Hazelhurst Cattery Tel: 0116 2895562

Playful, energetic, acrobatic and highly intelligent, the Burmese cat is the extrovert of the cat world. They are very mischievous, but they love people and they are tuned in to the needs of their owners. Once you have known a Burmese you have a lifelong passion for the breed.

The Burmese is a strong, athletic and elegant cat, of foreign but not extreme type which is distinctive and quite individual to the breed. It has a close, even coat with a glossy, almost polished quality. At maturity males are large and handsome, females are more delicate and graceful.

The Burmese is trusting and relies on its soulful eyes and charm to get through life. This makes the "outside" world a dangerous place and so they are best kept indoors.

Although Burmese now come in 10 different colours, the original colour was just brown, the lighter colours have been gradually been developed. In America there are only 4 colours recognised, brown, blue, chocolate and lilac.

Brown a rich warm seal brown Brown (27)	Blue a soft blue-grey with a silver sheen Blue (27a)	Chocolate a warm milk chocolate Chocolate (27b)
Lilac a pale delicate dove grey Lilac (27c)	Red tangerine fading into creams Red (27d)	Brown Tortie brown with shades of red Brown Tortie (27e)
Cream cream with a bloom on the head and back Cream (27f)	Blue Tortie blue with shades of cream Blue Tortie (27g)	Chocolate Tortie chocolate with shades of red Chocolate Tortie (27h)
	Lilac Tortie lilac with shades of cream Lilac Tortie (27j)

Burmese Standard of Points

Head
The head, carried on a medium neck, should be in proportion to the body. Viewed from the front, it should form a short wedge, wide at the cheek bones and tapering to a blunt finish at the muzzle. The top of the head should be slightly rounded between the ears, which are set well apart so that the outer line of the ears continue the shape of the upper part of the face. However, in mature males who have developed full jowls and a sturdy neck, this will not be so apparent. Allowance should be made for a teething pinch in kittens.

In profile the head should show good depth between the top of the skull and the lower jaw. The brow should be slightly rounded. There should be a distinct nose break followed by a straight nose ending with the tip of the nose in the same vertical plane as the chin. The lower jaw should show a good depth of chin.

Ears
Medium in size, broad at the base, rounded at the tip and having in profile a slight forward tilt.

Allowance should be made for correctly shaped but overlarge ears in a kitten where the head size and shape is still developing.

Eyes
Must be set well apart. They should be large and lustrous, the top line of the eye showing a slant towards the nose, the lower line being rounded.

Eye Colour
Any shade of yellow from chartreuse to amber, with golden yellow preferred.

Burmese eye colour is very sensitive to variations in light intensity and colour. Wherever possible it should be assessed in north daylight. It is important that, when being judged, the eye colour of all the cats in the class should be assessed under identical light conditions.

Allowance should be made for eye colour in a kitten where it may still be developing and for colour dilution in an older cat.

Body
Of medium length and size, feeling hard and muscular and heavier that its appearance indicates. The chest should be strong and rounded in profile, the back straight from shoulder to rump.

Legs and Paws
Legs should be slender and in proportion to the body, hind legs slightly longer than the front, paws neat and oval in shape.

Tail
Straight, medium thickness at the base and tapering to a rounded tip. when the tail is brought gently round the side of the body the tip should reach the shoulder.

Coat
Short, fine, satin-like in texture, lying close to the body. The glossy coat is a distinctive feature of Burmese and is indicative of good health.

Condition
Cats should be well muscled with good weight for size, lively and alert.

Colour
In all colours the under parts will be lighter than the back but the shading should be gradual. Ears and face may be slightly darker in colour. A coat free from barring or spotting should be aimed for in all colours. The presence of a few white hairs may be overlooked in an otherwise excellent cat. In all colours the coat should shade gradually to the roots with no evidence of smoke effect of ticking. Reds and Creams may show some freckling or brown pigmentation on ears, nose leather, eye rims, lips, paw pads.

The individual colour descriptions are for mature adults. Allowance should be made in kittens and adolescents for a lighter coat colour than the adult standard specifies. Paw pads may be a lighter colour in kittens than adults.

In the case of the four Tortie colours 27e, 27g, 27h and 27j the colours may be mingled or blotched; blazes, solid legs or tails are all permissible. Variations in the overall effect of the Tortie coat pattern are to the expected.

Burmese Character & Temperament

The Burmese cat is an extremely friendly and affectionate creature and needs lots of attention from human beings to be happy when kept in a domestic environment. They are extremely playful and can be taught to fetch pieces of paper in much the same way as a dog with a stick and are good with children and so make wonderful family pets. They are also very sensitive to their owner’s feelings. If the owner is likely to be out all day it is often a good idea to have two Burmese, as they can become bored very quickly with no one to play with. They are very demanding and will follow you around the house crying for attention and if you stop they will climb up your leg begging to be picked up and cuddled. Burmese are very vocal cats and will often greet you when you return home or speak to you when they want something. People are usually 'owned' by their Burmese cats.

Sire:	Carries Blue Carries Chocolate
Dam:	Carries Blue Carries Chocolate