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Burmese cats are short haired cats, with sleek glossy close lying coats. The Standard of the Burmese breed requires that the Burmese cat is a medium size cat with a muscular frame – always being heavier that it looks.
Eye colour should be yellow of any colour, the deeper the better, with those eyes wide apart and with good width between the ears.
The Burmese coat should be clear and not show any barring (or stripes). It is more difficult to breed clear coated Red and cream Burmese, but it can be done.
A firm chin is required, with wide cheekbones which taper to a blunt wedge. The medium length nose should have a distinct break in the profile. Burmese are a very intelligent, inquisitive and playful breed, and as part of your family, expect to interact with you. They are not cats to just sit and do nothing or be ignored.
If you are at work all day, you would be wise to consider purchasing two, so that they are company for each other while you are not there. Look out when you come home, you will be given a superb “show- off” performance so that you will truly know how you’ve been missed all day.
Burmese cats were first developed in the USA in 1930 when a cat of oriental type, named Wong Mau was imported from Burma. Because there were no similar cats to breed with her, she was mated to a Siamese, thus beginning the long and difficult programme to establish the breed in USA.
The first brown Burmese were imported into the UK in 1948. Blue was the first colour other than brown to appear there.
Burmese cats were brought to Australia in August, 1957, when a cat called Tomahawk was imported from the UK, by a syndicate which included Mr Geof Allen of Amherst cattery, thus commencing the long love affair that Australians have with their Burmese..
The colours available in Burmese cats are are:
- brown dark brown (think dark chocolate)
- blue silver overtones to a blue coat(dark greyish blue with silver overtones)
- lilac pale grey with a pink cast to the coat (a warm dove grey with pink overtones)
- chocolate (milk coffee)
- red ginger in other words(needs no explanation)
- cream (a limewashed red)
- Brown tortoiseshell (a mingling of: brown, cream and red)
- chocolate tortoiseshell chocolate, cream and red
- blue tortoiseshell blue and cream
- lilac tortoiseshell lilac and cream
- (The bracketted descriptions are mine only and I would ask you to please forgive the references to food!)
As you can see from the above, the “torties” have the “O” gene (orange gene). Mischief makers Inc. - everything is 110% with them.
This “O” gene is also responsible for the Reds and Creams – who are also the “wild children” of the Burmese breed.
Burmese torties are quite often called “naughty torties”, because they go the extra distance, be it being a good mother – no, they have to be the best mother, totally focussed on caring for their babies, and being very vigilant for anything which may appear to threaten their babies. They have to have the absolutely cleanest babies (which probably drives the kittens to distraction!!)
You can bet if someone is going to get up to mischief first – it will be an “O” gene Burmese cat.
Ailments in Burmese Cats
Cats are like people – we are all not perfect specimens (though we wish we could be). Some of us develop diabetes or renal disease, some of us, young and old alike develop heart murmurs, and other heart related problems.
Heart murmurs can be very mild and not be any problem in cats, as in humans. Some cases are more severe.
The best any ethical breeder can do is to desex any breeding animals which display signs of these ailments which will ensure that their breeding cats are of the most healthy and hardy stock, thus ensuring healthy kittens.
We do not give any genetic guarantees, nor do we guarantee any of our cats will win at a cat show.
All our breeding queens and the stud cats we use have been ultrasounded by a feline specialist for cardiomyopathy. We are very pleased to report that they all have been found to be clear of cardiomyopathy.
Cardiomyopathy is believed to be a recessive gene in Burmese cats, but as yet, this is not confirmed (source: Dr D Foster, SASH at North Ryde NSW) As such, we have no way of knowing if any ancestor of our breeding girls had this gene.
We are aware that Hypokalemia ( a lack of potassium) is known to the burmese breed, as well as about four other breeds, however, there are now genetic tests available in both the USA and UK. We are still in the process of testing our breeding cats for this gene, however, we can report that the results of the first two tests, for Georgia Rose (Georgie) and Madonna are clear.
You will not be sold a kitten by us which is hypokalemia affected.
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