Burmese Cat Behavior, Facts, History and Appearance

When many people think of an Oriental cat breed, they most likely refer to the Siamese. There are however, several different breeds in the Oriental class. While a Siamese is well known for its demanding personality and its boisterous chattering, the Burmese breed is quite the opposite even though they are directly related.

History
The history of the Burmese breed development begins with a base cat which was brought to the United States from Burma. After its arrival, the cat was then bred with a Siamese. When one of these kittens was old enough, it was then bred back to the mother, thus creating the Burmese. Unlike many other breeds, the Burmese has two distinctively unique strains. The first being the American Burmese, and the second being the European Burmese. Many believe the characteristics and personality traits are so different that they should be distinguished as two completely separate breeds.

Burmese Cat Appearance
In order to have an American Burmese as a show cat, the Cat Fancier’s Association only recognizes four colors as standard. These colors include Sable, Champagne, Blue and Platinum. Additional colors are available if your only interest is in having a loving companion.

Characteristic traits that separate the two different strains of Burmese are the American Burmese has an exceptionally round head as well a tail that displays a darker shade of color than that of its body. A more wedge shaped head, typical of most cat breeds is found in the European Burmese, but the two breeds do share the same large round eyes. The European Burmese also offers up a wider array of color selections from which to choose. Another trait both of these breed strains share in common is their immense size. An average Burmese can weigh anywhere from eight to fourteen pounds.

Not being completely satisfied with the shape of the American Burmese’s head, many continued to breed looking for that perfect round shape. This unfortunately led to some very severe deformities and anomalies, that in some cases required the cat be euthanized or it simply died of natural causes brought about by the abnormalities. Thankfully, after serious lessons learned, the breeders are now dedicated to ensuring the health of the breed.

Burmese Cat Behavior and Characteristics
Along with its unusual look, this beautiful and graceful breed is also a friendly, sociable one who loves to be part of a family environment. This breed is not skittish around the typical noise a house with children may have and is content to receive affection and socialize with everyone. If work or other obligations keep you away from home quite often, this breed is not the best choice for you. However, if your heart is set on owning one, you may want to consider purchasing a second one, so they can keep each other company.

Grooming
With the Burmese breed having a short, fine coat, grooming, while still an essential part of their care should only require a once a week regiment. Tools that work best for grooming include a comb, soft cloth or grooming glove. These work best for short, fine haired coats as they are gentle and lift loose hairs while leaving the coat shiny and healthy.

If qualities such as happy, laid back, sociable and occasionally playful appeal to your sense of the perfect cat, combined with the unique look of an Oriental breed, then the Burmese would be a wonderful choice to add to anyone’s home.

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