The Asian is a medium-sized cat built on rather long, lean lines. Males are more solid and muscular, while females can be described as dainty. They have a moderate wedge-shaped head with medium sized ears and large eyes. Their coat is short and fine and lies close to the skin, and especially when in solid colours, looks almost as though the cat has been painted in watercolours, giving them an unusual and beautiful appearance. They can also come in tabby and patterned with white.
The Asian cat breed may be prone to:
- Hypokalaemia which is a condition where the levels of potassium in the blood are low which leads to weakness.
- Polycystic kidney disease which is an inherited condition where cysts form in the kidneys. This affects kidney function and can eventually lead to kidney failure. However, it is worth noting that the risk of developing this disease in this breed is lower than in other cat breeds that are prone to the problem.
- Burmese head defect which is a condition where the face and skull do not form correctly.
Testing available:
- DNA testing for hypokalaemia, polycystic kidney disease and Burmese head defect which tests whether a cat has the potential to be affected by these conditions.
Outgoing, friendly and lively, the Asian is very much a ‘people’ cat, although they will get along well with other cats and household pets if raised with them. They are entertaining to play with, talkative but not too loud and will chat with owners if spoken to directly. In a calm or relaxed environment, they are an easy-going cat to live with, but can pick up on stress easily and particularly in multi-cat households, this can cause behaviour problems such as fighting, marking and inappropriate toileting.
Country of Origin: UK
The Asian is the result of an accidental mating between a Lilac coloured Burmese queen, and a Chinchilla Persian male in the UK, in the early 1980’s. The resulting kittens were so attractive that it was decided to develop this crossing into a new breed in its own right. Effectively the Asian is in body type, a Burmese, but the coat would come in a variety of colours and both a short hair (Asian) and a semi-long hair (Tiffanie). All varieties of Asian received GCCF Championship status by 2003.
