Burmese

History Burmese cats
In 1930 the American psychologist Dr. Jospeh Thompson took a beautiful female cat with a warm brown color from Burma to the USA. The cat, Wong Mau, was serviced by a Siamese tomcat and got a nest with Siamese kittens and kittens with the same brown color as their mother. In fact it concerned Tonkanese cats (crossing between a Siamese and a Burmese). Then, Wong Mau was serviced by one of her brown sons and in this nest we found the first real Burmese cats. Wong Mau is therefore the “ancestress’ of all Burmese cats.   

In the sixties the first Burmese cats were imported to Holland from England, but the Burmese became known only in the seventies. Since then, they have become more and more popular.

Character Burmese cats
Burmese cats are very social, intelligent and affectionate cats. They love everybody. The Burmese tries to be friends with everybody!

People who don’t like cats are a challenge for the Burmese and they will do everything to make them change their minds. They often succeed. Burmese cats are real lap cats and need a lot of attention. If you aren’t home much, you’d better purchase a second cat. Burmese cats are very curious and want to know exactly what is going on in their house. They are very playful and naughty, even when they grow older. Many Burmese cats can fetch, the Burmese is often called the “dog amongst the cats”. They can escape well! Closed doors aren’t a problem.

A Burmese is a great cat. People who get to know the Burmese often don’t loose this “addiction” anymore. They often purchase more than one Burmese……

Colors Burmese cats
The first nests in the USA had both brown and chocolate Burmese cats. Since people wanted to have the brown kittens acknowledged as a breed, they only bred with these “pure” brown cats. The brown Burmese was acknowledged in 1936 by the American Cat Fanciers Association. In 1955 a kitten with a blue fur was born. This was a great surprise and the kitten was called the Sealcoat Blue Surprise. This blue color was acknowledged in 1960. In the seventies the colors chocolate and lilac (light grey with a pink glow) were also acknowledged. By using a red tabby cat and a red point Siamese, Burmese cats in new colors like red, cream and tortoise occured.    

In Holland recently two new colors have been developed: cinnamon and fawn. These colors haven’t however been acknowledged yet by most catteries.

The type
There is a clear difference between the so-called European Burmese and the American Burmese (more stocky and shorter head). According to the breed standard the European Burmese is a medium-sized elegant and muscled cat. Striking is that he is heavier concerning weight than you should think. Burmese cats have a somewhat wedge-shaped head with wide cheekbones. The ears should have a wide basis and rounded points. They should not be located close to each other. The chin must be solid and the nose must have a clear stop. The eyes must preferably be golden yellow, large and not close to each other. Their fur is short, fine and has a silky structure. Healthy Burmese cats have a beautiful shining fur.

Related breeds:
The Bombay, The  Burmilla, The Tonkanese, the Tiffany, the  Tibetan Asians and the Singapura.