| About Burmese |
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Burmese cats lived for centuries in Burma, Thailand and Malaya. In late 1800s they were known in England as Chocolate Siamese, but because they were not favoured they gradually died out in England and Europe. The ancestry of Burmese cats can be traced back to one cat named Wong Mau, who was a brown female from Burma and arrived to San Francisco in the early 1930's to Dr. Joseph Thompson. Through selective breeding to Siamese, the Burmese was established as a distinct breed. Lighter coloured kittens were occasionally produced and eventually the American breeders requested cognition from CFA for these "dilute" colours; first, as another breed named Malayan, then later as a dilute division of Burmese. The Burmese look The Burmese is a strong, athletic and elegant short haired cat that carry surprising weight for its size and has often been described as"brick wrapped in silk." It has a fine, close, even, and glossy coat . Their coats are very short, satin-like in texture, and generally require little grooming other than daily petting. When fully mature males are larger than the females and the difference in weight between them may be up to a kilo. The Burmese is a compact cat with a round head and wide-set eyes which are yellow or golden and a tail that is tapered. The Burmese is an elegant yet not so fragile cat. It is medium sized, has good bone structure and muscular development and very expressive eyes. Temperament The Burmese is very friendly, inquisitive cat with an outgoing, loving nature - this is why they are one of the most popular breeds in Australia. It has been said that the Burmese are more like dogs than cats in their behavior. When encouraged from kitten hood, they will fetch. They will greet you at the door when you come home and comfort you when you are ill or unhappy - they give unconditional love. The Burmese is an upfront cat, not left out of where it is all happening. Into everything, they are alert, curious, intelligent, interfering and gregarious: you cannot ignore them! When you do your daily chores in the house, the Burmese will assume that your shoulder is the best place from where tasks can be assisted. The Burmese likes to explore the environment. Anything that is mechanical and moves makes a good game for the Burmese. They understand door handles very quickly, and the owners often have to fit door levers upside down. Height is not deterrent. Very muscular, the Burmese loves to jump on the tops of doors and surprise unwary visitors. Nevertheless, Burmese do settle down as they grow out of adolescence and they can be trained by saying NO! kindly and firmly, but you need to start early and may need to persist, because the Burmese are very strong-minded and they effortlessly rule their families. Also, the social nature of the Burmese does mean that they need company - human and feline. Toys cannot replace this company. Therefore it is important that, when the owner is at work, to buy two kittens, ideally from the same litter. That way the stress of moving is halved and the cats' temperament is much more relaxed and loving on long run. A happy Burmese is a blessing to the home; an unhappy one can disrupt the household. |
