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| 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. There is a range in Burmese head and body type; the more compact
cats with the rounder heads are seen in the show ring. Burmese have large,
expressive eyes that are great pools of innocence and seductive appeal,
irresistible in effect. These eyes are their most persuasive weapon in an
arsenal of endearing traits that mask an awesome power to hypnotize their
owners into life-time love affairs through which they effortlessly rule
their families. As kittens, Burmese are quite lively. They often seem clumsy when they attempt feats beyond their capabilities and land on their rears with solid little thumps. They will be playful well into adulthood. As Burmese grow, their high intelligence emerges and their own individual personalities start to unfold. They mature into charming, resolute executives who move in and take over a household, running it efficiently with those big eyes and a velvet paw. If encouraged, many Burmese converse with their humans, using soft, sweet voices (they are neither loud nor raucous). They are good with children, will tolerate the family dog, and if introduced to it at an early age as something pleasant, most will enjoy traveling in a car. |
| GENERAL | Appearance | The Burmese distinguishes itself as an independent breed by its unique genetics of colour (cb cb). Striking characteristics of this lively breed are its silky coat texture as well as their expressive eyes. It is a medium-sized, elegant cat of oriental origin. Any suggestion of either Siamese type or the cobiness of the British must be regarded as a fault. |
| Size | Medium | |
| HEAD | Shape | Viewed
from the front, short wedge, wide at the cheek bones, tapering to a blunt
finish at the muzzle. Top of the head broad and with height, wide
between the ears and slightly rounded. In profile, brow slightly rounded, tip of the nose and chin form a vertical line. |
| Nose | Distinct nose break at the base. | |
| Jaws | Wide at the hinge | |
| Chin | Strong, in profile the chin shows a strong lower jaw. | |
| EARS | Shape | Medium in size (exception: kitten), broad at the base with slightly rounded tops. |
| Placement | Set
well apart, the outer line of the ears continues the upper part of the
face (exception: mature males - fullness of cheeks). In profile, the ears have a slight forward tilt. |
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| EYES | Shape | Large and set well apart, the top line of the eyes is straight with a slight oriental slant towards the nose, the lower line being rounded. |
| Colour | Lustrous,
particularly alert and bright. All shades of yellow from chartreuse
to amber, golden yellow preferred. Shape, size and set are more important for the expression of the Burmese than the colour. Allowances should be made for colour dilution in older cats. |
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| BODY | Size | Of medium length |
| Structure | Muscular and compact, heavier than its appearance indicates. Chest strong and rounded in profile, back straight. | |
| LEGS | Rather slender and in proportion to the body. | |
| Paws | Oval, small in proportion to the body. | |
| TAIL | Of medium length, straight, medium thickness at the base, tapering to a rounded tip. | |
| COAT | Structure | Fine, glossy, silky, lying close to the body, almost without undercoat, very short. |
| Colour | In
all colour the under parts of the body paler than back and legs, but
shading should be gradual. Hair should shade gradually to a paler
colour at the roots. Face and ears may show a little contrast. All varieties without any bars or spotting. For colour varieties refer to tables below. |
| COLOUR | COAT COLOUR | NOSE LEATHER | PAW PADS |
| BROWN | Rich warm seal brown | Rich brown | Seal brown |
| BLUE | Blue-grey, with a clear pewter coloured sheen | Blue-grey | Pinkish blue-grey |
| CHOCOLATE | Milk coffee (café au lait) | Chocolate-brown | cinnamon to chocolate |
| LILAC | Pale, delicate dove-grey with a light pink cast | lavender | lavender |
| RED | Tangerine | Pink | Pink |
| CREAM | Light apricot showing a distinct powdery bloom on ears, head and back. | Pink | Pink |
| BROWN TORTIE | Brown and tangerine (dark and/or pale) patched and/or mingled. | Pink and/or brown | Pink and/or brown |
| BLUE TORTIE | Blue-grey and light apricot (dark and/or pale) patched and/or mingled. | Pink and/or blue-grey | Pink and/or blue-grey |
| CHOCOLATE TORTIE | Milk coffee and tangerine (dark and/or pale) patched and/or mingled. | Pale red/pink and/or chocolate | Pale red/pink and/or chocolate |
| LILAC TORTIE | Dove-grey and light apricot (dark and/or pale) patched and/or mingled. | Pink and/or lavender | Pink and/or lavender |
