The Burmese first arrived in America in 1930 when a doctor returning from Burma brought with him a small, walnut-coloured cat named Wong Mau. Wong Mau captivated cat fanciers, and shortly afterwards a breed development program began using further Burmese imports and Siamese cats. In terms of personality, the Burmese is spirited and opinionated; they are confident and charming little cats who are not afraid to make demands. They often attach to one person, and can be difficult around strangers, but if you are lucky enough to be that one person, you will be rewarded—by constant contact with your Burmese. They are “velcro cats” and quite happily sit on shoulders, faces, heads, or any other bit of you they can manage.

The American Burmese is one of a few breeds of cat known to suffer from popular stud syndrome. The overuse of four cornerstone males during the 1970s resulted in the rounded head desired, but also in the beginning of problems with what is known as Burmese Head Defect, an hereditary issue with cranial formation that can range from separated skull plates to a large hole in the skull. Today the American Burmese is in dire straits; it is one of the most highly inbred cat breeds, and breeders have outcrossed to sable Bombay and Tonkinese to widen the gene pool. However these two breeds are also descendants of Wong Mau, and the CFA Breed Council has approved the use of carefully-tested imported domestic cats from Southeast Asia as well.

Type & judging remarks
The American Burmese is cobby, muscular, and has sweet, expressive eyes. Its head is pleasingly round, with no flat planes. The distinct Burmese coat colour is caused by the sepia gene, and the classic sable Burmese is a deep seal brown cat with glowing golden eyes. Even colours with little contrast between points and body colour are desirable.