Burmese Cats In Australia
If you are thinking of adopting a Burmese kitten or cat in Australia, please read this page for information regarding what is possibly the most popular pedigree breed of cat.
Temperament
Burmese are very popular due to their loving temperament and their ability to be trained. They are not, unlike some breeds, simply a one-person cat. They will show affection to all. Like us humans, every cat has it's own personality so some will be more affectionate than others as will some accept other animals in a household when others don't.
European Burmese vs American Burmese
For the benefit of overseas visitors to our site, only European Burmese, in difference to the American Traditional or Contemporary Burmese, are bred and shown in Australia. European Burmese have only been recognised in the American Pedigree cat scene in recent years. Although from the same origin, the European and American Burmese have, over the years, become separate breeds with notable differences and, for genetic reasons, the two breeds are never inter-mated .
Of
most importance
Think about your responsibilities before adopting a cat or kitten and remember that a kitten or cat will become part of your family for what might amount to be 15 or 20 years to come.
Think about holiday accommodation for a kitten or cat for when you go away.
There may be occasions, other than an annual vaccination or vet check, when you may need to visit the Vet.
Don’t buy any kitten or cat on a spur of the moment decision, or as a gift, unless you know for certain that the recipients are prepared for such a responsibility and will happily accept a kitten or cat into their family.
Discuss it with your family before you decide.
Responsible cat ownership
To safeguard your kitten or cat, keep them indoors.
This is to protect them from dangers such as:
other cats than may injure or pass on a disease,
so they don't stray off and get lost
animal cruelty,
theft,
roads,
dogs,
snake, tick or spider bite,
birds of prey in some areas,
and to protect the local wildlife.
Outdoor Cat enclosures are available from various manufacturers if you want your precious pet to have a taste of outdoor life. Burmese are quite content to be inside, especially if they have a playmate or other things to keep them happy.
Cats
and kittens
Although
a young kitten is a delight to own, breeders may well have older kittens,
young adults or ex-breeding cats available for re-homing.
These ex-breeding cats may only be a couple of years old and once desexed, they are looking for a nice family to
happily spend the rest of their life with.
Only adopt from a Registered Breeder
All registered breeders
are affiliated with one of the
recognised Cat councils within Australia and must follow an ethical standard
laid down by those councils.
When talking about Cat councils, these have nothing to do with your local Municipal or City councils. Cat councils are recognised bodies who conduct pedigree cat registrations and Championship Cat shows, amongst other things. The following list is of the Cat councils in the different states and territories of Australia.
The following website links are correct as at 1 Oct 11
Queensland
Queensland Feline Association (QFA)
Feline Control Council of Queensland (FCCQ)
Queensland Independant Cat Council (QICC)
Council of Federated Cat Clubs of Queensland (CFCCQ)
In SE QLD, you can also contact the Burmese Breeders Group
Ph: 3200 8332 or Email: ashburycats@optusnet.com.au
New South Wales
New South Wales Cat Fanciers Association (NSWCFA)
The Feline Association of NSW Inc. (TFANSW)
Australian National Cats Inc. (ANCATS)
Australian Capital Territory
Victoria
Governing Council of the Cat Fancy Australia and Victoria (GCCFV)
Feline Control Council of Victoria (FCCV)
Tasmania
Cat Association of Tasmania (CAT)
Cat Control Council of Tasmania (CCCT)
South Australia
Feline Association of South Australia (FASA)
Governing Council of the Cat Fancy of South Australia (GCCFSA)
Western Australia
Feline Control Council of Western Australia (FCCWA)
Cat Owners Association of Western Australia (COAWA)
Northern Territory
Cat Association of the Northern Territory (CANT)
Why
adopt from registered Burmese breeders?
Only a registered breeder can offer you a certified pedigree with your kitten or cat. This means that you are dealing with certified pedigree cats and not taking a chance at what you might get with an unregistered breeder or pet shop and generally, pet shop prices are very much over-inflated.
Get to know the person who actually bred the kitten or cat and not a faceless shop assistant who doesn't know the animal's history and is just trying to make a sale. Get what you paid for and know, for certain, that you are actually adopting a genuine Burmese by getting him or her from a registered breeder.
Healthy
Kittens and Cats
Only registered breeders actually breed for the health and quality of a kitten and not simply the dollar value. Registered breeders know what genetic faults can occur and will ensure these faults are not passed on through their breeding practices. Registered breeders are more aware about cat illnesses and practice safeguards against such illnesses. They can also guarantee the health of your kitten or cat.
When?
Burmese are one of the cat breeds that do breed all year round so a breeder could have the kitten of your choice at any time of year.
There can be no guarantee that there will be kittens, that fit your request,
ready to go when you call and you may have to wait a while till your kitten is
old enough to leave the breeder, at a minimum age of 10 weeks, but they are well
worth the wait.
What
colour?
Within Australia, all recognised colours in the Burmese breed are available. Please be sure that the colour you ask for is what you expect. To give you an idea:
Brown (Sable in U.S. terms)
Dark brown, but not black.
Blue
Light to medium grey, generally have a silvery sheen.
Chocolate (Champagne in U.S. terms)
Light tan coloured body with dark face, ears and tail, similar to Siamese markings.
Lilac (Platinum in U.S. terms)
Creamy mushroom to almost a very pale grey-blue.
Red
Dark ginger with some barring allowed.
Cream
Light ginger with no barring.
Tortoischelles
(Torties)
These are the multi-coloured varieties which are normally females but rare tortie males have occurred. Their random colour patterns can be very unusual and endearing.
Brown Tortie
Mostly brown base colour with patches or speckles.
Blue Tortie (also known as Blue-Cream)
Mostly blue base colour with patches or speckles.
Chocolate Tortie
Mostly Chocolate base colour with patches or speckles.
Lilac Tortie (also known as Lilac-Cream)
Mostly lilac base colour with patches or speckles.
What
sex?
Each kitten or cat has it’s own personality so it is your choice whether you want a male or female.
There are some fallacies, or half truths, around about male versus female cats.
Males AND females can
spray if
NOT desexed.
Getting a kitten or cat desexed removes the hormonal influences that cause cats to spray. If not desexed, males spray to mark their territory and females can spray to attract males when they are in season.
"Just one litter before we desex her"
We have lost count of the number of times we have heard prospective kitten purchasers say this.
I hope to pass on some real, truthful information regarding having that one litter.
Firstly, depending on the breed, an undesexed female cat can come "on call" (into season) at a very young age. In some breeds, including Burmese, this may be as young as 3 months. Reputable breeders won't breed with any female cats until they are at least 11 or 12 months of age.
A cat is still growing before this. Could you imagine a kitten having kittens?
Being On Call (in season)
Breeders are aware of the problems associated with females calling. Such as:
female cats may spray to attract a male;
females, especially the louder breeds, can howl throughout the day and night in search of a mate;
being on call can cause undue stress;
if not mated, repeated calls can cause serious internal problems for the girl;
breeders can obtain veterinary assistance to ease the calls or stop them happening for only short periods of time.
Matings
Can you be assured that the male cat who mates your girl isn't carrying a disease or a serious genetic fault?
During matings, the girl can be injured through bites and scratches which may become infected.
If you are not a registered breeder yourself, you cannot expect to get a mating from a registered breeder.
Pregnancy
So you've mated the girl, or she's escaped the house and has been mated by a local stray tom cat, and she is pregnant.
Are you aware of what to feed her?
Do you know the signs of trouble during the pregnancy?
Is the girl old enough to carry a litter to full term?
Is the girl strong enough to carry the litter to full term?
Do you know when the kittens are due so you can make plans?
Do you know where the kittens will go when they are old enough?
Birthing Kittens
Kittens being born is not always a wonderful thing for kids to watch.
There are a number of problems that can happen and may cause undue duress, not only to the girl, but to those young ones watching.
The sight of the blood and other fluids can be distressing;
kittens may be breach born which requires assistance;
Kittens can be stillborn;
Kittens may need assistance to take that first breath;
Girls who haven't had a litter before may not know what to do;
the cords may need to be cut;
the kittens may need to be cleaned up;
the mother may not have milk to feed the kittens;
the mother may even reject the kittens.
The mother may even need a caesarian-section to save her life or that of the kittens.
Post birthing
After going through all this stress and trauma, there is no guarantee that the girl will be the same as she was. She may become introverted, shy, aloof and, in some instances, anti-social towards humans and other cats alike.
You must ask the question,
Do you want your precious girl to go through all this with an unknown outcome?
Do you know where the kittens will go or will they become another statistic in a shelter?
Is it all worth it?
Isn't the health and wellbeing of your precious female cat more important than a life-lesson for the kids that may go terribly wrong?
Pet
or Show Quality
If
the breeder explains that the kitten is pet quality, or not show quality, it doesn’t mean there is anything actually wrong with it.
Not being show quality may be a matter of the coat or eyes being the
wrong shade of colour for competition or, at worst, it may have something as
simple as a kink in it’s tail.
Neither of these points make them any less lovable or endearing as a
family pet as they are not health-related points.
Of course, if you want to enter a cat or kitten in a Cat Show, then let the breeder know so they can help you choose the right kitten or cat. Also ask the breeder to explain all about cat shows.
If you want to visit a cat show to see if this interests you, then take a look at your nearest Cat council pages to find out when and where they are being held.
Where?
There
are registered breeders
in most areas of Australia and, while an hour’s drive is a minor inconvenience
when you are adopting someone that will be a new member of your family.
Cat Councils can put you in contact with a breeder closest to an area that you
prefer.
Air
travel for a kitten or cat can be arranged, through the individual breeders,
for people who are outside our areas, interstate or international.
So,
when you’re looking for a Burmese kitten, or an older Burmese cat, contact a Cat
Council
and they’ll help you find that new member of your family.
since 7 June 2005
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