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 Cat Breeds - There are a variety of different cat breeds. Read about the many domestic cat breeds, including the Maine Coon and Siamese cats. And view the many cat breeds pictures to see how each breed differs dramatically in coat length and overall look.
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European Burmese. Different to the American Burmese, the European Burmese comes in ten different colours. Read all about this fascinating cat, its origins, and the temperament of the European Burmese breed.
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EUROPEAN BURMESE
The European Burmese is an elegant but not a fragile cat.
It is of medium size with good bone structure, excellent muscular
development, expressive eyes and a sweet expression.
History
The European Burmese and the Burmese we know in North America
originated from the same source - Wong Mau, the first Burmese
introduced to the western world by Dr. Thompson in 1930.
As Wong Mau
was the only example of her type she had to be mated to another
breed of similar type. The obvious choice then was the Siamese.
Resulting litters revealed that Wong Mau herself carried a pointed
gene as kittens in her litters were both solid and pointed in colour.
The solids were selected for further propagation of the breed.
From
the United States the breed spread east to the United Kingdom where
the same lack of breeding stock led again to the introduction of
Siamese.
From then on the breed followed different courses of
development until today we have two very different looking cats with
two different standards both sharing a common ancestry.
Description
The biggest differences between the American Burmese and the European Burmese
are in physical details. The breeders in
Europe and Australia decided to stay with the original standard for
the Burmese, which is a more moderate look. The American Burmese
breeders changed their standard to move more towards a rounder and
more compact cat with a shorter nose.
While the American
Burmese come in four colours, the European Burmese come in ten colours. These
include the same four colors of the American Burmese (sable,
champagne, blue, platinum); however are termed differently (brown,
chocolate, blue, lilac).
Due to the introduction of the red gene by
breeders in Great Britain, the European Burmese also come in six additional
colours which are red, cream, brown tortie, blue tortie, chocolate
tortie, and lilac tortie.
The coat is short and fine, lying close to the body. The tail has a
rounded tip; the paws are oval.
The hind legs are a little longer
than the forelegs and the head is short and wedge shaped, with
medium-sized rounded ears. The eyes of the European Burmese are large and
widely spaced and are slightly slanted.
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The most obvious difference between the American Burmese and the European Burmese
is the array of colours displayed by the
European Burmese - ten to be exact. Introduction of the red gene is
responsible for the additional colours.
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Characeteristcs and Temperament
Because the
European Burmese are highly intelligent, affectionate and extremely
loyal, they make outstanding pets.
European Burmese are adaptable to both indoor and outdoor life. They like plenty of play and
exercise.
Ideally, they would prefer the
company of other animals; however, if circumstances make it
impossible they will live quite happily as the sole pet. They love
people and make wonderful companions.
Special Requirements
Daily grooming with a gloved
hand is required to maintain their glossy coat. Exercise and play are also important in
their daily routine.
Burmese carry surprising weight for their size
and have often been described as "bricks wrapped in silk." Their
coats are very short, satin-like in texture, and generally require
little grooming other than daily petting.
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