BURMESE

Manuscripts from Ayuthia, former capital of Siam, dating to the sixteen and seventeenth centuries depict cats that resemble today's Burmese. In the 16th century, brown cats similar to Burmese, called "Rajahs," roamed the halls of Buddhist temples in present-day Myanmar.In 1930, a military physician named J.C. Thompson was accompanied from Burma to San Francisco by a cat named Wong Mau, who was probably a Burmese/Siamese mix, what is today called a Tonkinese. Wong Mau was dark brown, almost mahogany, and had yellow eyes. Thompson mated her with Tai Mau, a Seal Point or Chocolate Point Siamese. One of the kittens (dark brown) was mated with its mother, Wong Mau. The result of that mating was a litter of solid brown kittens, the first specimens of the modern Burmese breed. The breed was recognized by the C.F.A. in 1936. The most recent T.I.C.A. standard was published in 1994.Burmese arrived in Great Britain in 1949 and were shown for the first time in London in 1952. The G.C.C.F. recognized the breed in 1954. Though the Burmese has only recently been recognized, it is worth recalling that brown cats with yellow eyes were brought into England as early as the late 19th century.The Burmese was officially introduced in France in 1956. The standard for the breed identifies an American version (compact, stocky, round head) and a British version (longer body and slightly triangular face). Originally, only sables were recognized. Blue was introduced in 1955, chocolate and lilac in 1959, and tortoiseshell varieties in the 1970s. The Burmese contributed to the development of the Bombay when it was crossed with the American Shorthair in 1981, the Burmilla (Persian/Burmese cross), the Tiffany (longhaired Burmese), and in the 1960s, the Tonkinese (Burmese/Siamese cross).Though uncommon in France, this breed is popular throughout the world, particularly in Anglo-Saxon countries.

Head:American version («) (u): Rounded and broad without flat planes. Round skull, forehead, and cheeks. Short, round muzzle. Nose break. Round, firm chin. Strong jaws.British version: Short, blunt triangle with a broad, slightly rounded skull. Prominent cheekbones. Pronounced nose break. Jaws broad at the joint.
Eyes:Large, round, and wide set («). Slanting upper line, with rounded lower line (?). The darkest, most vivid colors are preferred, with gold being the most favored color.
Body:Medium in size, moderately compact and rounded. Broad, ample chest. Solid bone structure and good muscular development («) (u).Slender, less compact, but muscular and surprisingly heavy for its size (?).
Tail:Medium in length, straight, thick at the base («); not thick at the base (?), tapering slightly to a rounded tip.
Coat:Very short, fine, silky, glossy, and close-lying. Lustrous, satinlike texture. Almost complete absence of undercoat.Color: As dark as possible at the points (mask, paws, tail), slightly lighter on the back and flanks, and a lighter hue still on underparts.No white or tabby markings. Definitive color appears by the age of two and one-half months. The gray-blue eye color turns to yellow at the same age.There are four main varieties:Sable (Brown in Great Britain): Dark brown.Blue: Silvery blue.Chocolate (Champagne): Milk chocolate color.Lilac (Platinum): Silvery gray, pale lavender pink.Other more recent varieties recognized only in Europe: Red, Cream, and Tortoiseshell.In the United States, these varieties are considered Malayan.