HISTORY

The Burmese is an elegant but muscular, short-haired cat with yellow eyes and a fine glossy coat. The breed was first introduced to England from the USA in 1949 by a Mrs. Lilian France of Derby when she imported three brown Burmese, two females and a male. In 1955 a blue appeared in a father to daughter mating, and was aptly named Sealcoat Blue Surprise.

Browns and blues were the only Burmese colours in Britain until 1969 when chocolate Burmese were imported from the USA. Subsequent matings where blue and chocolate were on both sides produced lilacs, the first one to appear in England was in 1971. Between the years of 1965-1975, English breeders introduced the red sex-linked gene to their breeding programmes, producing reds and creams and then brown, blue, chocolate and lilac torties.

The torties were the last to obtain championship status, this being granted in 1977. Since then Burmese have championship status in all ten colours in England. However, rather ironically, in the USA some States still only recognise the brown, or sable as they call it. Anything else is called a Malayan.

TEMPERAMENT

The Burmese is an intelligent inquisitive cat with an outgoing loving nature and makes an ideal family pet. They are particularly good with children and their sense of fun makes them the perfect small person’s companion.

Having worked in a school for many years, I found they made the ideal companion for children going through the difficult stages of growing up. It is amazing how a purring loving bit of warm Burmese fur can make all the difference when the world is against you and your parents don’t understand you!

At the same time, they make marvellous companions for elderly people. I am sure that some of the Burmese that we have placed with the older generation have been the main reason for keeping them going. A warm loving intelligent friend that needs to be looked after, is far more therapeutic than a visit from the home help! One elderly friend of ours in her nineties made a miraculous recovery in hospital from a broken hip, in order to get back to her Burmese that we were minding for her!

Many people who have previously been dog owners and who now live in towns and flats, find the Burmese an excellent alternative in modern day living. I remember reading an American book years ago where they quoted the Burmese as being a cat that thought it was a dog. An apt description. Many of them will retrieve (for hours on end given the chance!), they will greet you at the door when you come home, they comfort you when you are ill or unhappy and they give love unconditionally. Plus, and a very big plus, they don’t have to be taken for walks. Once you have owned one you realise that they are totally addictive and wonder how you had ever dreamed of living without one.

However, it is not recommended that they are a single cat if you go out to work. The very nature of their makeup does mean that they need company. The ideal when buying a kitten is to buy two from the same litter. That way the stress of moving is halved and the fun doubled!

It is not a good idea to give Burmese access to the outside world especially if you are out at work. Apart from the danger from roads, (and unfortunately they do not seem to have a lot of road sense), they are so friendly they could move in with another family in their search for companionship. Either way it is too risky and you may lose your cat.

On the other hand, if they are left in the home on their own without some stimulation, they will sleep until you get back and then want to play all night. Alternatively they will find something to occupy their time. Unfortunately more often than not what they consider therapeutic we consider destructive! This principle applies to all cats, but with the more intelligent breeds such as Burmese, it is particularly important that they have company. A happy cat is a marvellous addition to the home; an unhappy one can disrupt a household!

There are many advantages of having Burmese. They have a short fine coat that doesn’t need maintenance, only a little hand grooming. People who are allergic to cats often find they can cope with Burmese whereas they have violent reactions to other hairier breeds. Their coats don’t shed as much as many cats and so the furniture stays cleaner.

Burmese are a very popular breed of cat, which in itself is a great recommendation. If you decide to have a kitten (or two!) do bear in mind that they have strong personalities and do like to be “Top Dog”! Incidentally, they get on well with dogs, providing the dog understands that it is the second class citizen! Everything is accepted and has a place (including us) providing it is below the Burmese! I love them for it.

Burmese kittens are great fun, but they don’t just sit around and look pretty. They are “doers” and they “do” at ninety miles an hour! Two kittens playing can be quite exhausting to watch, but far more fun than T.V. We recommend blue-tack as part of the new kitten pack as it saves breakages and it is also great fun watching people trying to pick up an ornament to admire, and find it stuck to the table. It needs to be if you are going to keep your sanity!

The principle to work on is take the same precautions as you would with small children, just remember you have two levels to watch, so cookers, etc. need to be guarded. Burmese are incredibly agile and take great pride in demonstrating it. They are also incredibly trusting and affectionate, so nothing is more rewarding than purring exhausted little bundles plonking themselves in your lap for a well earned sleep after having caused mayhem and having everyone in stitches. Definitely better than television!

Sleeping accommodation is easy - if not a lap, a bed - your bed! If you want any other arrangement you will have to work at it. We have tried to bribe them with cats cradles and leaving the radiators on all night, but it hasn’t worked.

On a rather personal note, they are great excavators, especially in the litter tray. They dig for Australia, so it is highly recommended you get a covered litter tray, preferably a deep one.

Food is also easy - anything! They are a not a fussy breed, though they usually prefer what is on your plate rather than theirs. However, do follow the diet as advised by the breeder. There will be less digging in the litter tray if you stick to what they are used to.

There are two Organisations that cater for showing Burmese in England, and in both all ten colours have full recognition. They are The Governing Council of the Cat Fancy (GCCF) and Felis Brittanica.

It is not difficult to prepare a Burmese for a show as the coat usually needs very little preparation. However, if your cat is a free roamer and loves dust baths, it might be wise to bath him/her before the show, but do practice beforehand. Some coats take a day or two to settle after a bath, whilst others suit being done the night before.

I have found that with the boys a bran bath can be beneficial, especially if they have a touch of stud tail. Do make sure you brush it all out though, otherwise it looks as though they have a bad case of dandruff. Also I wouldn’t recommend it for a lilac, it tends to make their coats look dull.

With the average house Burmese, it usually only takes a good session of hand grooming to get out the loose hairs. Do watch how much you do it though, as you can build up static electricity and the coat separates, which is counter-productive. A fine-toothed comb, such as a flea comb, is effective in removing any loose hairs and doesn’t cause static. I wouldn’t recommend a rubber brush unless used very gently. I once made a chocolate girl almost bald along her back the day before a show with one. It took months to get her coat back into show condition!

The only other things that need doing before a show are the standard ones, i.e. ears, eyes and other orifices clean, nails trimmed and check for fleas or other unwanted visitors and treat if necessary. One useful tip given to me by another breeder is sieve the cat litter that you are taking to the show. So many Burmese love to roll in their litter tray and their coats get dusty. This is particularly noticeable on brown Burmese where it dulls the natural shine.

Because it is such a popular breed, most cat books have a good coverage on Burmese under the Breeds Section. However, there is a book produced by the Burmese Cat Club called “The Burmese Cat”, edited by Robine Pocock, that deals specifically with all aspects of the Burmese and makes fascinating reading.

This can be obtained (as can other helpful literature) from Mrs. Florence White, Pencnwc Farm, St. Davids, Haverfordwest, Penbrokeshire, SA62 6RS, Tel: 01437-720523. The cost is £10 plus post & packing and is well worth the money, especially as the proceeds go to The Burmese Benevolent Fund. The cover features our late brown stud “Grand Champion Typha Dark Enigma” so the book has a special meaning for me.

The above was adapted and up-dated from the original “The Burmese Cat” published by Batsford, which is now out of print. However, some local libraries do have copies, so if you are interested it is worth enquiring.