Korat

A healthy Korat from DNA-tested lines typically lives 10 to 15 years, and many reach the upper end because the breed is genetically stable with no extreme conformation. The brutal exception is gangliosidosis: a kitten affected with GM1 rarely survives past 10 months and one with GM2 often dies before 8 months. Lifespan in this breed is decided almost entirely by whether the kitten came from GM1/GM2-clear parents, which is why the test paperwork matters more than anything else you can check.

Gangliosidosis is a group of inherited lysosomal storage diseases — GM1 (GLB1 gene) and GM2 (HEXB gene) — that cause fatal, progressive neurological decline in affected Korat kittens. Both are recessive, so a cat needs two copies to be affected. You avoid it completely by buying only from a breeder who provides written DNA clearance on both parents: a kitten from two clear (or clear-by-parentage) cats has zero chance of being affected. CFA and TICA both recommend testing all breeding stock.

Mixed, and buyers should be honest with themselves about it. Korats are notably dog-friendly with slow, positive introductions, but they are often territorial and bossy toward other cats and tend to want to be the only or dominant pet. A Korat usually does best as a solo cat or the established resident, not as a newcomer added to an existing cat household. If you want a multi-cat home, this is a real trade-off to weigh before buying, not after.

Very little. The Korat has a single silver-blue coat with no undercoat, so a five-minute weekly brush or a damp-hand smoothing is enough; shedding and hairballs are minimal and mats are rare. The real grooming budget goes to the basics shared by all shorthaired cats: nail trims every two to three weeks, weekly ear checks, and tooth brushing several times a week to prevent the dental disease that otherwise costs hundreds in extractions later in this long-lived breed.

Yes to apartments — they are compact, low-shedding, and bond hard to people over territory, so they adapt well to smaller spaces with 15-25 minutes of daily interactive play. With families, they are good with respectful children but are sensitive to loud noise, sudden movement, and chaos, so a calm household suits them better than a frantic one. They also strongly prefer not to be left alone for long stretches, which is worth weighing if everyone is out all day.

Expect roughly $600 to $1,200 for a pet-quality Korat kitten and more for show lines from a registered breeder, with price varying by region and rarity since the breed is uncommon. The cost that actually matters is hidden: a gangliosidosis-affected kitten incurs heartbreak plus diagnostics and supportive care, and the cat will not survive its first year. Paying a fair price for a kitten with written GM1/GM2-clear parentage is the single cheapest insurance in this entire breed — never economize by skipping that paperwork.