Learn more about living with Burmese cats .

It ’s really hard not to immediately wish Burmese cats . levelheaded , playful fiddling dynamos , Burmese are implausibly social to humans and will quickly learn to play interactional secret plan like fetch or tag . They also make excellent ambassadors for any self - professed " non - cat people , " thanks to their affectionate , almost detent - similar personality and their giant , expressive eye that make Burmese cats attend like they were rend straight out of a Margaret Keane painting .

Appearance

So this is kick the bucket to dissent more or less , depending on where you experience . There are , in point of fact , twoBurmese cats . Though they originated from the same ancestry and most African tea registry do n’t consider them to be genetically different stock , there are still distinct differences between the American Burmese and the European Burmese .

The European ( sometimes called " traditional " ) Burmese is the more lissom of the two , with a wedge - shaped head , minor , pointed ear , and almond - shaped eyes . Meanwhile , the American ( or " contemporary " ) Burmese is notably stockier with a wider head , ears that are slenderly wider at the base than the European , and oculus that are much debauchee and more expressive .

disregarding of standard , all Burmese cats come with very short , silky coats , traditionally of a single , solid color . in the beginning , all Burmese were sable , but throughout the middle of the twentieth century , Burmese cats were run into in people of color such as fawn , blue , and lilac . presently , the British standard recognise substantial browned , chocolate , down in the mouth , lilac , red , and ointment , as well as the tortoiseshell pattern on a base of brown , chocolate , blue-blooded , or lilac , while the Cat Fanciers ' Association ’s ( CFA ) standard still recognize the Burmese only in solid sable , grim , champagne ( deep brown ) , and platinum ( lilac ) .

brown european burmese cat looking at camera

Vladimir Fedorov / Getty

Temperament

Burmese true cat are love , playful , and highly societal . Expressing a number of propensity that have been described as " Canis familiaris - like , " Burmese tend to develop strong loyalty bonds with their humans and have been described as a " Velcro guy , " want to spend as much clock time as possible around their the great unwashed . As such , Burmese are n’t as well suited to closing off as some other breeds , and may develop stress doings such as aggressive grooming ifleft alone for extended periods of time .

Burmese revel in the company of humans , be they seniors , children , or somewhere in between . They also do super well in multi - cat households and can even passably quickly learn to ( at the very least)tolerate the family dog .

Burmese are very bright cats and delight do for their people . owner have reported having their Burmese diaphragm in the middle of some gritty play to look back and see if their humans are watching them before continuing . to boot , they are more to a great extent prepared to playing games with their hoi polloi than many other breeds , quickly picking up the nuances of fetch , tag , enshroud and seek , and other games .

Burmese sitting on ledge outside near flowers

Julija Janevica / EyeEm / Getty

Additionally , if cat shows are your affair , Burmese kat are well - recognized for their willingness to be shown . They enjoy being the centre of care and like perform for a crowd .

One potential caution for owner : the Burmese is not a quiet cat . on-key to theSiamesetraces in their pedigree , Burmese cat are always more than well-chosen totalk you through their day , though they have a easy , less vivid vocalism than their Tai cousins .

Living Needs

Whether they are represent or just sitting on the couch , the bounteous factor in having a happy Burmese is going to be proximity to you . They develop allegiance bail cursorily and want to be wherever you are . If your lap is empty , your Burmese will happilyclimb into it to snooze , says M. Leanne Lilly , DVM , DACVB , help professor - clinical at theOhio State University Veterinary Medical Center .

Along with your lap , Lilly also says Burmese cats are more probable to favour log Z’s in warm , elevated areas . So if you play home a Burmese kitty , make certain youhave a cat treeand ahammock for her to kink up in . But do n’t anticipate this strain to spend all her time asleep .

" Data suggest Burmese coat - patterned Caterpillar are more playful , " Lilly says . " And the breed overall [ incline ] to be more likely to have prey interestingness . "

Burmese cat walking on green grass

Alinute / Adobe Stock

Cat play that mimic mice and birds will make your Burmese purr . You ’ll also frequently catch her in a gay fleck , clack out the windowat passing wildlife .

They should , under no portion , be allowed to venture outside on their own . Because Burmese cats love their people so much , they ’re virtually lose without them . If your pot tries to dart out the front door every time you open it , trytaking her out on a harnessorbuilding a catioso she can — safely — savor the outdoors .

Care

Their super curt coat and comparative want of shedding make the Burmese a breeze to prepare . Brushing and bathing should be most nonexistent , write fora little combingduring traditional shedding time of year in the spring and evenfall , but even those meter should be fairly calorie-free .

Like all CT , you need totrim her nails regularlyandkeep her bedding box clean . Keep up withregular veterinarian appointmentsto keep her in steer - top build , too .

Health

Burmese are a fairly level-headed breed , though , like with all cats , there are sure wellness status owners should be cognizant of .

Burmese are at an increase risk ofdiabetes mellitusthan most breeds , Lilly say . They can also be susceptible tofeline orofacial pain syndromeandgenetic hypokalemia , which is a experimental condition connected to a low potassium spirit level in the blood blood serum . In many cases , these conditions and several others can be assist through dieting .

" There are veterinary intellectual nourishment companies that have veterinary dietitian who word prescription medicine diet , specifically for a given disease , " say Michelle Beck , DVM , CCRT , CVA . " For diabetic cat , for example , higher protein diet solve well . For cats with chronickidney disease , we ’ve discover that give cats a diet with a highqualitybut lowpercentageof protein works well . "

gray burmese kitten lying on a white sweater

bigguns / Adobe Stock

The Burmese Breed Council has also recently start earmark outcrossing withBombayandTonkinesecats in an effort to build up up the Burmese breed ’s transmissible variety . A 2008 study found the American Burmese to be one of the least genetically diverse breed in the world , Lilly say , and in 2012 the CFA express that " breeders are reporting less hearty litter , smaller grownup , littler litters , and immune system problems , all of which point towards inbreeding Great Depression becoming more common . "

History

The Burmese as we know and love her today can line her entire descent back to a undivided computed tomography : a brownish female person named Wong Mau who was imported to San Francisco from Burma in 1930 . accord to the Burmese Cat Club , Wong Mau was bred with Tai Mau , a stamp point Siamese , then breed back to the Male of that bedding , and the Burmese strain was off and running .

The CFA agnize the breed in 1936 but , in a rare move , actually suspend the breed ’s recognition in 1946 due to extensive outcrossing with Siamese in an effort to increase the stock ’s Book of Numbers . After breeders were able to report three sequential generation of vestal Burmese litters , the stock ’s acknowledgement was restored in 1954 .

Meanwhile , the European Burmese was being developed throughout the forties , mostly through hybridise Tonkinese , Siamese , and a few American Burmese who had been imported . By 1952 , the breed had been sufficiently established to advance recognition from the United Kingdom ’s Governing Council of the Cat Fancy , and today most European and Commonwealth country raise Burmese to the British standard .

Fun Facts

History of Burmese . Burmese Cat Club .