shorthair
Wila Krungthep
Origin: Thailand
An all-black Thai cat of ancient lineage, prized in its homeland as a bringer of good fortune. Sleek, devoted and still exceptionally rare outside Thailand.
- Origin
- Thailand
- Category
- shorthair
- Lifespan
- 12–16 yrs
- Size
- Medium
- Weight
- 3–5 kg
- Coat
- Short, close-lying and glossy
- Colours
- Solid black, including nose leather and paw pads
😺 Temperament
🏡 Best suited to
📊 Personality ratings
📜 History & origin
The Wila Krungthep — its name meaning roughly 'Bangkok cat' — belongs to the family of native Thai cats catalogued in the Tamra Maew, the illustrated cat poems produced in Siam over several centuries and now held in the National Library of Thailand. Those manuscripts describe a set of auspicious cats alongside a handful considered unlucky, and the solid black cats of Thailand sit firmly in the fortunate group. Like the Korat, the Suphalak and the Khao Manee, the breed survived as a landrace rather than a formal pedigree, and modern Thai breeders have worked since the late twentieth century to document and preserve it. Numbers outside Thailand remain very small.
🧼 Care & grooming
The short, close coat needs little more than a weekly comb and the occasional wipe with a soft cloth to keep its shine. These are people-oriented cats that do poorly when left alone all day, so plan for company, interactive play and puzzle feeding. As with all solid black cats, check the coat in strong sunlight for the rusty tinge that can indicate a tyrosine shortfall in the diet.
🩺 Health notes
As a naturally-occurring landrace with a broad gene pool, the Wila Krungthep is generally robust and has no long list of breed-specific conditions. Sensible screening for the problems common to all Thai cats — dental disease, and heart screening in any breeding programme — is the practical approach. Its rarity means responsible breeders pay close attention to genetic diversity.