Foreign Burmese

Lilac Foreign Burmese
Photo: Axel/Jacana/Photo Researchers, Inc.

Weight: 7-9 lbs.
Overview
The Foreign Burmese, also known as the European Burmese, is essentially a Burmese with coats of many colors. These colorful Burms are as intelligent, lively, chatty, and affectionate as their traditionally colored kin. Loyal and friendly, they enjoy the company of both animals and humans.
Appearance
Though slimmer and longer nosed than the Burmese, the Foreign Burmese has the same medium-size, muscular build as its American counterpart. The head is a short, rounded wedge with wide-set ears that are rounded at the tips. The large, rounded eyes slant slightly inward and are colored shades of yellow to amber. The Foreign Burmese's coat is, like that of the Burmese, short, fine, glossy, and close-lying. In addition to the traditionally accepted coat colors of sable, light brown (called champagne in the Burmese), blue, and lilac (called platinum in the Burmese), the Foreign Burmese is recognized in red, cream, seal tortie, blue tortie, chocolate tortie, and lilac tortie.
Origins
In the 1960s, British breeders who imported Burmese to England expanded the gene pool by crossing them with red point Siamese and British Shorthairs. The introduction of the red gene expanded the palette to include six additional colors.