The Burmese cat is a social, playful and affectionate breed that loves humans. It’s perfect for families with children. This elegant medium-sized breed was developed from a small brown (part-Siamese) cat brought to the US from Burma in 1930.

Selective breeding since then has resulted in 10 different colours of Burmese, from the original warm brown colour to blue, chocolate, lilac, red, cream, brown tortie, blue tortie, chocolate tortie and lilac tortie. The back of the Burmese cat is darker than the underside and its colour gradually pales towards the roots. Its coat is fine, short and glossy.

Burmese are strong cats with a muscular body, slender legs and a straight tail. Males weigh 5-7 kg while the smaller females weigh 3-4 kg. Their large eyes are a radiant golden yellow, appearing a different shade in different light conditions.

This is an intelligent cat that seems to be very clued in to our thoughts, feelings and emotions.  The Burmese cat thrives on human attention and are known to follow their owners around to get that attention. They love to play and cuddle and can cleverly work out things such as opening doors and playing fetch.

Burmese cats can easily become bored, so if the house is empty during the day, your cat will appreciate a mate to play with. This breed gets along well with other cats and is a very suitable cat for children. It’s happy to spend its life indoors. Your Burmese cat has a voice and isn’t afraid to use it. It may greet you when you get home and will tell you when it wants something from you.

A generally healthy breed that’s easy to maintain (they do their own grooming), the Burmese has a life expectancy of about 18 years.