How to Understand the Burmese Breed of Cat

Origin

The Burmese as you might guess originated in Burma. This elegant cat breed is known for is silky shining fur and its golden eyes. The Burmese arrived in the United States in 1930 in San Francisco, California by Dr. Joseph C. Thompson. The cat he owned was named Wong Mai. Dr. Thompson mated Wong Mai with a cat as similar to her as he could find, the Seal Point Siamese. She gave birth to a litter of kittens that were Siamese in color, intermediate colored, and solid brown like herself. In 1936, the breed was recognized in the United States.

Height and Weight

The Burmese is a small to medium size bred that has a muscular frame. They are a bit heavier than they look. This breed is not long and slender like the Siamese, but is more heavily boned.

Colors and Coat

The Burmese coat is short, fine, silky, and close to the body. The coat colors recognized include original brown (rich brown mahogany color), chocolate (light cream chocolate-colored), blue (steel grey), lilac (light dove-grey), red (mandarin-colored) and cream (very light warm red). Four tortieshell colors are also recognized including Seal tortieshell (brown with red), chocolate tortieshell (chocolate with red), blue tortieshell (blue with cream) and finally, lilac tortieshell (lilac with cream).

Temperament and Living Environment

The Burmese is wonderful pet that does well in a large family as well as a small family. They are playful, intelligent and love humans. This breed of cat does well with other pets in the home as well. They do love people and will follow them from room to room just to be nearby. They do great with children as long as the children are not
Rough. The Burmese is a loyal cat, desires attention, and will help with any tasks you may have to do.

The Burmese has a very trusting nature even though they are loyal to their family they have not met a stranger.

Grooming

The Burmese’s coat is easy to care and does not necessary need any brushing at all. On the other hand, the Burmese will love the attention so a good brushing is always welcomed.

Diet and Care

This breed of cat is very active and will need to be provided with a well balanced diet. In most cases, the adult Burmese will require 80 Kcals per kg body weight per day. This breed is not known for overeating, so leaving food down is fine.

Health issues and Life expectancy

The Burmese breed is prone to developing Cherry Eye. Cherry Eye is the presence of red tissue seen in the inside corner of the eye. This healthy breed will only need the regular vaccinations. No other health problems besides Cherry Eye are problems for the Burmese. Life expectancy for the Burmese is 15 years.