Quick Facts:

Group Classification: Short hair

Country of Origin: Thailand

Date of Origin: 17th century

Weight (M): Average Height (M): Average

Weight (F): Average Height (F): Average

Life expectancy: 16 to 18 years

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History of the Breed

Early records show that the first Burmese cats were from Thailand and were referred to as Siam. They remained in Thailand until the invasion by the Burmese during the eighteenth Century and soldiers going back to Burma were thought to have taken these cats with them. In 1871, a show on cats organized by Harrison Weir displayed two Siamese cats that greatly resembled the present Burmese cats in America. As a result of this, breeding begun so as to develop a pure Burmese cat since the early breeds were thought to be more Siamese than Burmese. During this period they were also in Britain and were called Chocolate Siamese. However, they were not favored and they eventually died out.

General Description

Burmese cats used to be originally brown or sable but due to years of selective breeding they are now available in several colors. The brown color is as a result of the Burmese gene which causes pigment production to reduce thereby making colors paler than they should be. Nowadays, they are available in blue, brown, lilac, chocolate, cream, red and in other variations of these colors. Burmese cats have glossy, satiny coats with short hair and their eye color is usually yellow, gold and sometimes even blue if they are interbred with a Siamese cat. They have a moderate head, body build and their eyes are set wide apart. Burmese cats have tapered tails.

Temperament

A Burmese cat is social, friendly, outgoing, inquisitive but loving in nature. They can be easily trained and in this aspect they are said to be like dogs. Burmese cats do not want to be left out of anything and can accompany their owner anywhere. They are also intelligent and can easily understand how some things operate such as door handles and levers. These cats are very athletic and no height is too high for them. Burmese cats are energetic and strong minded and in this respect they are not recommended for elderly people who prefer cats that are less energetic. They are also vocal and call out with a sweet and soft meow.

Health and Care

Cats generally clean themselves but this does not mean that an owner should not do anything to help. They have a short coat which means that a good brushing once a week will not take too much time and effort. This also means that their hairs are not prone to matting. As with most pets, Burmese cats also need to have their ears and eyes checked for infections that are caused by discharge from the ears and eyes. Burmese cats do not have any inherited disease and as long as they are given their flu and vaccination shots, they are expected to live for very long.

Other Important Information

The name Burmese means beautiful, splendid or fortunate in Thai. The Burmese cat breeds are divided into two categories: the British and American Burmese cats. However, most associations do not recognize this split but for those that do, they usually refer to the cat breeds developed in Britain as the European Burmese. The American Burmese breeds have rounder skulls and shorter noses. When the European Burmese was declassed in America, the Cat Fancy of Britain through their governing council banned the importation of Burmese cats from America so as to maintain the traditional European Burmese breed.

Pets4You offers listings of Burmese Cat breeders with puppies for sale.