Burmese

The Burmese is a sleek, muscular short-haired cat — "a brick wrapped in silk" — known for a glossy coat and large, expressive eyes.

History

The modern breed traces to a single brown cat brought from Southeast Asia to the United States in the 1930s and bred on from there, later developing into distinct American and British types. Its close, satiny coat and rounded build are the features it is bred around.

Temperament

The breed is known for being intensely social, affectionate and people-focused — a talkative, dog-like cat that follows its people about and dislikes being left alone. It stays playful and engaged well into adulthood.

Care

The short coat is easy to keep with occasional grooming; the real requirement is company and stimulation, since a Burmese left alone for long is an unhappy one.

Health

Known tendencies include an inherited low-potassium condition and, in some lines of the contemporary type, a skull deformity and dental or eye problems. These are patterns for the breed rather than a verdict on one cat; the measured facts and trait ratings are in the panels.