Burmese (cat)
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| Burmese |
|---|
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| Country of origin |
| Burma |
| Breed standards (external links) |
| AACE, CFA, |
The Burmese is a breed of domesticated cats split into two subgroups: the American Burmese and the British Burmese. The Burmese was first recognized as a distinct breed in America in 1936 by the Cat Fanciers' Association. Owing to the extensive breeding with Siamese cats that had been used to increase the population, the original type was overwhelmed and registration was temporarily dissolved during the 1940s. The breed was recognised by the UK Governing Council of the Cat Fancy in 1952. In 1953, after years of selective breeding, Burmese cats in America once again conformed to type and were recognised.[1]
Originally, Burmese cats were exclusively brown (sable), but years of selective breeding have produced a wide variety of colours. Different associations have different rules about which of these count as Burmese.
Burmese cats are known for being sociable and friendly with humans, as well as intelligent. They are very vocal, and often call to their owners.
Throughout the modern history of Burmese, there has been much breeding with Siamese leading to such give-aways as blue or green eyes in the normally yellow-eyed breed. In fact, the Tonkinese cat is a now-recognised cross between Burmese and Siamese.
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[edit] Characteristics
The Burmese is considered a foreign shorthair. Accepted eye colour for the breed is gold or yellow, although interbreeding with Siamese may lead to blue or green. The coat is known for being glossy, with a satin finish. As with most short-hairs, it requires no additional grooming. The shape of the British breed is more Oriental, while the American breed is sturdier in build. Longer lived than most pedigree cats, they often reach 16 to 18 years of age.[citation needed]
Burmese are vocal like the Siamese but have softer, sweeter voices. They are people oriented, forming strong bonds with their owners, gravitating toward all human activity. The CFA breed information on the Burmese implies that all survival instinct of flight or fight seems to have been bred out of them.[2] However, other sources[3] note that, while rarely aggressive with humans, Burmese cats tend to be able to defend themselves quite well against other cats, even those larger than themselves.
Burmese maintain kitten interests and energy throughout their adulthood and are very athletic and playful. In some instances they even retrieve items as part of a game. Although all cats are obligate carnivores, some Burmese will sample fruit and vegetables.[citation needed]
[edit] History
The earliest records of the type now known as Burmese come from Thailand, then known as Siam. A series of 17 illustrated poems written in Siam during the period of the Ayudhya mention three types of cat which appear to correspond to known breeds. These were the Vichien Mat (Siamese), the Si-Sawat (Korat) and the Thong Daeng (Copper, now known as Burmese). These cats are thought to have remained in Thailand until it was invaded by the Burmese in the 18th century; returning soldiers may have taken the temple cats with them back to Burma. [4]
In 1871, Harrison Weir organised a cat show at the Crystal Palace. A pair of Siamese cats were on display that closely resembled modern American Burmese cats in build, although Siamese in marking. After this, cat fancy began with cat clubs and cat shows forming, although it took many years for breeds to be worked-out and developed. The first Burmese cats in the late 19th century in Britain were considered Chocolate Siamese rather than a breed in their own right, and this view persisted for many years, encouraging cross-breeding between Burmese and Siamese and attempts to breed Burmese to more closely conform with the Siamese build. The breed slowly died out in Britain.[5]
Dr. Joseph Cressman Thompson imported Wong Mau, a brown female cat, into San Francisco in 1930. As had happened earlier, many breeders considered the cat simply to be a colour variant of the Siamese, but Dr Thompson considered the build sufficiently different to be something else. Without any male of a similar type,Wong Mau was bred with Tai Mei, a sealpoint Siamese from Thailand. Wong Mau was then bred with her son to produce dark brown kittens that were called Burmese cats. In 1936, the Cat Fancier's Association granted recognition to the Burmese breed, but withdrew this in 1947 owing to the breed being mixed with Siamese and hybrid kittens being sold as pure. By 1953 the Burmese Cat Society of America had brought the situation under enough control for recognition to be restored.[6]
The breed didn't take off in Britain until after 1945, when soldiers returning from Burma brought home cats. From about 1949 to 1956, the British Burmese population was being enriched with cats imported from America. The cats which fed the British breeding programme were of a variety of builds. By 1952, three generations had been produced in Britain and official recognition was granted by the Governing Council of the Cat Fancy and the breed was accorded the breed number 27. Until the late 1960s, the gene pool in Britain was very small, with most Burmese being descended from 6 initial imports and a Burmese/Chinese hybrid from Singapore. In 1969, more were brought over from Canada, and the genepool was widened.
The first blue Burmese was born in 1955 in England. This was to be followed by red, cream and tortoiseshell kittens over the next couple of decades. Much effort was put in to remove banding patterns from the coats, and to decide whether these new colours counted as Burmese. Champagne coloured cats (known as 'chocolate' in the UK) appeared in America, but breeding was impeded by the refusal of breed clubs to acknowledge that Burmese cats could be any colour other than Brown. In 1971, the first lilac kitten was born, being the latest solid colour introduced in Burmese. Throughout the 1970s, brown, chocolate (champagne), blue and lilac toroiseshell types were developed in England. These are still not accepted by the Cat Fancier's Association in America.
From the 1950s onwards, countries in the Commonwealth and Europe started importing Burmese cats from Britain. As a result, most countries based their Standard of Points for this breed on the British model, rather than the American.
As a result of these separate breeding programmes, British Burmese are different to American Burmese. The British build tends to be more Oriental, with a more triangular face, while the American Burmese is stockier and rounder in the body, head, eyes and feet.
[edit] Varieties
Ever since varieties other than sable/brown have existed, there has been conflict in the world of cat fancy as to which varieties are considered Burmese. In Britain, all the colours listed below are recognised by the Governing Council of the Cat Fancy, Britain's ruling cat association. In the USA, which colours are acceptable depends on which cat registry the cat is registered with. For example, the Cat Fancier's Association only recognises the first four colours below.
- Brown (UK) or Sable (USA)
- Blue
- Chocolate (UK) or Champagne (USA)
- Lilac (UK) or Platinum (USA)
- Red
- Cream
- Brown Tortoiseshell
- Chocolate Tortoiseshell
- Lilac Tortoiseshell
- Blue Tortoiseshell
All varieties should gradually shade from darker backs to lighter underparts. There should be no barring or spotting. [7]
[edit] Facts
Burmese cats also earned the nickname mini-panther in some parts of the world, because of its similarities to the panther.[citation needed]
[edit] Controversy
For the past thirty years, there has been controversy over the appearance of the breed Burmese, which can now be divided into two camps. American breeders prefer the "contemporary" Burmese which has shorter noses and rounder skulls. The "traditional" Burmese was declassed by the CFA in the 1980s. England took the opposite approach and banned the registration of "contemporary" Burmese in order to preserve the "traditional" bloodlines.
The controversy stems around the fact that "contemporary" Burmese sometimes carry a lethal head defect and affected kittens do not survive. This problem does not generally occur with "traditional" Burmese. Breeders feel justified in continuing with "contemporary" Burmese because defective kittens die before they are of age to be sold.
Leslie A. Lyons, Ph.D. from University of California, Davis is doing research to locate the gene that is causing this mutation.
[edit] References
- ^ The Ultimate Cat Book. First published Dorling Kindersley 1989. 4th printing.
- ^ Cat Fanciers' Association: Burmese retrieved September 25, 2006
- ^ Guide to Owning a Burmese Cat. Justin O'Flynn. T.F.N. Publications, Inc. Published 1997.
- ^ Guide to Owning a Burmese Cat. Justin O'Flynn. T.F.N. Publications, Inc. Published 1997.
- ^ www.Burmesecatclub.com/
- ^ www.Burmesecatclub.com/
- ^ http://www.burmesecatclub.com/
