The American Burmese cat breed appeared in the USA in the last century, the breeders crossed the Thai copper cat with Siamese relatives. By selection, amazing shorthair animals were obtained. It should be noted that the Burmese breed has several subspecies, the most famous of them are American and European.
A bit of history
Ancestors of the Burmese breed lived in Burma and Thailand. Copper cats were kept in temples and considered them reincarnated souls of deceased monks. Animals came to Europe only at the beginning of the 20th century. The ministers of the monastery of Lao Zong gave several individuals to two Europeans, so the animals came to France. It is believed that all Burmese cats are descendants of copper beauties donated by monks.
But there is another version according to which amazing animals came to Europe from the USA.
The Burmese breed was formed in America through the efforts of physician Joseph Thompson.
The cat, presented to him in 1930, brought from the East, impressed the doctor so much that he connected scientists-breeders who were able to introduce the first animals of the new breed by 1934, and in 1936 the breed received official status. Cats gained popularity almost instantly.
In 1949, several American Burmese animals were exported to England, they gave the development of the European line. Today, American and European burmese are distinguished by their external data, but each cat of this breed has an unusual plush fur.
Color
Burmese have a short, unusually soft silky coat.She actually has no undercoat and fits snugly to the body. The color of animals of this breed is different, but always distinctive and unusually attractive.
Traditional sable
Sable is a basic shade of wool that has become a hallmark of burmese and glorified it around the world. It is a beautiful rich brown color with shades of different shades, from light to dark. For the rest of the cat breed, such a color is completely uncharacteristic, which makes burmese especially attractive. She even has the tip of her nose and the pads on her paws have a brown tone.
Chocolate
The color of this group of animals is similar to sable, but it is characterized by a more expressive chocolate shade, in which a predominantly dark tint is observed. Animals of this type have a muzzle the color of dark chocolate, and the nose and pads on the legs can be found in the tonal range from shades of cinnamon to dark brown.
Blue
A nice gentle variety of Burmese cats has a plush fur with a blue tint. From other breeds with a similar shade they are distinguished by softening the color scheme at the ends of the coat, which makes the tonality of the color easier, more airy.
Purple
The lightest and unique color of the Burmese breed, which can not be found in other representatives of the cat world. Burmese with a delicate peach or purple hue looks like a touching blonde.
Continuing the theme of color, one can note the expressive big eyes of burmese, surprising with all shades of yellow, from the tone of the pale moon to the rich amber. Moreover, the color may vary depending on the lighting and mood of the cat. A beautiful cut of the eyes creates a misleading impression of a slight anger of the animal, in fact the breed is very friendly.
Character
The Burmese cat is incredibly attached to its owner and the family in which it lives. Because of this quality, it is believed that she has a “doggy” character. She is friendly, peaceful, with her you can leave small children, burmese will gladly take care of them.
The cat gets along well with other pets.
Despite the complaisance of character, she is very active, and if necessary, gives a quick rebuff to other people's cats and dogs, which significantly exceed her in size.
When starting a Burmese breed, one should take into account the cat’s affection for the owners. For her, their constant presence is very important. Losing touch with the family, the cat yearns, worries, and if this condition drags on, the cat becomes depressed, from which it is difficult to get it out.
Those who often have to leave home should consider a different breed of animal.
The solution may be the acquisition of two animals, joint games will save them from loneliness.
Burmese cats are intelligent cats, they understand humans well and are easy to train. In communication, you feel that the animal really knows what it is about. Moreover, the cat herself does not mind “talking”, she has a deep voice, answering, she makes rumbling sounds with her mouth closed.
Burmese can be taught to play the ball, bring things, accompany the owners on a walk and many other tricks. A keen mind and extraordinary playfulness support her interest in learning. By the way, because of the playfulness, kittens and even an adult cat can turn the house upside down, you should not bake them for this reason, somewhere you need to put out the release of energy accumulating in these animals.
Appearance and Comparison of American and European Burmese
Australians also derived their subspecies of Burmese cats, but when it comes to burmese, most often mean the American and European line. We first consider what unites all these subspecies, that is, we note that it is typical for the appearance of representatives of this breed.
Cats are quite compact, have an average body size and weigh from 3.5 to 6 kg.
Body mass seems unexpectedly large for an outwardly graceful creature.The illusion of elegance is created by a short coat without undercoat, which is tight to the body.
If you take a long-haired cat of the same size and wet it with water, you can immediately notice how the difference in size changes. In addition, the weight of the animal gives a strong skeleton and powerful muscle mass. The cat is considered a "lump of iron muscles." As for the distinguishing criteria, they are as follows.
- European representatives have a more diverse color, American usually adhere to traditional brown shades. Europeans are endowed with greater grace and wild charm, and Americans resemble teddy bears.
- American the animals have round muzzles, with neat, smooth ears that are far away from each other. In Europeans, the profile is elongated, slightly exacerbated, creating a wedge-shaped shape. The ears located close to each other are also pointed. Paws seem longer and slimmer than their overseas relatives.
The differences concern only the appearance of the animals; the character of all Burmese cats is good-natured and energetic.
Care and maintenance
Burmese is easy to care for, it is short-haired.
It is enough to brush the animal once a week.
It should not be washed either, the animal is very clean. All that is needed for hygiene, she will do herself. Sometimes you can brush your teeth. It is better to devote all your care to games with an active animal and feeding.
Nutrition in Burma should be balanced, this will help to keep muscle mass in shape, and the hair should have a unique shine. In addition to canned cat food and dry food with vitamins, there should be a little fish, meat and poultry in the diet. Burmese belong to a strong, healthy breed, but they also have problems with their teeth, so solid ingredients must be partially present in the diet.
Sometimes an American subspecies is found to have difficulty breathing, it is associated with a shortened flat nose. Even a healthy animal should be shown to the veterinarian periodically; prevention will help keep the pet in good physical shape and live up to 15-20 years. Burmese are surprisingly beautiful, kind and intelligent animals. They are suitable even for people who are sensitive to cat hair. If you treat cats with love, you can get true affection and friendship in response.
You can learn more about American Burmese cats in the next video.
