Burmese Standard
Category IIIBURBurmese Standard
GeneralAppearancethe Burmese distinguishes itself as an independent breed by its unique genetics of colour (cb cb)
striking characteristics of this lively breed are its silky coat texture as well as their expressive eyes
it is a medium-sized, elegant cat
any suggestion of either Siamese type or the cobbiness of the British must be regarded as a fault
Sizemedium
HeadShapeViewed from the front: short wedge, wide at the cheekbones, tapering to a blunt finish at the muzzle
top of the head broad and with height, wide between the ears and slightly rounded
in profile: brow slightly rounded; tip of the nose and chin form a vertical line
Nosedistinct nose break at the base
Jawwide at the hinge
Chinstrong; in profile the chin shows a strong lower jaw
EarsShapemedium in size (exception: kitten), broad at the base with slightly rounded tips
Placementset well apart; the outer line of the ears continues the upper part of the face (exception: mature males – fullness of cheeks)
in profile the ears have a slight forward tilt
EyesShapelarge and set wide apart; the top line of the eyes is straight with a slight oriental slant towards the nose, the lower line being rounded
Colourlustrous, particularly alert and bright. All shades of yellow from chartreuse to amber; golden yellow is preferred
shape, size and set are more important for the expression of the burmese than the colour
allowances should be made for colour dilution in older cats
BodySizeof medium length
Structuremuscular and compact, heavier than its appearance indicates
chest strong and rounded in profile, back straight
Legs rather slender and in proportion to the body
Pawsoval, small, in proportion to the body
Tail of medium length, straight; medium thickness at the base, tapering to a rounded tip
CoatStructurefine, glossy, silky; lying close to the body, almost without undercoat, very short
Colourin all colour varieties are the underparts of the body paler than back and legs, but shading should be gradual
hair should shade gradually to a paler colour at the roots
face and ears may show a little contrast
all varieties without any bars or spotting
for colour varieties refer to tables below
Remarks in kittens (3-6 months) allowance should be made for faint ghostmarkings and an overall paler body colour than in adults
FaultsEyes
  • oriental eye shape
  • round eyes
Head
  • jaw pinch
  • prominent nose bump
Faults preclusing the certificateType
  • oriental or British type
Eyes
  • more blue than yellow pigmentation
Coat
  • too many white hairs
  • distinct barring and ghostmarkings

Burmese Standard scale of points
Scale of PointsPoints
Total 100
Headgeneral shape, nose, jaws and teeth, forehead, chin, placement and shape of the ears 25
Eyesshape and placement, colour 20
Bodyshape, size, bone structure, shape of legs and paws, length and shape of tail 20
Coatcolour1530
quality and texture15
Condition  5

Burmese Standard colour varieties
Recognized Colour Varieties
Brownncoat colour: rich warm seal brown
nose leather: rich brown
paw pads: seal brown
Blueacoat colour: blue-grey, with a clear pewter coloured sheen
nose leather: blue-grey
paw pads: pinkish blue-grey
Chocolatebcoatcolour: milk coffee (café au lait)
nose leather: chocolate- brown
paw pads: cinnamon to chocolate
Lilacccoatcolour: pale, delicate dove-grey with a light pink cast
nose leather: lavender
paw pads: lavender
Reddcoatcolour: tangerine
nose leather: pink
paw pads: pink
Cream ecoatcolour: light apricot showing a distinct powdery bloom on ears, head and back
nose leather: pink
paw pads: pink
Seal tortie fcoat colour: seal brown and tangerine (dark and/or pale) patched and/or mingled
nose leather: pink and/or seal brown
paw pads: pink and/or seal brown
Blue tortie gcoat colour: blue-grey and light apricot (dark and/or pale) patched and/or mingled
nose leather: pink and/or blue grey
paw pads: pink and/or blue grey
Chocolate tortie hcoat colour: milk coffee and tangerine (dark and/or pale) patched and/or mingled
nose leather: pale red/pink and/or chocolate
paw pads: pale red/pink and/or chocolate
Lilac tortie jcoat colour: dove-grey and light apricot (dark and/or pale) patched and/or mingled
nose leather: pink and/or lavender
paw pads: pink and/or lavender
RemarksABUR n: a colour shading almost into black is a fault
Bthe distribution of colours is of less importance than the other details of colour