The Burmese cat is a breed of domestic cat, originating in Burma, believed to have its roots near the Thai-Burma border and developed in the United States and Britain.
Most modern Burmese are descendants of one female cat calledWong Mau, which was brought from Burma to America in 1930 and bred with American Siamese, according to Wikipedia.
I never really thought much about a purebred cat until I ended up visiting a friend who had a pregnant Burmese female. This cat really intrigued me, she had personality and character and was so friendly. In due course her kittens were born, I went and looked at them and you guessed it … Widget came home with me. A gorgeous seal Burmese.
She was a hunter, I will admit, and I was forever checking under my bed as that is usually where she liked to store her trophies. She was well-suited to farm life.
When she took home underneath the olive tree, I knew I had to get another Burmese and there were just no kittens to be found. I decided upon Ruby, a tiny blue Burmese, 2 years old that had been spayed. She was the total opposite to my last Burmese in looks, but in personality she had the same traits, except her agility had a lot to be desired, she had a habit of sliding crystal glasses on to the tiled floor and would prefer to paint her nails rather than catch the odd rogue mouse.
Burmese cats are wonderful hunters ... even of shoes! Photo / Russell Smith
They are an extremely people-orientated breed: If you don’t want them on your lap when they see the chance or trying to slide next to you in bed, they won’t be for you. They crave close contact. They do need attention from humans to be happy.
Loyal to their owners, they are sometimes known as the “dog cat” as many are happy to play retrieve. They are very intelligent and can work out problems such as opening doors and are often successful escape artists!
Children: This breed is good with children and tolerates cat-friendly dogs.
Personality: The Burmese are frisky and mischievous well into adulthood. They love heights and tend to love exploring cars if doors happen to be left open.
Looks: They have a short, satin-like coat and compact body, large, expressive eyes that are one of the breed’s endearing traits. They really don’t need any grooming but will enjoy the patting if you wish to do so! They are stocky and round all over.
Over the years, breeding programmes have developed a range of coat colours.
