The American Burmese cat breed appeared in the last century in the United States, the breeders crossed a Thai copper cat with Siamese relatives. By selection turned out amazing short-haired animals. It should be noted that the Burmese breed has several subspecies, the most famous of them are the American and European.
A bit of history
The ancestors of the Burmese breed lived in Burma and Thailand. Copper cats were kept in temples and considered as reincarnated souls of deceased monks. Animals got to Europe only at the beginning of the 20th century. The servants of the monastery of Lao Zong presented 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 independent breed Burma was formed in America by the efforts of the physician Joseph Thompson.
The cat presented to him in 1930, brought from the East, impressed the doctor so much that he connected breeders who could already present the first animals of the new breed by 1934, and in 1936 the breed received official status. Cats almost instantly gained popularity.
In 1949, several animals of the American Burmese were taken to England, they gave the development of the European line. Today, American and European Burmese differ in their appearance, but each cat of this breed has an unusual plush fur.
Color
The burmans have a short, unusually soft, silky coat. She actually has no undercoat and fits tightly to the body. The color of animals of this breed is different, but always distinctive and extremely attractive.
Traditional Sable
Sable is a basic shade of wool, which has become the hallmark of the Burmese and glorified it all over the world. It is a beautiful rich brown color with shades of different shades, from light to dark. For the rest of the feline breed, such a color is completely uncharacteristic, which makes the Burmese particularly attractive. She even has the tip of the nose and the pads on the feet 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 color, which is mostly dark. Animals of this type have a muzzle of 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 pleasant delicate variety of Burmese cats has a plush fur with a blue shimmer. From other breeds with a similar shade, they are distinguished by softening of the color gamut at the tips of the coat, which makes the tonality of the color easier, more airy.
Purple
The lightest and unique color of the Burmese breed, which is not found in other representatives of the feline world. Burmese with a gentle peach or lilac shade looks like a touching blonde.
Continuing the theme of color, one can note the expressive large eyes of the Burmese, surprising with all shades of yellow, from the tone of a pale moon to a rich amber. And the color may vary depending on the lighting and mood of the cat. The beautiful cut of the eyes creates a deceptive impression of the animal's easy angryness, in fact, the breed is very benevolent.
Character
The Burmese cat is incredibly attached to its owner and the family in which it lives. Because of this quality, they believe that she has a “dogish” character. She is benevolent, peaceful, with her you can leave small children, the Burmese will be happy to take care of them.
The cat gets along well with other pets.
Despite the docility of character, she is very active, if necessary, gives a swift rebuff to other cats and dogs that are much larger than her in size.
When planting a Burman breed, one should take into account the cat's affection for the owners. For her, their constant presence is very important. Losing contact with the family, the cat longs, worries, and if this condition is delayed, the cat falls into a depression from which it is difficult to withdraw.
For those who often have to leave home, it is better to consider another breed of animals.
The solution may be the acquisition of two animals, playing together will save them from loneliness.
Burmese are intelligent cats, they understand the person well and are easy to train. In communication you feel that the animal really knows what it is about. Moreover, the cat itself is not averse to "talk"; she has a deep voice, answering, she makes rumbling sounds with her mouth closed.
Burmese can be taught to play ball, bring things, accompany the owners for a walk and many other tricks. A keen mind and extraordinary playfulness support her interest in learning. By the way, because of the playfulness of the kittens and even an adult cat can turn the house upside down, you should not chew them about this, somewhere you need to release the energy that accumulates in these animals.
Appearance and comparison of American and European Burmese
Australians also bred their subspecies of the Burmese cats, but when it comes to the Burmese, they most often imply the American and European lines. We first consider what unites all these subspecies, that is, we note that it is characteristic of the appearance of representatives of this breed.
Cats are compact enough, have an average body size and weigh from 3.5 to 6 kg.
Body weight seems unexpectedly large for a seemingly graceful creature. The illusion of elegance creates a short hair without undercoat, 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 dimensions changes. In addition, the severity of the animal gives a strong skeleton and powerful muscle mass. A cat is considered a "bundle of iron muscles." As for the distinctive criteria, they are as follows.
- European representatives have a more varied color, American usually adhere to traditional brown shades. Europeans are endowed with greater grace and wild charm, while Americans resemble teddy bears.
- American animals have round muzzles, with neat smooth ears, located far from each other. The Europeans profile is stretched, slightly sharpened, creating a wedge-shaped form. Also pointed and ears, located close to each other. Paws seem longer and slimmer than their overseas relatives.
The differences relate only to the appearance of animals, the character of all Burmese cats is good-natured and energetic.
Care and maintenance
It is easy to care for the Burmese, 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 does herself. Sometimes you can brush your teeth. It is better to devote all your care to games with active animals and feeding.
Burma’s food should be balanced, it will help keep muscle mass in shape, and wool to have a unique shine. In addition to canned cat food and dry food with vitamins, the diet should be a little fish, meat and poultry. Burmese are a strong, healthy type of rocks, but they have problems with their teeth, so solid ingredients must be partially present in the diet.
Sometimes the American subspecies exhibit difficulty breathing, it is associated with a shortened flat nose. Even a healthy animal should be periodically shown to a veterinarian; prevention will help keep the pet in good physical shape and live to 15-20 years. The Burmese are surprisingly beautiful, kind and intelligent animals. They are even suitable for people who are sensitive to cat hair. If you treat cats with love, you can get true affection and friendship in return.
You can find out more about the American Burmese cats in the next video.
