The name Burmese in the language of Thai means fortunate, beautiful and splendid appearance.  It is a breed of cat split into two subgroups:  The American Burmese and the British Burmese.  Most cat registries do not recognize a split between the two groups.
The first Burmese cats were exclusively brown (sable).  Years of selective breeding produced a wide variety of colors.  Different breed standard associations have different rules about which of these are acceptable Burmese colors.

The earliest records of the Burmese cats come from Thailand.  The Burmese cats are thought to have remained in Thailand until it was invaded by the Burmese in the 18th century.  At which time, returning soldiers may have taken the temple cats with them back to Burma.

The following appearance description is given as tips for you to decide if this breed of cat is right for you, your family and lifestyle.

Appearance Description

• Small to medium-size cat
• Large, round gold eyes
• Round head
• Compact rounded body
• Facial expression is sweet and innocent
• This is a strong, muscular cat with a broad chest
• Body feels hard like that of an athlete
• Coat is shiny, close-lying that feels like satin
• The coat comes in four colors according to the CFA standards that are champagne, blue, sable and platinum with sable being the most commonly seen.  Sable is a deep chocolate brown color.
• They compete in CFA cat shows in two official divisions that are the Sable Division and the Dilute Division.  The Dilute Division includes the colors of champagne, blue and platinum
The following personality description is given as tips for you to decide if this breed of cat is right for you, your family and lifestyle.
Personality Description
• Love being with people, playing with them and keeping them entertained
• Crave close physical contact
• Lap cats, and will follow their humans from room to room
• Intelligent
• Strong personality that may show considerable stubbornness
• Once they fully understand the house rules, they will become well behaved members of the family
• Scratching posts are very necessary for this breed of cat
• Males generally do not show a preference for any one member of the family
• Females often form a strong bond with a specific person
• Males may act as best buddy
• Females tend to have a take-charge personality
• They love to be handled
• They like being carried around
• A Burmese cat can easily jump from the floor to someone’s shoulder

Grooming Tips

• Low-maintenance cats that do not require combing or bathing or any unusual handling
• Use of a rubber brush occasionally helps to remove dead hairs, recommended in late spring when all cats shed their winter coats

Follow the link in the resource box of this article to find pictures and more information about many different breeds of cats.

Written by:  Connie Limon.  Visit “Adopting Kittens” at http://smalldogs2.com/AdoptingKittens to find a complete online reference for choosing and caring for the perfect kitten, which matches you and your lifestyle.  Learn about litter box training at http://smalldogs2.com/LitterBoxTraining

This article is FREE to publish with the resource box.

Copyright © 2008 All Rights Reserved Connie Limon