The breed
When I first started researching the Burmese breed, I must admit I was hopeful yet skeptical that such a pushy cat existed.
On my first encounter to the breeder’s farm to visit the cats, I was shocked how consistent the pushy and spirited personality was across the 25+ cats I met!
Over and over they would come up to me, a complete stranger, DEMANDING pets and rolling on their backs at my feet. After seeing the consistency in the personality and good health, I knew I had found something very special.
Wong Mau, the first cat from Burma to enter the United States in the 1930s
The Burmese breed in America was started in the 1930s when Dr. Joseph Thompson of San Francisco brought a small walnut brown female cat from Burma named Wong Mau (pictured above). She was bred to a Siamese looking stud, Tai Mau and all Burmese cats can trace their roots back to this pairing. So, the Burmese breed in the United States was started with two cats, and for almost 100 years the descendants of these two cats have been inbred back to themselves. In this timespan of 100 years, the Burmese cats in America were too in-bred and this led to many health challenges. Which led to Burmese cats being brought into the world suffering and leaving their owners struggling to keep them alive. A sad situation all around!
That is when Dr. Schar, of Indian Spring Cats, decided to reinvigorate the breed over a decade ago. He went back to the source of where cats like Wong Mau have existed for thousands of years as a natural breed of cats. By importing cats from Thailand and mating them with American Burmese cats, greater genetic diversity was achieved, and healthier cats were produced. This took an enormous amount of work. It is not easy to import a cat from Thailand. All of the parent cats here at CCK have parents or grandparents from Thailand…and it really shows! To see more Thai cats visit THE THAI CAT CENTER on the web.
My plan is to visit Thailand to study the cats there. Many of the cats live at temples there or as market cats. In the video below, you will see a market cat that someone was thoughtful enough to give a pillow. The cat doesn’t even bother to open his eyes as a stranger pets him, until he decides he needs more pets! Not normal for your average cat, but definitely spot on for a Burmese cat!