• Origins
• Characteristics
• Morphology
• Psychology
• Care and nutrition

Origins of the Burmese Cat

The Burmese Cat ( also called Sacred of Burma or Burmese )  comes from the ancient Buddhist temples of Burma ( now Myanmar ): here the cats were revered because they were believed to accompany the souls of the priests during the passing away.

There are no certainties as to how this breed spread in Europe: it tells of an American, Cornelius Vanderbilt , who, in the 1920s, allegedly stole a couple of specimens for reproduction, which were then brought to France. The female, the only survivor, would have given birth to a litter favoring the spread of the breed in Europe.

Characteristics of the sacred cat of Burma

The Burmese breed cat is of medium size with semi-long hair. It is a very elegant feline, with a sinuous gait almost at the tip of the “paw”, despite its well-structured musculature.

Legend has it that a monk who owned a white cat with yellow eyes lived in a temple with one hundred other cats . During an onslaught of marauders, the monk was killed while praying in front of the statue of a goddess with blue eyes and golden robes.

The cat then, impressed by the event, would climb onto the lifeless body of its master and start staring at the statue of the Goddess . And, staring at the Goddess, she would begin a process of transformation: his eyes turned sapphire blue, the hair of the gold-colored body, paws, muzzle, ears and tail earth-colored, the feet instead white.

The cat would have watched over the monk for a few days until it too died. It is said that then also all the other hundred cats would have transformed themselves, assuming the same colors of the coat and eyes of the deceased cat. 

Morphology of the Burmese cat

The Burmese Cat can be defined as medium-large in size. His DNA has Siamese genes . It is evident from the light coat, ivory / beige color, with the dark ends, legs, tail, muzzle and ears are shaded in coffee color, while the abdomen is white.

His eyes are blue , which can change from blue to dark gray. In reality the Burmese is a colourpoint cat with some variations: we have learned what the color points are for some cat breeds, so the mask, ears, gloves, tail, of a different color than the rest of the body.

The original one is the seal-point , then there are also:

• the Burmese Chocolate poin t, with warmer brown tips;
• the Burmese Blue Point with gray / blue tips;
• the Lilac Point with lilac tips;
• the Red Point with pink tips.

The hair is semi-long on the sides and on the body , very thick on the neck, of a soft and silky texture. The head is well structured, solid and rounded, with evident cheekbones and nose pointing downwards . The legs are muscular and short, with large and rounded feet. The tail is of medium length.

Psychology of the Burmese Cat

The Burmese Cat is a breed suitable for home life, it is mild and affectionate but very playful. He loves children and interacts with them . His eyes are communicative.

The Burmese Cat is nicknamed the ” gentle cat ” because if he lives with females or puppies he behaves very carefully in respecting the gallantry, like waiting to eat giving them priority. 

Care and nutrition

Despite being a furry cat, the Burmese suffers from the cold because it does not have a thick undercoat .

For the same reason, the care of its coat is very simple, the hair does not get knotted and just brushing once or twice a week .

He is very picky when it comes to feeding, sometimes inappetent . It is necessary to vary it often to satisfy it. It is therefore a breed not subject to obesity problems.