Meet The Burmese Cat

The Burmese - which means fortunate, beautiful, and of splendid appearance in Thai - is a domesticate cat that can be found in Europe and America. There are two subgroups of these stocky felines: the American Burmese, which is distinguished by a stockier form and rounder body and head, and the British which has the triangular features of the Oriental felines. Originally a sable brown color, breeding over the centuries has introduced a wide variety of fur colors. These cats love human companionship, are sociable creatures, vocal, and very intelligent.

Even though Burmese cats are pedigreed and purebred, they are long lived. Their average lifespan is sixteen to eighteen years. They have short hair that is glossy and requires little grooming and their eye color ranges from gold to yellow or sometime blue and green thanks to interbreeding with Siamese cats. They are 'talkers' with softer and gentler voices that their Siamese cousins. They are good fighters against other cats if the situation warrants it, but for the most part, they are not an aggressive breed. Kittens are playful and have boundless energy, a trait that lasts well into adulthood.

Burmese cats are known to have been in Thailand when it was still known as Siam. They were part of a cat triad mentioned by Ayudha in a poem: Siamese, Korat, and Copper - the breed that became the Burmese. These were temple cats and it is believed that some of these cats were taken from the country when the invading Burmese left the country. In 1871, the first Burmese was presented at a cat show, although for the longest time they were simply considered chocolate Siamese instead of their own separate breed.

Through interbreeding with Siamese and other Burmese cats, the breed was finally purified. In 1936, the Cat Fancier's Association recognized them as a breed of their own. While debate continued to rage over the breed and bans were placed and lifted, the United Burmese Cat Fanciers came up with a standard to judge ideal Burmese for registry and breeding. It is interesting to note here that the original Burmese that was brought to the United States and that was the progenitor of the line was a hybrid cat herself between a Siamese and Burmese. This hybrid breed eventually became know as the Tonkinese.

Since 1945, the color issue with Burmese cats has been debated over and over. Four standard colors are recognized by the cat associations in order for cats to complete in competition and be considered purebred. Their fur should be free of striping and solid, although some Burmese that are accepted have tortoiseshell markings. The Malayan, Tonkinese, Bombay, and Burmilla are some of the breeds that have developed over the years thanks to the variations of the Burmese cat.