Wednesday, December 5, 2012

Khao Manee "Diamond Eye" Cat (แมวขาวมณี)


The Khao Manee (ขาวมณี), or Diamond Eye cat, is a rare breed from Thailand whose ancient ancestry can be traced back hundreds of years.The blue eye is often considered the "Diamond Eye" of the Khao Manee.

Khao Manee Cat - © Michael LaPalme
Khao Manee Cat - © Michael LaPalme

The Cat that brings you Good Luck


..two eyes like diamonds 
business meets success with prosperity, 
like a priceless jewel 

- The Cat Book of Poems (1350 - 1767)


Khao Manee Cat - © Michael LaPalme
Khao Manee Cat - © Michael LaPalme

King Chulalongkorn (Rama V) owned 9 of these beautiful creatures and this breed is considered as the "Royal Cat" of Siam. Most people incorrectly assume that this distinction belongs to the traditional seal point Siamese cat. According to legend, the penalty for stealing a Khao Manee was death.

Khao Manee Cat - © Michael LaPalme
Khao Manee Cat - © Michael LaPalme

The Khao Manee is considered  to be the original royal cat breed of Siam. They were fiercely protected and could only be owned by Royalty. 

Khao Manee Cat - © Michael LaPalme
Khao Manee Cat - © Michael LaPalme

Khao Manee Cat - © Michael LaPalme
Khao Manee Cat - © Michael LaPalme


Khao Manee Cat - © Michael LaPalme
Khao Manee Cat - © Michael LaPalme

Khao Manee Cat - © Michael LaPalme
Khao Manee Cat - © Michael LaPalme

Khao Manees are usually born with  two blue eyes, or one eye that is blue, with the other either green or amber. My cat has one light blue and one light green eye. He is very smart, friendly and has good manners.

Khao Manee Cat - © Michael LaPalme
Khao Manee Cat - © Michael LaPalme





3 comments:

  1. Beautiful cat Michael. May I ask where you found him?

    Khao Manees also have yellow or green eyes too.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Thanks Chrissy, He was living in a slum adjacent to our neighborhood here in Bangkok. My wife brought him home to live with us about 4 years ago. They are meant to bring good luck. He certainly has so far. :-)

    ReplyDelete
  3. I have khao manee odd eye,"blue & green eye too".

    ReplyDelete

You may also like...

Search This Blog