Brown, stocky, smooth-haired cats very like the modern pedigreed Burmese are illustrated in a 16th century (or earlier) Thai manuscript called the Cat-Book of Poems. They are described in the manuscript as supalak (copper) cats. Early in the 1900’s a small brown cat was taken from burma to England and described as a Chocolate Siamese. However, it was not approved of in competition with the Seal Point Siamese, and nothing became of it as a breed.
The foundation of today’s Burmese line was eventually laid in the early 1930s. A small brown female of Burmese origin, but probably a hybrid similar to today’s Tonkinese, was mated with a Seal Point Siamese in San Fransisco. Some of the offspring were dark brown and formed the beginnings of the official pedigree Burmese.
The Burmese is a medium sized cat, with an elegant yet well-muscled body. They are not as large and sturdy as the British Shorthair nor as slender and dainty as the Siamese. They are surprisingly heavy for their size when lifted and this is due to their solid muscular physique. They have large and lustrous eyes and may be any shade of yellow. However the eye color of Burmese is very sensitive to variations in light quality and under certain light sources the eyes may appear quite a different color.
The Burmese cat is an extremely friendly and affectionate cat and needs attention from human beings to be happy when kept in a domestic environment. They are extremely playful and can be taught to fetch pieces of paper in much the same way as a dog with a stick. They are great with children and make wonderful family pets. They are also very sensitive to their owner’s feelings. If the owner is likely to be out all day it is often a good idea to have two Burmese, as they can become bored very quickly with no one to play with. They are very demanding and may follow you around the house crying for attention. If you stop moving they may climb up your leg begging to be picked up and cuddled. Burmese are very vocal cats and will often greet you when you return home or speak to you when they want something.
The curiosity and friendliness of the Burmese can sometimes lead them to stray into visitor’s cars or delivery vans and they can disappear. This also makes them a prime target for theft. For these reasons many Burmese are confined to the house and they really do not mind this as they love warmth and comfort and they will soon find plenty to do indoors especially if they have company. Burmese cats are extremely loyal to their owners and with their ability to retrieve are sometimes known as the ‘dog cat’. They do not like to be left out of family life and will often insist on being part of what’s going on. They are very intelligent and can work out problems such as opening doors, which makes them good escape artists.
