Burmese
The modern Burmese breed has roots muddled in history. It is generally believed that Burmese are a man made breed descending from the crossbreeding of a Siamese and an ancient version of a pure Burmese (that later died out). This Burmese breed had almost died out until a breeder named Dr. J. Thompson brought one of these remaining cats, Wong Mau (who may have actually been a Tonkinese), to America in the 1930s because of his interest in Wong Mau's markings. The doctor wanted to study these markings and bred Wong Mau to a seal point Siamese. The resulting liter was the first Burmese kittens. Burmese cats tend to be of average height and weight and live approximately thirteen years. Their coats come in a variety of colors: brown (seal brown), blue (soft blue-gray with a silver sheen), chocolate (milk chocolate), lilac (dove gray with a pinkish cast), red (tangerine), cream, brown tortie (brown with shades of red), blue tortie (blue with shades of cream), chocolate tortie (chocolate with shades of red), and lilac tortie (lilac with shades of cream). The coats are shorthaired and tend to shed very little.
