1 breeder is on record here. Portugal’s FIFe member club does not list this breed in its breeder directory at all, so an absence here says nothing about whether anyone breeds it in Portugal.
Medium-sized, muscular cat with a compact body, rounded head, and expressive golden eyes. Known for its dog-like personality and love of human companionship.
Modern Burmese descended from Wong Mau, a cat brought from Burma to the US in 1930. Developed by breeding with Siamese. Two distinct varieties exist: American (more compact) and European (more moderate).
Generally described as curious, intelligent, gentle, social, interactive, playful, lively and affectionate.
That is the breed in general, not a promise about one animal. Ask the breeder what their own line is like, and meet the parents before you decide.
Breed reference from The Cat API.
Drawn from sources, not opinion: FIFe breed standard; The Cat API; Teng et al. 2024, median age at death; UC Davis Veterinary Genetics Laboratory. An empty column means we hold nothing for that side, not that there is nothing to say.
The Burmese standard is published by the FIFe (Fédération Internationale Féline), the international federation of pedigree-cat clubs, and it is what show judges apply. This section sums up what it says about coat and colour. It does not assess any one animal: use it to know what to ask the breeder.
lying close to the body, almost without undercoat, very short.
Shortened from FIFe standard BUR — each label is the standard’s own wording with the verdict lifted into the tag beside it. Read the full clause at source. FIFe lists this standard’s last modification as 2025. Text read on 31 Aug 2026.
The colour varieties FIFe recognises for this breed are listed, with their EMS codes, in the table at the end of its standard. FIFe describes each colour group in the General Part of its standards.
The colours and patterns the standard admits, and what it prefers, discourages or disqualifies in each. An accepted colour says nothing about health. Quotations from the FIFe are in English, as the standard publishes them; the headings are ours.
Known hereditary risks for the Burmese breed, and the specific documentation to request from any breeder before paying a deposit. A responsible breeder will have these readily available; deflection is a red flag.
3 conditions documentedThis is breed-level literature, not veterinary advice about an individual animal — your vet knows the animal.
Health checklist (PDF)Documented in this breed, but no source says how many of its dogs carry or have them. That is a gap in the evidence, not a sign they are rare.
Breed-level information from The Cat API. It describes the Burmese in general; any individual animal can differ.
A 12-bp deletion in ALX1 causes a severe, typically lethal craniofacial and CNS malformation when inherited in double dose. The same gene region is associated with the rounded head shape favoured in the breed standard, so heterozygous carriers can show typical or typier head type while carrying a single copy of the mutation.
What to ask for
ALX1 DNA test, UC Davis VGL, explicitly validated for Burmese. Testing lets breeders avoid ever pairing two carriers, which removes the risk of the defect without needing to remove carriers -- or the associated head type -- from the breeding population.
A 15-bp deletion in HEXB causes a fatal, early-onset neurodegenerative lysosomal storage disease when inherited from both parents. Affected kittens develop progressive neurological signs and do not survive to adulthood.
What to ask for
HEXB DNA test, UC Davis VGL, validated for Burmese and European Burmese.
An autosomal recessive mutation in WNK4 causes episodic muscle weakness and periodic paralysis from low blood potassium, typically appearing in kittens or young adults.
What to ask for
WNK4 DNA test, UC Davis VGL, explicitly validated for Burmese among other breeds. Affected cats are usually managed successfully with oral potassium supplementation once identified.
A 12-bp deletion in ALX1 causes a severe, typically lethal craniofacial and CNS malformation when inherited in double dose. The same gene region is associated with the rounded head shape favoured in the breed standard, so heterozygous carriers can show typical or typier head type while carrying a single copy of the mutation.
What to ask for
ALX1 DNA test, UC Davis VGL, explicitly validated for Burmese. Testing lets breeders avoid ever pairing two carriers, which removes the risk of the defect without needing to remove carriers -- or the associated head type -- from the breeding population.
A 15-bp deletion in HEXB causes a fatal, early-onset neurodegenerative lysosomal storage disease when inherited from both parents. Affected kittens develop progressive neurological signs and do not survive to adulthood.
What to ask for
HEXB DNA test, UC Davis VGL, validated for Burmese and European Burmese.
Median age at death 15.3 years
Middle half of deaths between 11.8 and 18.6 years, from 45 recorded deaths. 2.2% of them were before age two.
Computed from United Kingdom veterinary records covering 7,936 deaths. This is an age at death, not a life expectancy: half the cats of this breed in the records died younger. The source does not distinguish varieties this platform lists separately (TICA splits Burmese and European Burmese; UK clinical records do not).
Dataset: O'Neill, D. & Teng, K.T. (2024), Figshare, doi:10.6084/m9.figshare.25006802, CC BY 4.0. Teng, K.T., Brodbelt, D.C., Church, D.B. & O'Neill, D.G. (2024) Life tables of annual life expectancy and risk factors for mortality in cats in the United Kingdom. Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery 26(5).
An autosomal recessive mutation in WNK4 causes episodic muscle weakness and periodic paralysis from low blood potassium, typically appearing in kittens or young adults.
What to ask for
WNK4 DNA test, UC Davis VGL, explicitly validated for Burmese among other breeds. Affected cats are usually managed successfully with oral potassium supplementation once identified.
