What you Need to Know about the Burmese Cat Breed

Burmese are a popular breed amongst cat lovers worldwide, and the super talented Rebecca Flint who manages the design of Hooman Magazine has two of her own. So it was only fitting that our second issue, and our first cat based cover and read the breed was the Burmese.

The story on their history goes a like this ...

In the 1930’s, a cat named Wong Mau made its way from Burma to the U.S.A with one Dr. Joseph Thompson. Wong Mau was a beautiful deep brown color and many thought she was a Siamese. Joseph decided to breed Wong Mau which was the beginning of the breed Burmese.

The breed became so popular and hybrids started to appear in the late 40’s which ultimately led to the withdrawal of Burmese as a recognised breed by the Cat Fanciers Association. It took 6 years to get recognition back and they have not looked back since.

The Burmese is a medium sized cat that feels heavier than it looks due to muscular build and heavy boning (often called a brick wrapped in silk). Being so, you need to be careful with their food consumption levels as they can have the potential to put on weight easily. 

Burmese are cats that are round all over … their head, ears, eyes, chin and feet are all rounded.

Burmese coats are fine, short, shiny and lie close to its body, while the number of accepted colours has increased over the years, the traditional deep brown is still the most popular colour but there is Blue, Chocolate, Lilac, Red, Cream and Torties.

Kittens are usually super curious and are active jumpers and climbers. However as they mature the breed can become bystanders in activities, preferring to sit by the window and watch the world go by.

Burmese cats are very comfortable with other Burmese, but they tend not get along as well with other breeds. They are super loyal to their owners and love being petted, and their demanding personality will have them crying for your attention, so spoil them rotten with pats as they will be with you a long time (18-20 years is the norm).

They are very intelligent and can work out things like how to open doors and windows which makes them the perfect escape artist, so make sure they have a pet collar with their name and number just in case.

You can teach them to do tricks and walk on a lead, and they love being inundated with new toys regularly so maybe consider a Subscription to a Box that delivers treats and toys either monthly, bi monthly or quarterly.

They are very good with children but will let them know if they become too rough. They make excellent companions and seem to understand every word that is said and are very sensitive to their owner’s feelings and moods. 

Burmese cats do not require excessive grooming as they take care of this themselves but they will enjoy the attention that comes with brushing. The shed, but only a little and nothing to be worried about. Brushing their teeth weekly will help them avoid periodontal disease and they love a clean litter box.

The only real downside to the Burmese is the possible health issues, if you have had a chance to read our NEWS article you will read some new research that found some diabetes issues in the breed. Other ailments to watch out for (and Google what they are), Lipemia of the aqueous humor, Corneal dermoid, Orofacial pain syndrome, Congenital peripheral vestibular disease, Hypokalemic polymyopathy and Endocardial fibroelastosis.

That's about it for our breed review on the Burmese Cat, hope it gave you some great insight as to what to expect if you plan on owning one. As we always mention, please also consider a rescue option when looking for a new pet, beside the usual rescue options there are ones specific to Burmese like https://www.burmeseaustralia.com.au … just enter Burmese Cat Rescue into Google and check out the options.

If you want to know more about more breeds, we have a great Article that breaks down the Staffordshire Bull Terrier.