European Burmese Cat Breed Description

Active: The European Burmese is an active cat that enjoys interaction and play. They will happily engage you often with conversation and games but they will also enjoy a good cuddle with the ones they love.

Size: The European Burmese is medium in size and weighs between 6 to 10 pounds.

Characteristics: In addition to having a wider variety of colors than the Burmese, they also have a different body type. The European Burmese has a more moderate body type with a more elegant frame than the very sturdy Burmese. These are muscular, but with more gently rounded corners to their appearance. Their heads are slightly rounded on top with an overall wedge shape with wide-set ears and cheekbones. Their wide-set eyes are endearing and sweet with a color ranging from yellow to amber. They have slim legs and a medium length coat, as well.

Temperament: The European Burmese is an active, energetic, friendly cat that makes a wonderful companion for anyone. They are great pets for families with children as they love to play. They are highly intelligent cats that will enjoy engaging you in a lengthy conversation. They are happy to show off their strong muscles and athletic abilities as they leap and jump to great heights. They enjoy learning new games, playing with toys and showing off their antics for anyone who will watch. They are an incredibly curious breed, they will want to know where you are, at all times, and what exactly you are doing. But, even though they are very active, they are incredibly affectionate and love to cuddle up with their companions. They love, unconditionally, and you will not be able to resist their sweet adoration. You will be happy to lavish them with the love and attention they deserve!

Care: The European Burmese has a soft, low-maintenance coat. It simply needs to be brushed weekly to keep it looking shiny and lovely. Wipe their face and eyes as needed to prevent tear lines. Additionally, trim their nails and clean their ears as needed to help your European Burmese feel their best and pt their best paw forward. Lastly, be sure to brush their teeth frequently to prevent periodontal disease.

Coat: European Burmese cats have a short, fine, satiny coat that is quite lovely. Unlike Burmese cats, they come in a wide variety of colors including: brown, blue, chocolate, lilac, red, cream, and brown, blue, chocolate, and lilac tortoiseshell.

Origin: The European Burmese and the Burmese history may sound very familiar, and that is because they are indeed very similar. In fact. they share many of the same details. Dr. Joseph Thompson was a navy doctor who had traveled to Burma and seen these wonderful, fascinating cats. He brought one cat back to the United States, Wong Mau, and Wong Mau went on to be the foundation of the Burmese cat breed that we know today. Dr. Thompson began to investigate the genetic heritage of his beloved Wong Mau and, initially thought the chocolate brown-coated cat may be Siamese.

When he began his breeding program, he bred Wong Mau to a seal point Siamese named Tai Mau. He continued to breed and hone his desired look for his cat breed. In 1949, we begin the story of the European Burmese. One of Wong Mau's descendent was imported to England by Siamese breeder Lillian France. One of the cats France imported died and she imported another cat, a female named Laos Cheli Wat and a male named Casa Gatos Darkee. As there was a limited gene pool and stock with which to breed, France began breeding with Siamese cats. The breed quickly rose in popularity in the United Kingdom and other breeders began to breed European Burmese cats as well. In 1964, a happy accident happened. One European Burmese escaped and mated with a red tabby. Breeders began mating their European Burmese with various cat breeds and the colors and patterns began to grow within the breed. Because of the much wider gene pool, the European Burmese has a very different appearance than the Burmese cat breed and also has more accepted colors than the Burmese.

While the European Burmese cat breed has enjoyed admiration and love in Europe, it took some time of breeders in America to accept the different look and colors. Because the Burmese had strict guidelines as to what was acceptable for their colors and patterns, a new breed standard had to be written. Associations and breeders did not quite know what to do with the new appearance and breed so it was initially shown in the miscellaneous class for CFA in 1994. Since then, the breed has become more widely accepted and loved for their uniqueness. They are now accepted for championship status by all major associations and continue to grow in popularity.