Burmese Cat

The Burmese is a breed of domestic cats that are split into two groups - the American Burmese and the British Burmese. Though the two appear the same, those with definite knowledge distinguish between the two varieties. The British cat breeders are often termed as the European Burmese. Burmese cats are acknowledged for being gregarious and friendly with humans, as well as intelligent. Also, they are vocal with soft and sweet meows. To know more about the history, appearance and personality of Burmese felines, read through the following lines.

History
Named after its country, Burma (today, Myanmar), the modern history of Burmese cat dates back to 1930 when a female cat named, Wong Mau, was brought to San Fransisco, USA by a naval doctor, Joseph C. Thompson from Yangon, Myanmar. Dr Thompson mated Wong Mau to a cat most similar to her type - the Seal Point Siamese in 1932. The offspring consisted of two colors - while some looked like Siamese kittens, the others were brown kittens with darker points.

Wong Mau was further, mated to a son from this litter, which again contained three colors -some like Siamese kittens, some like brown kittens and the rest, like dark brown kittens. The dark brown breed became the true foundation of the Burmese variety. It was in 1936 that the Burmese was accepted by the Cat Fanciers' Association (CFA). However, in 1947, CFA withdrew the recognition as many hybrid Burmese/Siamese cats were being sold as purebred Burmese. Nonetheless, the CFA reinstated the Burmese for recognition in 1953 and for Championship in 1957. The renewed recognition was based on a new standard that permitted only solid coat colors without markings.

Appearance
Burmese are small to medium sized cats with a muscular frame. Their paws are neat and oval shaped with slender legs and neck. The tail is medium in length, with a slight taper to a rounded tip. The most characteristic feature of the Burmese is their wonderful coats. Their coats are short, fine, sleek and glossy, lying close to the body, and satin-like in feel and texture. The Burmese cat has ten main recognised colours - six fully coloured (brown, chocolate, blue, red, lilac and cream) and four mixed coloured (Seal tortieshell, Chocolate tortieshell, Blue tortieshell and Lilac tortieshell). The life expectancy of Burmese cats is generally 16 to 18 years.

Personality
Burmese are intelligent, boisterous, lively and alert in nature. They are gregarious and love the company of adults, children and pet. They are very affectionate and are interested in everything that humans do. Much like the Siamese type, Burmese cat have softer and sweeter meows. Though CFA claims that the cat has fight and flight instincts, the others suggest that felines are rarely aggressive with humans. However, when it comes to defending themselves from other cats, Burmese are efficient. Right from kittens to the adult Burmese, these cats are extremely energetic and playful.