The Korats in Switzerland

Geneva, Valentine's day 1999...
(written by Viveca Ott)

Hello Korat friends of the world!

My mistress (Viveca) and I were surfing on the net these last few days and we were very ashamed to see our page on Koratworld under Switzerland with my old letter and pictures. So I'd like to give you some news and tell you what happend since I last wrote to you.

Mao-Ling

First the bad news: my best friend Sioux (an Ocicat belonging to Viveca's friend) fell off the balcony and died a few hours later. That was very sad for all of us. She baught two (!) cats to replace him: another Ocicat called Shiba (a girl) and a Bengal, called Leo (a boy). The Bengal is really huge and very dominating. Shiba is more shy as Ocicats usually are.

Both are much bigger than I am. They say I am a particularly small cat! What they don't understand, is that this is all part of my natural elegance. I am a very precious cat, you know!

In December 97 we found a little companion for me: Mao-Ling. Like me, she is from Elfi Kleive in Norway. Actually she is my aunt on the mother's side and my half sister on the father's side. We immediately loved each other.

Mao-Ling seemed to think I was her mother and would suck like a kitten. I let her do so, because she felt so happy. We played alot and slept curled into each other. At night, both of us would sleep under the covers, in Viveca's bed.

Then, suddenly beginning October 98, Mao-Ling seemed to be sick and a few days later, she died from Feline Infectious Peritonitis (FIP). That was a real drama at home: we lost our dear little girl. Since then, Viveca is taking me every morning to her mother's home and picks me up in the evening so that I don't get too lonely. The vet said I should not get any stress, you know! I love it at her mother's because she does everything I want!

Ylang and Mao-ling

They then tested me for FIP to see if I was infected as well: how do they get such an idea??!! I feel perfectly well except that I miss my little Mao-Ling! Anyway, they found out that I had caught the virus but I have a low titer. So I am what they call a carrier! Because of this Viveca did not want to take a new kitten: she was afraid that I would be cantagious - can you imagine! - I would never infect anybody around me! I am the most loving and sociable cat in the world!

So I decided to get some information about FIP on the web. The reports say everything and nothing. All these professors and researchers contradict each other and make it very confused. Well, I came to the conclusion that if you want to make 100 percent sure you don't catch FIP, you'd better ask a fairy to transform you into a gold fish. If you believe all they say, nearly every cat in the world would die from FIP! So I ask you why is the majority happily surviving, even in catteries where there are sick cats living close to each other???!!

Ylang and Mao-ling

Pfft... I think the only true thing is that you have to dearly love your cat when he is a carrier and make him feel good. And the rest is all crap!!

I have just been tested again and my antibodies dropped by 75% in 3 months. See, I told you I would not catch FIP. You know why? It's because I was pampered and taken care of all that time and I didn't have to get upset with Viveca - so no stress at all, that's the secret!

We can now get a new companion for me: he was born on November 12 1998 at Sanna Altoonen's house. Viveca picks him up in Turkku this weekend. We will call him ZHAO (you have to pronounce it "djao"). He is already famous: on Valentine's day he got the "Best of Variety" award. If you want to see him go to: - http:/www.geocities.com/Petsburgh/7154/melodianped.htm, where you will see his pedigree and on - http:/www.geocities.com/Petsburgh/7154/melodian.htm, where you see him (on the right) and his sister (on the left).
Soon I will show you more pictures of both of us together. So come back to my page! I would be so happy if some of you Korat friends out in the world would write to me at: ylangmaoling@yahoo.com or zhao@netscape.net

MEET ZHAO...
Welcome to this beautiful boy!

ZHAO, at 5 months, April 99

Thanks Viveca for these great pictures of your Zhao!

 

A successful show... (Ylang's results)
(written by Viveca Ott)

Hello Donatella,

I am proud to tell you that I am a perfect Korat Cat! Viveca exhibited me in Lausanne last weekend - I didn't like it at all, but I was very quiet,just terribly bored. This was my first experience of being at a show and if Viveca had told me before, I would have refused. However, now that I have won a decoration and a certificate, I might even agree to do it again.

So the big news is that I got an "Ex.1 CAP" certificate from a Danish judge called Lotte Borch. What she said she liked about me was that I am a very strong male in fine harmony and with a sturdy neck. Very nicely balanced head with fine proportions and good profile.... can't read her handwriting ... Fine shaped eyes with good clear colour and expression. Ears of nice shape and good .... can't read... Very nice coat with a fine sheen and nice even colour. A nice neutred male for this breed! Not bad hugh?!

She had first chosen me to be among the runners for the Best in my category, but finally she took a Russian Blue!! Pfffff, can you imagine, a Russian Blue better than a Korat??!! Well I admit that my neighbour, another Elfi Kleive Korat, a 4 year old female, was selected by Lotte for the female category. So she said that between the two, the girl was more striking because of her magnificent green eyes! How could I compete with a 4 year old one who has "finished" eyes? - you tell me!. What they didn't see is that MY eyes are unusually green for my young age. But you know, these people are not intelligent enough to notice such subtle things!

Changing subject: You know what Sioux did the other day?? He jumped from his terrace over to the neighbours (an old American couple who love cats - thank God!!!), got into their apartment, into the kitchen and stole half a raw chicken that was on the table to unfreeze, jumped back home and started eating it in his mistress' bedroom. The cleaning lady just got him in time. Now the story is not finished... The cleaning lady put the half chicken into the fridge as it was untouched and when Kerry (Sioux's mistress) came home wanting to grab a bite to eat, she found that chicken in the refrigerator and thought she was going totally nuts and getting Alzheimer as she could not remember having ever put a chicken in there. Of course she never guessed what happened and spent the whole evening thinking of taking an emergency appointment with a mental disease specialist!!!

Well that's all the news for today. I hope you are well and give you my usual Ylang kiss with my lovely little noze!

YLANG (Viveca Ott)

Meet Ylang...and Sioux
(written by Viveca Ott)

My name is PIMAI PRA YLANG and I was born in Norway on September 13th with a Human called Elfi Kleive. My mistress is Viveca. She works in the perfumery and flavour industry and gave me my name because of a flower found in Asia, called Ylang Ylang, which is used a lot for perfumes.

Hey Guys, It's me, Ylang! See my big eyes!

I have been jumping around on internet and I found KORAT WORLD. Well, I am very happy to see that finally someone has done something just for us! - I don't like to be mixed with other ordinary breeds.

I'd love to correspond with a Korat friend who still lives in Thailand or even in Korat!! Or any cat who is as funny and intelligent as I am for instance... Maybe you could open a section where we could send each other messages. We could also send each other birthday cards. By the way mine is very soon!

By now, you have understood that I am an unusually intelligent cat. I love novelty and I am afraid of nothing. I get bored very quickly if Viveca comes up with the same game every day . I love to show off, particularly when she has other people around. Then I start getting quite noisy and I miaow constantly to get attention.

Sometimes she compensates game-time with cuddling, so I let her do it, because she needs it - now that her teddy bear is worn out! She talks a lot with me. I don't always understand what she says, but it sounds nice. She particularly likes my ears because they are cold inside. She also loves my lovely little noze and my paws. Normally I don't like when people touch my paws, but I let her do it, because she enjoys it so much! She'd like me to fetch toys and bring them back to her. But as I am a little lazy, I prefer when she picks them up for me. I am a very obedient cat. When I first arrived, Viveca was afraid that I'd ruin her furniture and break the art pieces that are all round the apartment. But you know, I am intelligent enough to understand the value of things and I only broke a vase that was not particularly precious anyway and I never scratch furniture!

I'm a great 'sculpture climber'!

My favourite toys are metal chains and actually anything that makes noise. I also like to play with plastic bags - only the ones that are noisy. The other day, she had some rasberries in a carton and had put them in one of those bags. WOW that was a real treat! I dragged it all around the living room so it was full of beautiful red spots all over. When she saw my new decoration scheme in the morning - I had worked all night on it... - she scolded me! Can you believe this? Here I am, trying to help her to decorate her apartment and that's all the reward I get. Humans are strage people!

When Viveca is away for more than a day, her mother takes me to her apartment. I love it there, because her mother goes absolutely crazy about me and spends all day watching me and playing with me. I trained her to be my little slave and she is learning pretty well! Her apartment is in the same building and the rooms are exactly the same as at my own home so I don't get lost.

Sioux doesn't wash himself well enough!

Now I have to tell you about my best friend. He looks like a wild cat - I think they call them Ocicats. Sioux (that's his name) is very elegant and quite taller than I, but he is not as much fun as I am. He looks very aristocratic, and I suspect that he thinks I look more ordinary. But I am more subtle and discreet: only people who know what Class really means see how Royal I am! We play a lot together and run after each other. Sometimes we will sleep curled in each other. You know what? He doesn't groom himself very well and often I have to do the job for him. His mistress takes him with her almost everywhere she goes and he can walk around freely in her friends' gardens. He says all he needs to do is to come back when she calls him. Well I am much more independent and I don't come when Viveca calls me. I come when I have decided it's time to come!

You know, Sioux, is a lot bigger than I, but the boss is me! If I decide I want to be with his mistress, I chase him away and take his place. He always runs after me, but after a while I have enough. So I turn my back on him and I walk away and hide in one of his own favourite places! I'm not nasty at all - actually I am very sweet, but I am strong-minded! That's what you get with a highly intelligent cat!

Sioux may look like an ocelot,
but I'm a panther with 'zebra legs'!

Viveca has never taken me to a show, she says that I won't like it in a cage all day and that I will miaow all the time. I must say that my miaowing can get a little exasperating, but I ask you, how else can I make myself understood?!!

I am putting some pictures in the mail for you so you can see that I could also win lots of prizes even though Viveca says that I have more and more stripes on my back legs. Why can't I look like a zebra if my friend looks like an ocelot??

I'd better go now and eat something! Viveca thinks I don't eat very much.Well I'm a very choosy eater, not like Sioux who steals everything eadible he can put his paws on.

I give you a big kiss with my lovely little noze!

YLANG (Viveca Ott)

Two lovely sisters....from Italy
(written by Shirley Kho Rider)

Our Korats came into our life as rather a surprise as I only knew about it 2 days before I went to Milano to collect them from their breeder, Donatella Mastrangelo. Since then, they have been a joy to my husband and I. We can't imagine life without them anymore.

Though Boot (Jadeye's Xoi-Siam-Si) and Straps (Jadeye's Xi-La-Sak-Sid) are sisters, they are quite different characters. Boots gets into a lot more mischief than Straps as she is more extroverted and active. She would climb up our Chinese screen and look down at all she rules from the ceiling, with little regard of the height that she stands. But she is incredibly affectionate and sometimes demanding with her meows for attention. Very often, I would be standing in the kitchen cooking and she would meow at me and beg to get on my shoulder. My neighbours, seeing me through my kitchen window would find a woman cooking with a cat perched on her shoulders. She is enormously interested in what is going on the stove, though I had to teach her not to jump on a hot stove. A water spray bottle usually does the trick.

Straps by contrast is a little timid and she is also very much heavier than Boot. Therefore she is more cautious about new things and toys. However, when she wants to be close, she will come to me with a small meow and then I know that she wants sweetness. She will roll around and rub her face on my face and would not stop for several minutes.

However, both are fascinated with water and taps. Often when I am brushing my teeth, with the tap running, I have 2 cats batting the water with their paws and shaking them, splashing water all over me. If the sink is full of water, the 2 cats would wade their front legs through the water. One of these days, I will give them a bath.

It seems befitting that they are borne Italian cats because they both like dry pasta. Boot once pushed off a pasta tin full of dry spaghetti and proceeded to chew the sticks. The other day, they even ate dry lasagna sheets that I had left out on the table.

Initially, we were a little apprehensive as to whether the cats might destroyed our furniture with their scratching. Once they arrived, they ignored everything except their scratching post which was a sign of relief for us. They are very well-behaved for cats. I think we have been lucky with these cats.

In the nights when the temperature gets a little chilly, I would wake up with a cold paw on my face and then a pair of yellow/green eyes staring at me, trying to get underneath my blanket to keep warm and to sleep with me. It is totally a wonderful feeling to have a hot sleeping cat next to your legs and I think that our bonds are closer than ever before.

I have had many pets; dogs, macaw, turtles, goldfish, rabbits, fan pigeons, crayfish, tropical fish, eels. But none of them ever come close to these 2 cats. It is a joy.

Shirley Koh Reider