Burmese Cat Breed Profile

The Burmese cat is named after it's country of origin Burma (now known as Myanmar). There are several theories as to how the first Burmese came into Dr Thompson's possession, the most common one being: 

In 1930 Dr Joseph Thompson imported a small  brown coloured female cat by the name of Wong Mau to San Francisco. Wong Mau went on to be the "founding cat" for the Burmese breed as we know it.  

A breeding programme was established in an attempt to produce offspring which bred true. Dr Thompson enlisted the help of Virginia Cobb (Newton cattery), Billie Gerst (Gerstdale cattery), and Dr. Clyde E. Keeler. Wong Mau was bred to a Seal Point Siamese called Tai Mau in 1932 & the resulting litter consisted of two colours, some just like Siamese kittens & brown kittens with darker points (like Wong Mau). Wong Mau was mated to a son from this litter (Yen Yen Mau) & this litter contained three colours, again, some like Siamese kittens, brown kittens (again like Wong Mau), and dark brown kittens. The dark brown offspring did indeed breed true & became the foundation cats of the Burmese breed. Wong Mau continued to produce kittens with three colour variations & it is now accepted that Wong Mau was in fact a Siamese x Burmese hybrid. 

Appearance of the Burmese Cat: 

Sometimes described as "a brick wrapped in silk",  the Burmese is a medium sized cat, with a  well muscled, athletic body. It has a very silky & short close lying coat & golden-yellow eyes. Females are smaller than males. 

Burmese  Cat Temperament:

Burmese cats are laid back, social, intelligent & extremely sweet natured cats. They tend to be less vocal than Siamese cats. They enjoy company & don't like to be alone for extended periods of time. Burmese are playful cats, especially when they are younger but love nothing more than sleeping on their human companion's lap. 

Burmese colours: 

Brown	Chocolate

Lilac	Blue

Red	Cream

Blue Tortie	Brown Tortie (sitting) Chocolate Tortie (lying)

Lilac Tortie

Special Requirements: 

Burmese cats are low maintenance. A weekly groom will help remove loose hairs but this can also be achieved by regular stroking & petting. 

Suitable for: 

Burmese are very friendly & people oriented pets. They thrive on the company of others. They make an ideal family pet. If you are away from the home for long periods of time it is recommended you get two Burmese to keep each other company.  

Special thanks to: 

Pam, Erin, Char, Patricia, Tracey of Sarboobie Burmese & Vicki for sharing their beautiful Burmese cat photos on this page.