Suphalak
A solid copper brown cat from Thailand, described in the same centuries old manuscripts as the Korat. Rare outside Thailand and uncommon inside it.
Photo by Maewboran, CC BY-SA 3.0
Overview
The Suphalak is a solid copper brown Thai cat described in the Tamra Maew, the Thai book of cat poems, alongside the Korat and the Siamese. It is one of the ancient Thai breeds and one of the least known outside Thailand.
The colour is the point: a warm solid copper brown throughout, without the points of a Siamese or the silver of a Korat, and it is genetically distinct from the Burmese and Havana Brown despite the resemblance.
Temperament
Affectionate, active and people oriented. Suphalaks are described as intelligent and curious, attached to their households and comfortable with company.
They are moderately vocal, sociable with other animals, and playful into adulthood. In manner they are closer to a Burmese than to the reserved Korat.
Care and grooming
A weekly rub down for the short close coat and nothing beyond that.
There is no well documented breed specific disorder, though the population is very small and concentrated in Thailand, so the gene pool is narrow and that is the honest concern rather than any named condition.
Living and exercise
An ordinary indoor household with company and things to climb.
Availability is the real obstacle. The breed is rare even within Thailand and export is limited, so anyone in the West wanting one faces a long search. Twelve to fifteen years is the usual figure.
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