Burmese Cat
History
The first Burmese
cat to be brought to the USA was Wong Mau, who was brought
from Burma by Dr Joseph Cressman Thompson of San Francisco
in 1930. While the authorities at first considered Wong
Mau be a brown variant of the Siamese breed, Dr Thompson
viewed her distinct build as an indication that she was
a different breed. Since there were no other cats
like her in the USA she was bred with a sealpoint Siamese
and then with one of her sons to produce dark brown kittens.
Burmese was accepted as a breed by the Cat Fanciers' Association
in 1936. Other colors began to appear but were not at first
accepted, with brown (sable) being the only recognized color
for many years. Blue, champagne and platinum are now also
recognized.
Many Burmese cats in North America today carry a recessive
gene for what is known as the 'Burmese head fault' inherited
from a prolific ancestor called Good Fortune Fortunatus.
This causes a fatal defect in the head formation of affected
kittens, who have to be euthanized. It is hoped that genetic
screening will enable this to be bred out. In the UK, the
breed was built up from cats brought home from Burma by
returning soldiers in the 1940s. The gene pool was enriched
by Burmese cats imported from Canada in the late 1960s.
Nevertheless the British variety of Burmese retains a different,
more oriental look and a greater variety of accepted colors,
including cream and several tortoiseshell shades.
Appearance
The Burmese
is a medium sized cat with a muscular, compact body. The
coat is short and sleek. The color gradually lightens from
the back to the underside. There should be no bars or spots.
No grooming is required. Eye color is gold or yellow, although
the Siamese ancestry sometimes produces blue or green eyes.
The American Burmese has a short, wide-cheeked face with
a 'pug-like' look to the muzzle. However, in the British
variety this look is seen as a sign of Siamese heritage
and is viewed very negatively. At the same time, the 'traditional'
British Burmese is not accepted in the US. Therefore the
two types of Burmese are rarely crossed these days, as breeders
in each line try to 'breed out' the characteristics of the
other.
Temperament
Burmese
are friendly cats toward humans, although they do not shrink
from a fight with other cats
if provoked and can defend themselves well against larger
cats. They enjoy being with people and will usually stay
close to people in the house. They will try to get involved
in what you are doing, for example sitting on your computer
keyboard and sleeping very close to you at night. They are
athletic and playful and will often continue to play like
kittens through their adult life. They adapt well to large,
noisy households. Like the Siamese
they are vocal, but they have softer voices that many people
prefer. A Burmese cat will often call to its owners, using
its voice to get attention.
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