Cat Breeds: Burmese

Winnie

 Burmese

 

The cat deemed to have been the founder of the Burmese breed was a small brown cat called ‘Wong Mau’ who was taken from Burma to America in 1930. An investigation into the genetic make up of ‘Wong Mau’ showed that she was hybrid of Siamese and a new dark coated breed that was named Burmese because of the origin. Through selective breeding it was possible to isolate the new dark coated breed and this became the Burmese we know today. The Burmese was first recognized by the American cat registration bodies and later by the Governing Council of the Cat Fancy in Britain. A selective breeding plan was embarked upon and as the genetic make up of the Burmese became known a whole spectrum of colors became possible leading to the ten colors we have now. These colors are Brown, Blue, Chocolate, lilac, red, cream, and tortie.

 

Mercury

The Burmese is a medium sized cat, with an elegant yet well-muscled body. They are not as large and sturdy as the British Shorthair nor as slender and dainty as the Siamese. They are surprisingly heavy for their size when lifted and this is due to their solid muscular physique. The head is carried on a medium neck and is in proportion to the body. Viewed from the front the face resembles a short blunt wedge with wide cheekbones tapering to the muzzle. The ears are set well apart. The eyes are large and lustrous and may be any shade of yellow. However the eye color of Burmese is very sensitive to variations in light quality and under certain light sources the eyes may appear quite a different color. The tail is straight with no kinks or bumps and ends in a rounded paintbrush tip.

Minnie

The Burmese cat is an extremely friendly and affectionate creature and needs attention from human beings to be happy when kept in a domestic environment. They are extremely playful and can be taught to fetch pieces of paper in much the same way as a dog with a stick and are good with children and so make wonderful family pets. They are also very sensitive to their owner’s feelings. If the owner is likely to be out all day it is often a good idea to have two Burmese, as they can become bored very quickly with no one to play with. They are very demanding and will follow you around the house crying for attention and if you stop will climb up your leg begging to be picked up and cuddled. Burmese are very vocal cats and will often greet you when you return home or speak to you when they want something. 

 

Misty

The curiosity and friendliness of the Burmese can sometimes lead them to stray into visitor’s cars or delivery vans and they can disappear. This also makes them a prime target for theft. For these reasons many Burmese are confined to the house and they really do not mind this as they love warmth and comfort and they will soon find plenty to do indoors especially if they have company. Burmese cats are extremely loyal to their owners and with their ability to retrieve are sometimes known as the ‘dog cat’. They do not like to be left out of family life and will often insist on being part of what’s going on. They are very intelligent and can work out problems such as opening doors and they are the complete escape artist. They are very good with children but if the children do become too rough the Burmese will simply turn around with a contemptuous glare and stalk off until the children settle down. Burmese make excellent companions and seem to understand every word that is said and are very sensitive to their owner’s feelings and moods. They do not object to the hub-bub of a noisy household and will usually join in.  

*This information was collected from www.purina.com