Burmese Breed Information

The Burmese is an energetic cat who loves to play. If given encouragement they may even happily chat quietly with you. They are known to enjoy sitting either on your lap or next to you and are good at climbing and jumping, so providing them with a cat tree will enable them to climb safely.

Breed-related health problems:

Owners are, understandably, upset when their cat develops a health problem linked to its breed. Often they wish they’d known what problems the breed was prone to have. The potential health problems that Burmese are prone to include:

• Diabetes Mellitus – High blood sugar (glucose) levels, which can cause weakness, blindness, excessive appetite and thirst. May need daily insulin injections to control the disease. Burmese are the most common cat breed to develop this condition.
• Hypokalaemic polymyopathy – low blood potassium which can cause skeletal muscle weakness, episodic in nature. There is a genetic test available to determine if a cat is negative, a carrier, or affected with the disease.

We’d recommend discussing the medical history of your potential kitten’s parents and grandparents, and think very carefully before taking on a cat with any of the health conditions listed above evident in the family line.

Coat care:

Burmese have a short coat, so a weekly brushing to remove loose fur followed by a good stroke will ensure that the oils in your hand help to keep the coat sleek and smooth.

Estimated cost over lifetime:

These costs are based on essential items such as:

• A bed, litter and tray
• Grooming items
• Food and bowl
• Preventive treatment such as flea, worming, vaccinations and neutering
• Toys
• Cat carrier
• Pet insurance

This does not include initial purchase cost, non-essential items (such as holiday care) or potential veterinary treatment of which an excess needs to be paid before your pet may be covered by pet insurance.

Insure your Burmese Cat with PDSA:

1 in 3 pets need vet treatment each year and vet bills can come to hundreds of pounds. PDSA Pet Insurance can give you peace of mind when your pet is poorly, especially for breeds like Burmese Cats that are prone to certain conditions. PDSA Pet Insurance offers:

1. Dog and cat insurance policies from 8 weeks of age.
2. 24/7 veterinary advice online or over the phone with Petcall.
3. Manage your policy online with the PDSA Insure Hub.
4. Monthly payment at no extra cost.

By insuring your Burmese Cat with PDSA Pet Insurance you’ll also be helping to provide vet care to some of the UK’s neediest pets.

For more information on taking care of your cat please visit our kitten and cat section.

Rehoming from a reputable source:

Where you get a cat from can have a big effect on how healthy and happy it is for the rest of its life. Find out where our PDSA vet experts recommend you get your cat from.

Not sure if the Burmese is the right pet for you?