Burmese Cat - Breed Information

The Burmese cat breed is closely related to the Siamese and became a foundation cat for several new breeds, like Bombay, Tonkinese and Burmilla.

Burmese cats are affectionate, cuddly and intelligent. They love people and will follow their owners everywhere.

Burmese can develop almost a dog-like relationship with a human they love.

Burmese Cat – Personality

The Burmese are intelligent, social and highly affectionate cats. They love human contact, are very cuddly and mellow. They can develop strong bonds with people and get strongly attached to them, almost like dogs.

Burmese cats can be a bit clingy and they demand a lot of love and attention from their humans too. If you are a professional, who spends most of the time at work, you would need to get a second cat for Burmese to keep them company. Burmese cats if devoid of the company will get depressed and will suffer mentally.

The Burmese cat will be perfect for someone who wants to get a lot of love and attention from a cat and doesn’t mind giving it back to the cat.

Burmese cats like to express themselves vocally and can be pretty loud (inheritance after Siamese).

Burmese Cat – Physical Attributes

Burmese cats have a muscular, compact and athletic body with a medium, wedge-shaped head with a fairly short nose and medium-sized ears set well apart and slightly rounded at the tips.

Although they can be smaller than other cats, they tend to be heavier because of their muscularity. The legs are long and slim. The medium-length tail is straight, tapering only very close to the rounded tip.

The coat is short and silky with a satin finish. Because of their muscles and silky coat, they are sometimes referred to as ‘bricks wrapped in silk’.

Size: small to medium

Body shape: muscular and rounded

Head shape: medium, wedge-shaped

Wight: 3.5 – 5.5kg (8 – 12 lb)

Coat: glossy, short and with a satin finish

Lifespan: 14+ years

Colors: brown, blue, chocolate, lilac, red and cream, tortie colors are the same except for red and cream

Eyes: lower leads rounder than upper leads, giving a slanted appearance, any shade of yellow to gold

Burmese Cat – Origin

Burmese cat breed originated in Burma (now Myanmar) in the 15th century. The modern breed was founded by a female cat called Wong Mau, a cat imported into the USA from Burma in 1930, which was crossed with a Siamese tom.

Burmese Cat – Grooming

The Burmese are low maintenance. As usual with shorthair cats, they are easy to groom. Their hair is very fine, need a brush only once a week.

Burmese Cat – Health

The Burmese usually live a long life. They are generally healthy, but can have a few dental concerns. They inherited gingivitis (gum disease) from the Siamese.