
Burmese Cat
Glossy and athletic, the Burmese is a solid, muscular cat with a sweet expression, neat round paws and a short coat. The eyes are large and round, the face has a hint of the exotic Asian breeds, but is unexaggerated and attractive.






The Burmese cat breed is generally robust, howeve they can suffer from:
- Diabetes mellitus which is a conditions where cats develop very high sugar levels because they do not produce a normal amount of insulin.
- Burmese head defect which is a condition where the face and skull do not form correctly.
- Burmese gangliosidosis which is a storage disease that affects the nervous system, although it is worth noting there is a low prevalence of this disease in the Burmese population.
- Burmese hypokalaemia which is a condition where the levels of potassium in the blood are low which leads to weakness.
- Orofacial pain syndrome¹ which is a condition that causes sudden facial and mouth pain.
- Pectus excavatum² which is a condition where the chest is narrowed which affects the functioning of the heart and the chest.
Testing available:
- DNA testing for Burmese head defect, gangliosidosis and hypoykalaemia which tests whether or not a cat has the potential to be affected by this condition.
¹A. Nemec, 'The feline enigma: issues specific to the cat', 2017, BSAVA Congress Proceedings
²M. Singh et al, 'A Review on Pectus Excavatum in Canines: A Congenital Anomaly', 2013, Iranian Journal of Veterinary Medicine
Lifespan: | 10 - 16 years |
Weight: | 3.6 - 5.4kg |
Colours: | Burmese cats come in sable (dark brown), Champagne (beige), blue (a medium grey with light brown undertones), and platinum (a light grey with light brown undertones). |
Family-friendly: | 5/5 |
Playfulness: | 4/5 |
Intelligence: | 5/5 |
Likes Other Pets: | 4/5 |
Grooming needs: | 2/5 |
Shedding: | 2/5 |
Curious, clever and friendly, the Burmese is described as having a sweet expression in the breed standard, and has a nature to match if raised and socialised well. Very playful and engaging, the Burmese will learn to retrieve toys, and will delight in playing with their family. This curious and inquisitive nature can land them in trouble as they will explore every open doorway, be it into another room or into a car or delivery van! Personable and sociable with family and visitors, the Burmese will enjoy attention and will let you know if there isn’t sufficient attention paid to them!
Country of Origin: Burma and Thailand
Originating in Burma, the breed was first known in the UK around 1800 however the much louder and more boldly marked Siamese out-competed the Burmese for popularity, and the breed died out here. Fortunately, several were taken from Burma to the US in the 1930’s (the first being a cat called Wong Mau), and from these cats the modern Burmese breed was developed. They were re-introduced in the late 1940’s by Mrs Lilian France, who imported three cats who subsequently founded the breed in the UK.
Originally only seen in the classic brown colour, blue kittens began appearing in some litters in the 1950’s. In the 1960’s following an accidental mating by an escaped queen with a stray tom, a pretty tortoiseshell was produced and some breeders decided to attempt to introduce more colours into the breed.