Burmese Cat Breeders
Early Burmese Cat breeders in Thailand bred these graceful and strong cats as sacred temple animals. These cats are the closest relatives of the Siamese Cats. When the Burmese Cats were brought to Europe they were thought to be a color variety of the Siamese. Lack of popularity led to extinction of the breed from Europe in the 19th century. The breed revived in Europe only after it became popular in the USA in the 1930’s. British soldiers took many Burmese Cats from Burma in 1945. They became the foundation cats for the British variety of the Burmese Cat.
The Burmese Cat was first registered by the CFA (Cat Fancier's Association) in 1936. Early American Burmese Cat breeders to increase the population of the breed crossbred Burmese Cats with the Siamese. It resulted in suspending the breed recognition. The CFA continued to register Burmese Cats in 1954 when the characteristics of these cats improved.
Today, British Burmese Cat breeders produce more oriental cats with a triangular face. American breeders emphasize a stocky and rounded body and round head of the Burmese Cat. The American variety is characterized by a short pug-like face. The coat of all Burmese Cats should gradually shade from dark back to light underparts with no spotting and barring. As for the coat color, breed standards vary much depending on the registry. The CFA accepts only brown (sable,) chocolate (champagne,) blue, and lilac (platinum.) British Burmese Cats may also come in red, cream, cinnamon, apricot, caramel, fawn, and various tortoiseshell colors.
Burmese Cats imported from America cannot be registered in Britain. British Burmese Cat breeders aim at preserving the original look of the Burmese Cats while American breeders breed “contemporary” cats. The main controversy lies in the shape of the head of the Burmese Cat. American bloodlines with larger and rounder head are prone to a Head Fault – a lethal defect. Traditional variety produced in Great Britain is free from this disorder. American Burmese Cat breeders have to screen the breeding stock carefully to cull Head Fault carriers and get rid of defective genes in the offspring.
