Burmese cats originate from Burma, Thailand and Malaya and the Burmese cat of today was developed from a single Burmese cat named Wong Mau that was brought from the Orient by a sailor and given to Dr Joseph Thompson of San Francisco in 1930.
As the only Burmese cat in the USA at that time a scientifically considered breeding program was put in place and Wong Mau was bred to Siamese cats, the closest breed in appearance to the Burmese cat at that time, in order to develop a breed with Wong Mau's characteristics with the aim of isolating the genetic makeup of Wong Mau. The first litter produced both Siamese kittens and brown kittens similar to Wong Mau. Wong Mau was then bred with her son, Yen Yen, and this mating produced a third variation much darker brown in colour - the Burmese cats of today. The results of the breeding program to develop the Burmese Cat were published in April 1943 in the Journal of Heredity in an article entitled "Genetics of the Burmese Cat".
The Burmese cat was imported into the UK in 1949 by Mrs Lilian France and from these Burmese cats the breed quickly gained popularity in the UK with further Burmese cats imported from the USA later.
The Burmese cat does exist naturally on the Malay Peninsula, though they are quite rare and in the 1960s and 1970s, other native Burmese cats were imported to the USA. However, most pet Burmese cats can be traced back to Wong Mau.
Burmese cats have a rounded head with large, expressive eyes set well apart and short muzzle. The body of the Burmese cat is muscular and compact and the coat is short, fine and glossy. The coat of the Burmese cat can be Sable Brown (known as Sable), Red, Cream, Blue, Lilac (also known as Platinum), Chocolate (also known as Champagne), Brown Tortie, Blue Tortie, Chocolate Tortie, and Lilac Tortie.
The Burmese cat is a medium sized cat with substantial bone structure giving it a surprising weight for its size.
The Burmese cat is quite lively, clumsy and playful as a kitten, remaining playful well into adulthood. As Burmese cats mature their intelligence grows and they are a charming cat. Burmese cats enjoy human company, are highly affectionate, good with children and many will tolerate a family dog if introduced at an early age. They are almost dog-like in their character, craving human company, capable of learning to retrieve and enjoying being petted. Burmese cats love to be the centre of attention, are energetic and playful but can also be mischievous and stubborn.
The Burmese cat is trusting and this makes the "outside" world a dangerous place and so they are best kept indoors.
The lifespan of the Burmese cat is 15-20 years.
Burmese cats are healthy and strong and do not require any special attention. The short coat requires only light grooming.
Although most Burmese cats are healthy, hereditary diseases that are known to appear in the breed are corneal dermoids (patch of skin and hair attached to the cornea that can be fixed surgically).