Thai
The Governing Council of the Cat Fancy recognizes Korat type cats differing from the traditional solid blue appearance of the Korat. Such cats can be either Thai Lilacs, which are solid lilac cats, or Thai Pointed, which have the colour-point pattern also seen in Siamese. The official registration policy for Korats allows kittens to be registered as Thai if they are born to Korat parents, Thai parents or to one of each. It also requires genetic testing for gangliosidosis to be carried out to ensure that the breed remains free of this inherited disease which once existed in Korat and Thai breeding lines.
The genes responsible for Pointeds and Lilacs were introduced into the Korat breed when new Korat breeding stock carrying the recessive genes was imported from Thailand. The first recorded Thai Lilac kitten was born to the Jenanca line in 1989, when 'Jenanca Lilac Lillee' was born from two Korat parents in the UK. In 1990 Lillee's parents were re-mated with more lilac kittens resulting. More importantly, a young male lilac was born to another pair also in the UK. This serendipitous event allowed more crossings to occur without inbreeding too closely.
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