| General | Appearance | The Burmese distinguishes itself as an independent breed by its unique genetics of color (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 cobbiness 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 tips |
| 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. |
|
| Eyes | Shape | large and set wide apart; the top line of the eyes is straight with a slight oriental slant towards the nose, the lower line being rounded |
| Color | 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 color. Allowances should be made for color dilution in older cats. |
|
| 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 |
| Color | In all colors the underparts of the body
paler than back and legs, but shading should be gradual.
Hair should shade gradually to a paler color at the
roots. Face and ears may show a little contrast. All varieties without any bars or spotting. For color varieties refer to tables below. |
| Remarks | In kittens (3-6 months) allowance should be made for faint ghostmarkings and an overall paler body color than in adults | |
| Faults | Eyes | oriental eye shape round eyes |
| Head | jaw pinch prominent nose bump |
|
| Faults precluding | Type | oriental or British type |
| the certificate | Eyes | more blue than yellow pigmentation |
| Coat | too many white hairs distinct barring and ghostmarkings |
| TOTAL | 100 points | ||
| Head | general shape, nose, jaws and teeth,
forehead, chin placement and shape of the ears |
25 | |
| Eyes | shape and placement color |
20 | |
| Body | shape, size, bone structure shape of legs and paws length and shape of tail |
20 | |
| Coat | color quality and texture |
15 15 |
30 |
| Condition | 5 |
| Color | EMS Code | Coat color | Nose leather | Paw pads | Remark. |
| BROWN | BUR n | rich warm seal brown | rich brown | seal brown | 1 |
| BLUE | BUR a | blue-gray, with a clear pewter colored sheen | blue-gray | pinkish blue-gray | |
| CHOCOLATE | BUR b | milk coffee (café au lait) | chocolate- brown | cinnamon to chocolate | 2 |
| LILAC | BUR c | pale, delicate dove-gray with a light pink cast | lavender | lavender | |
| RED | BUR d | tangerine | pink | pink | |
| CREAM | BUR e | light apricot showing a distinct powdery bloom on ears, head and back | pink | pink | |
| SEAL TORTIE | BUR f | seal brown and tangerine (dark and/or pale) patched and/or mingled | pink and/or seal brown | pink and/or seal brown | 3 |
| BLUE TORTIE | BUR g | blue-gray and light apricot (dark and/or pale) patched and/or mingled | pink and/or blue gray | pink and/or blue gray | 3 |
| CHOCOLATE TORTIE | BUR h | milk coffee and tangerine (dark and/or pale) patched and/or mingled | pale red/pink and/or chocolate | pale red/pink and/or chocolate | 3 |
| LILAC TORTIE | BUR j | dove-gray and light apricot (dark and/or pale) patched and/or mingled | pink and/or lavender | pink and/or lavender | 3 |
| Remarks | 1 | A color shading almost into black is a fault |
| 2 | Evenness of color on body overall desirable | |
| 3 | The distribution of colors is of less importance than the other details of color | |
| All remarks in the General Part applies here too. |
"Paws Come With Claws -
That's One
Of Natures Laws"
Copyright © 2006 - Cicki Hasselblad, Linköping,
Sweden - All
rights reserved.
Send all questions and comments to mail to:
cicki@hasselblads.com
Last revised:
March 27, 2006