Burmese Cat Breed Profile
Burmese cat is special!
It senses your moods, is curious about your day, and will purr its way into your heart. Chances are that you chose it because you like Burmese and you expected it to have certain traits that would fit your lifestyle. Burmese cats have a beauty of their own, epitomized by their large, rich golden eyes. One look at a Burmese, and it’s hard to look away. They are simply hypnotizing. Aside from their attractive looks, this lively, affectionate breed makes a great pet for families who enjoy an outgoing, inquisitive pet.
Burmese Cat History and Origin
Burmese cat Wong Mau
First American Burmese – Wong Mau and kittens
Burmese cats share a very rich and interesting history. This domestic cat breed has its roots in the Thai-Burma border; however, they were developed in Britain and the United States.
In 1930, Dr. Joseph Thompson imported a brown female cat named Wong Mau to the United States from Burma. It was a small, fine-boned cat with a walnut-brown coat fur on its body. While everyone else thought this cat to be a Siamese, Dr. Thompson, along with other breeders, believed that it was a different breed.
Dr. Thompson was in Tibet when he first saw this short-haired dark brown cat. He was deeply inspired by the beauty and the personality of this cat breed. To study the breed’s characteristics, Dr. took Wong Mau to America.
With the help of a geneticist, Dr. Clyde E. Keeler, Dr. Thompson conducted the study of the breed. Wong Mau was crossed with a seal point Siamese, and as a result, beige, sable brown color, and pointed pattern kittens were developed.
In this process of breeding, Dr. Thompson discovered that Wong Mau was half Siamese and half Burmese, which we call a Tonkinese today. In 1936, Burmese were registered with the Cat Fanciers’ Association (CFA) and gained popularity.
In Britain, the new British breeding program was reviving the interest of the breeders, and by 1952, almost three generations of Burmese cats were bred.
If we look at it today, the actual look of the Burmese cat has changed. Originally, these cats were dark or solid brown in color. Now, these cats can be seen in a variety of colors. In addition, the previous and the current breed have different temperaments and social behaviors.
Burmese Cat Personality and Temperament
Burmese cats are amusing, playful, super-intelligent, and an interactive breed. These devoted cats are loyal and people-oriented, which means that if you are looking for an affective pet, they can be the best companions.
Burmese have a childish nature that can be entertaining for people of any age. These cats behave similarly when they are 16 or 1 year old. They need your full attention when performing animated antics, and make sure that they won’t go unnoticed.
This amazingly playful and entertaining breed is an eye catcher that can win any person’s heart. However, their temperament can differ from gender to gender and according to their age. For example, female Burmese cats are more sensitive, highly intelligent, curious, and deeply in love with their humans. On the other hand, males are a bit more moderate and cautious. They are only passionate about their favorite food items and when they will be served. Moreover, they are social but tend to be more comfortable around Burmese siblings instead of other animals.
Unlike other cat breeds, especially Siamese cats, Burmese are not very vocal or talkative. They will only interact with you when they want to express something or need your attention. However, their voice is sweet and will not poke you in any way.
As they are the people’s cats, they should not be left alone for a longer period of time as it can be dangerous for their mental health.
Burmese Cats Have an Amazing Personality
As lovely as Burmese cats are to look at, most owners will tell you it’s the Burmese personality that keeps admirers enthralled. If you’re looking for a cat that will be completely devoted to you without sacrificing its free will, look no further.
Loving Temperament
Burmese cats are known to be extremely affectionate. They don’t do well alone and will follow their humans everywhere. They’re the type of cat that will always find its way onto your lap and in your bed. They also are known for enjoying time with children.
Playful and Fun-Loving
These cats seem to feel it’s their duty to keep their human companions entertained. It’s not unheard of for some of these amazing felines to learn to play fetch, and if you’re not in the mood to join in that’s perfectly fine. These cats can amuse themselves and are glad to let you sit back and observe the fun.
Intelligent and Single-minded
Be forewarned though, these cats can also be quite stubborn once they’ve set their minds on something, and you will be hard put to persuade them otherwise. They are also known to be somewhat vocal and will let you know how they feel at any given time.
Indoors Only
It could be considered a plus or a minus, depending on how you look at it, but Burmese are also very dependent on their owners to look after them. If they accidentally escape and get lost outside, these cats stand a lesser-than-average chance of surviving on their own. Burmese cats are definitely not the type of cat you turn outdoors for a romp around the neighborhood.
European and American Burmese cat
The modern Burmese cat breed was developed in the United States and Britain under distinct breed standards. Such an unusual breeding program resulted in the development of a number of different features among the two groups, but some cat registries still do not formally recognize them as distinct breeds.
The European Burmese (Europa, UK, Australia, New Zeland) has a long, slender body, long legs, and oval paws. The head is wedge-shaped with a long muzzle and almond-shaped eyes. The tail is usually medium long.
The American Burmese (USA) has a significantly stockier body and its legs are proportionate to the body. The head is much broader, muzzle shorter and flattened and the eyes are round. The ears are wider at the base in comparison to the British variant. The paw shape and tail length are similar in both groups.
Both British and American Burmese cats are small to medium in size, commonly weighing from 4 to 6 kg. They are always very muscular and strong, thus often feeling heavier when held than they actually are. This is where they got their nickname of a “brick wrapped in silk”.
The coat is always short, silky and glossy. Originally, all Burmese cats were rich dark brown (sable in USA, brown in UK and Australia and seal in New Zealand), but today a wide range of colors is allowed.
The American standard provides four possible colors: sable (correspond brown), blue, champagne (corresponds chocolate) and platinum (corresponds lilac).
The European standard provides ten colors of Burmese cats: brown (seal), blue, chocolate, lilac, red, cream, seal tortie, blue tortie, chocolate tortie and lilac tortie.
The American Burmese has big eyes, with roundish form, wide set, which look slightly surprised.
The European Burmese has big and wide set eyes too, but the top line of the eye is straight, with an easy decline to a nose, with oriental manner, the bottom line of an eye rounded off.
Burmese Cat Care
The love and care you provide to your Burmese cats have to do a lot in their overall health and temperament. These unique and beautiful creatures need affection from their families to feel loved.
Unlike other fancy cat breeds, Burmese cats are not very high maintenance. Taking care of them is not something that people would have to do by going out of the way as they do not require much.
Knowing and providing the basic diet, making sure that they do not have any health problems, and taking care of their grooming is all you need to do to be the Burmese cat’s favorite person.
Diet and Nutrition
Burmese is an active cat breed, and to keep up their lifestyle, they require a protein-rich diet. A nutritious diet schedule is essential to meet all the bodily needs of the cat and to ensure its health.
Health
Taking care of your pet’s health is something that should be your first priority and not an option. If you can not ensure their health, getting a Burmese cat will not be a good option for you.
Grooming
If you want your Burmese cat to be active, fresh, and playful all the time, paying attention to its grooming is equally important as its health. Unlike some other cat breeds, these cats have a short hair coat on their bodies, making it easier for the owners to keep it tidy and groomed.
These cats do not require deep grooming once in a while. Proper rubber brushing once a week is enough for them to get rid of all the dead hair and knots.