Elegant, intelligent and confident Burmese

Jane Brooks
Living with a Burmese can be interesting. However, if you want a quiet, undemanding lap cat then Burmese is not for you. Burmese likes to think she is helping you with the household chores as she jumps in the bags as you put your shopping away or gets tangled in the sheets as you try to change the bed. All this is done in good natured fun.
 
Burmese loves her human family and can be possessive of her care givers or pet parents and territory. She likes to be as close as possible to enjoy cuddles and with her soft, muscular body you can feel like cuddling a purring hot water bottle.
 
Playful fellow
Burmese is a medium sized cat breed, but she feels much heavier than her look, giving her a solid feel. She is intelligent and very playful making her difficult to ignore if she wants to play a game of fetch or sits on the newspaper that you are trying to read.
 
A helping paw
Whatever you do your Burmese likes to think she is helping you, whether it is in the household chores as she jumps in the bags as you put your shopping away. She often gets tangled in the sheets as you try to change the bed. Don’t worry, all this is done in good natured fun.
 
Distinct features
Burmese is an elegant cat. She has a strong chest and her head which is in proportion to her body should have a distinct nose break ending in a straight nose. The eyes are large and lustrous and are in chartreuse yellow colour. Her coat is short and fine, characterised by glossiness. A brown Burmese has a coat that shines like a glossy conker.
 
In history
Burmese breeds are descended from copper colour cats from South East Asia dating back to the 16th Century. The mother of the breed is considered to be Wong Mau who was taken back to America from Burma in 1930. The original kittens were brown and then blue appeared. These were followed by the dilute colours of chocolate and lilac. The introduction of red and cream colours among Burmese breeds resulted in the Tortoiseshell Cats or Torties. There are now 10 recognised colours of the Burmese.
 
Confident breed
Burmese is a confident cat and eager to make friends. Her curiosity and need to explore sometimes can lead her into trouble as she finds herself shut in cupboard or opening door that she should not. Some of them are very adept at opening doors by pulling down the door handles and have been known to pull open cupboards and fridges. Burmese quickly learns where her treats are kept.
 
Loyal & loving
Burmese is loyal and loving cat, and she makes the ideal family pet. She gets on well with other cats and animals if introduced to her as a kitten, but an older Burmese may take some time to accept another feline companion, particularly the females but there are exceptions to every rule.You will quickly find that your Burmese is ruling the household and you are adapting to her needs.
She will talk to you in her distinctive, gravely voices but is not as vocal as a Siamese. She has unique characters, different to any other cats.
(Jane Brooks is based in England; she has been breeding Singapuras for more than 20 years and smitten by this small breed with full of character.)