The Sacred Burmese is not only a perfect blend of Persian and Siamese on the outside. It also has the best of both cat breeds in terms of character.
The Burmese is a medium-sized cat breed whose males should be significantly more massive than females. They have a slightly elongated body and relatively short, strong legs. Their ears are rather small with rounded tips. Their always deep blue eyes are very beautiful. In terms of its body shape and coat, the Sacred Burmese cannot deny its origins: it has the coat pattern of the Siamese and the stature and fluffiness of the Persian cat. Its coat is semi-long to long, silky in texture and has little undercoat. Their white "gloves" on all paws are striking. If possible, these should be the same on all four legs. The coat color itself differs from these: It is muted white as the base color and has points. This refers to the darkened areas on the face, ears, legs and tail. They only darken more and more in the course of the first months of life. Initially, the Birman was only available in the colors blue and seal, but now also in chocolate, red, purple and cream.
The same applies to character as to appearance: The Sacred Burmese is a successful mix of Persian and Siamese. From the Persian cat it has the gentleness and the calm nature, from the Siamese cat the talkativeness and the special relationship to us humans. This makes them a very pleasant and unobtrusive breed. She integrates perfectly into the family, loves contact with her humans, is always up for an exciting game of cat-and-mouse, but afterwards likes to find a quiet spot on the scratching post to get away from the hustle and bustle.
When it comes to grooming, the Sacred Burmese also fits perfectly between the Siamese and the Persian. It is neither a shorthair cat, whose coat care is not worth mentioning, nor does it require the increased effort of a Persian cat. This is mainly due to the fact that it has hardly any undercoat. The coat is therefore only slightly prone to matting. Nevertheless, the Birman should be combed regularly. This is especially important during the shedding season. On the one hand, this makes housework easier and on the other hand, the animals swallow less hair when grooming.
Whether kitten, adult cat or senior - the food for a Saint Birman should always be of high quality and adapted to the age of the cat. Cats are carnivores by nature, so the cat food should contain a high proportion of meaty ingredients. Sugar, flavor enhancers and artificial colors and preservatives should not be added to the food.
animonda offers the right food for every stage of your cat's life. Choose between kitten, adult and senior food. The products are specially formulated to meet the particular nutritional requirements of the different life stages of cats. This creates the best conditions for a healthy and long cat life.
The Burmese is considered a healthy and robust cat breed. However, hereditary diseases cannot be ruled out. Responsible breeders have genetic tests carried out on all breeding animals and exclude diseased cats from breeding. Therefore, if you are interested in this cat breed, look for a reputable breeder who can prove his commitment by means of health papers.
Despite preventive health care, diseases can occur. One of these is polycystic kidney disease (PKD). Cysts form on the cat's kidneys. A complete cure is not possible, but the disease can be treated and delayed with medication.
Another hereditary disease that occasionally occurs in the Sacred Burmese is the nerve disease "hypomyelination". This is a developmental disorder of myelin. This is used for communication between the cells in the nervous system. This results in uncoordinated movements and spastic twitching. These occur in episodes and should be examined by a vet immediately.
According to legend, the Sacred Burmese lived in the temples of Burma. The fact is, however, that she never saw them. The origin lies in France. There, around 1920, a Persian cat and a Siamese tomcat were accidentally - or perhaps deliberately - mated. The result enchanted people and so targeted breeding began immediately. It only took until 1925 for the Burmese to be recognized as a breed in France. A few years later, breeding began in Germany, although this was made very difficult by the turmoil of the Second World War and only improved again from 1955. Prior to this, the breed had already been recognized by the European umbrella organization FIFe in 1949.
Even though hardly anything has changed in terms of the points, more and more colors have been added over time. We owe these mainly to English breeders. Today, the Sacred Burmese is available in the colors seal, blue, chocolate, purple, red and cream. In addition, the tortie and tabby markings are included in the breed standard.