a short single coat of glossy, fine, all grey hair with no patches, which spikes a bit over her spine when she walks. Her eyes are round and green, her nose is dark blue, her face is perfectly heart-shaped. She's about 10 lbs, and not long and lean like a Russian Blue, but stockier and rounded. She's always had an incredible sense of hearing and is very playful - even plays catch and hide-and-seek.

I've attached some pictures for you. Is there anything I can do to confirm that she is a Korat? Even if you were to just unofficially confirm this for me, I'd be very happy. Thank you very much for your time.  

Answer
Tess,

I only received one picture of Sadie.  I suppose it is possible she has Korat back there (although highly unlikely).  She does have some physical similarities to Korats, so who knows?

If she has a Korat type of personality, that does sound like a real treat.  Given the description of her siblings, I would be surprised if there was Korat in the mix, but there could be.

Best regards... Norm.  

Norman Auspitz

Expertise

I can answer most non-veterinary questions about cats. My particular expertise is pedigree cats, breeding and showing. However, I am versed in feline behavior, cat breeds and their characteristics, general feline husbandry, and the like.

Experience

I judged for the Canadian Cat Association from 1975 until 1982. I am currently an approved allbreed judge for the Cat Fanciers'' Association (the world''s largets cat registry), and have been judging for them since 1991. I have been breeding pedigreed cats since 1971 and have been exhibiting pedigreed cats in shows since 1970. I obtained my first pedigreed cat in 1970 and have never looked back. In 1971, I obtained my first Abyssinian which has become my primary breed. In addition, I have bred Manx and Persians. Currently, besides the Abyssinians, I am also breeding Maine Coons.


Organizations
Cat Fanciers'' Association, inc. (CFA) and the Manx, Maine Coon, and Abyssinian breed councils. I am currently Abyssinian breed council secretary.

Publications
Cat Fancy Magazine, The Abyssinian Chapter in The Cat Fanciers'' Association Complete Cat Book, and Articles for various editions of The Cat Fanciers'' Association Yearbook

Education/Credentials
I received a B.S. from Drexel University in 1968, a M.Math from University of Waterloo, in 1970, a Ph.D. from University of Waterloo in 1975, and a MBA from McMaster University in 1980. I received my approved allbreed judging status in the Cat Fanciers'' Association in 1999.

Awards and Honors
We have produced a number of Cat Fanciers'' Association (CFA) National winning Abyssinian and Maine Coons. We have produced a number of Abyssinian and Maine Coon Distinguished Merit females (an award for a top producing cat), including the first Distinguished Merit Abyssinian in the red (sorrel) color. I am the CFA Abyssinian breed council secretary and belong and/or hold office in a number of cat clubs. I am also a member of the CFA Judges Association.

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