| In 1930 Doctor Joseph Thompson,
a psychiatrist in the American Navy, working at that time in Burma, was
"seduced" by a little brown female cat, whom he called "WONG MAU." When
Dr Thompson returned to the United States, Wong Mau accompanied him to
San Francisco. There, he had her mated to a male Siamese, and kept some
of her offspring. On the advice of medical colleagues who specialised
in genetics, Wong Mau's offspring were mated together, the BURMESE gene
was isolated, and the first pure-bred Burmese kittens were born. In 1936
the breed was recognised by the Cat Fanciers Association (CFA).
In 1949 the first Burmese arrived in Great Britain; soon the breed
was recognised by the GCCF, (General Council of the Cat Fancy) and,
in 1952 Burmese cats were exhibited for the first time at the Crystal
Palace Show. Shortly after, Burmese cats began to be shown in Europe.
Nowadays one finds Burmese cats in several colours:- blue, chocolate,
lilac, red, cream, and tortie, as well as in the original colour, brown,
which remains the best known colour.
STANDARD
The Burmese is an elegant cat of medium foreign type; the body should
be strong and muscular, feeling heavier than its size would suggest;
the paws should be elegant and the feet oval in shape. The head should
have a short blunt wedge,the top of the head should be gently rounded,
with width between the ears, the nose should have a definite but not
exagerated stop. The colour of the eyes can vary between yellow chartreuse
and amber, with golden yellow preferred.; the coat is short, fine and
glossy.
CHARACTER
The Burmese is an extremely intelligent and affectionate cat, who
adores the company of his owner, and who likes an active life style.
The beauty of the breed, as well as its affectionate character, is making
the breed more and more popular.
Prue Kerr
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