Description

The Burmese has a rounded head, topped with pretty little ears (also rounded). The eyes are large and set far apart. The Burmese has a compact but muscular body, with well-proportioned legs, round paws, and a straight tail that is neither too long nor too short.

Look

The Burmese cat has a sleek, glossy coat with a silky texture. The coat colour is solid, with a fade to a slightly lighter shade on the cat’s underside. Some also have faint colour-point markings. Typical coat colours are sable (dark brown), champagne (beige), blue, and platinum. All of these coat colours have a warm tone, often with a fawn undertone. The Burmese typically has green or golden eyes; eye colour depends on coat colour (some breed organisations consider green eyes to be a fault).

Health

The Burmese is a quite a healthy cat, but they are prone to a few healthy problems.

• Gingivitis

• Sensitivity to anaesthesia

• Diabetes mellitus

• Flat-chested kitten syndrome

• Kinked tail

• Elbow osteoarthritis

• Endocardial fibroelastosis

• Dilated cardiomyopathy

• Congenital peripheral vestibular disease

• Oro-facial pain syndrome

• Burmese head defect

• Hypokalemic polymyopathy

• Corneal dermoid

• Lipemia of aqueous humour (eye appears milky)

At KittenGuru.com, we recommend that you buy your kitten from reputable breeders, who use genetic testing and good breeding practices to remove genetic conditions from their breeding lines. KittenGuru.com’s Health Guarantee certifies that all promoted kittens are in good health.

Temperament

Playful and perky, the Burmese is a clever, puppy-like cat who loves to be at its owner’s side, whether just for a cuddle or to play an enthusiastic game of fetch or tag. Like the Siamese, the Burmese is very chatty, and has no concept of privacy: he or she will be in your lap, on your keyboard, and if possible, on the table eating your dinner! Should be ignore your Burmese, they will scold you with their indignant meows.

Living with

If a chatty, personable cat sounds like your ideal companion, a Burmese could be your ideal pet. They make great family pets, as they get on well with children and other pets. They hate to be left alone, but are as content with an animal companion (such as another cat or a dog) as they are with a human companion. Do not let your Burmese go outside without supervision (ideally on a leash), as their curiosity and fearlessness often gets them into trouble.