AHNYO KYAUNG - House of Burmese

Kittens sometimes available

This booklet is written for those who are about to introduce a Burmese kitten into their homes for the first time.

The Burmese Advisory Services operates a kitten register and can provide names and phone number of breeders with kittens for sale.  The Burmese Advisory Services also operates a placement services for older cats whose owners can no longer keep them.  Remember that older cats do have a establish temperament and are often easier to live with for older people than the wonderful antics of kittens.

When you visit a breeder to select your kitten, ask to see the area in which the kitten has been kept.  Usually, breeders will be most willing to assist and will show you the mother, litter, and any other cats they may keep.

You then must decide for yourself if the conditions under which the kittens have been kept are clean and suitable.  Remember it is not necessary for you to like the breeder but only that the kittens and their feline family are loving and responsive animals.

Age:  The minimum age a kitten should leave its mother is 12 weeks.  This age is preferable, as then the kitten will have completed its vaccination programme.

Health:  All members of the litter should appear healthy and well cared for.  Ask the breeder to show you the kitten's vaccination certificate.  This will confirm that they have been immunised against Feline Enteritis and Cat Flu (the feline herpes and calicivirus).   Although my breeders are giving F4 vaccination that also includes Chlamydia.  Vaccination for Feline Leukemia should occur with yearly booster.

Kittens should be free of ear mites (ensure ears are clean and free of black wax) and free of fleas.   The only safe flea control for young Burmese kittens is Advantage, later they can use most of the other flea products on the market.

It is required by the Cat and Dog Act, the current legislation effected as 1^st July 1999, that kittens are not sold before they are 10 weeks of age and that they are vaccinated and microchip before going to their new homes.

A microchip is a small computer chip about the size of a grain of rice, which is a permanent lifetime identification for the kitten as belonging to you.  This chip can be scanned by all welfare agency and most veterinarians should your kitten be lost or injured.

There are ten different colours of Burmese.

Breed 27:   Brown                                                          rich warm seal.

Breed 27a: Blue                                                              bluish grey with distinct silver sheen.

Breed 27b: Chocolate                                                    warm milk chocolate with darker points.

Breed 27c: Lilac                                                              dove grey with a slight pink overtone.

Breed 27d: Red                                                               rich tangerine with tabby markings on face.

Breed 27f:  Cream                                                          cream with powder bloom.

Breed 27e: Brown Tortoiseshell                                  a mixture of brown and red.

Breed 27g: Blue Tortoiseshell (Blue-Cream)           a mixture of blue and cream.

Breed 27h: Chocolate tortoiseshell                            a mixture of chocolate and red.

Breed 27j:   Lilac Tortoiseshell (Lilac Cream)          a mixture of lilac and cream.

 Please refer to the Official Waratah National Cat Alliance’s Standard for a complete description.

 No matter what their colour or sex, Burmese kittens are equally friendly, intelligent and mischievous. More often than not a Burmese kitten will choose its new owner, rather than the other way around.

Litter tray and litter, (your kitten will not use the garden as a toilet for some time so you will need to use litter during the day and of course always at night).

2 bowls, at least: 1 for water; 1 for food; and 1 for dry food.  A warm place to sleep (if given the choice your kitten will always prefer to be with you- in bed) such as a cardboard box, completely enclosed with just a very small hole in the bottom corner and some newspaper with a nice warm bunny rug or towel inside (needs to be washed at least once a week). There is no need to buy any fancy baskets until your kitten is older and you are certain that you are not going to waste your money.

A supply of cat food.  Ask the breeder for a list of food and supplements the kitten is used to eating. The list should include a name brand of cat food, raw meat, a calcium supplement (calcium syrup), and a vitamin supplement.  You should receive a diet sheet when you pick up your kitten.

If your kitten is going to be alone during the day, it would be advisable to have a supply of toys to keep him amused while you are away.  A scratching post is a very useful item, if you want to save your furniture.

Check the house for trailing flexes that your kitten may chew with the possible danger of electrocution, house plants which if chewed could prove poisonous, and refrain from using long acting surface sprays such as Baygon in rooms your cat may have access to.  If you don't have any screens on your windows you may have to invest in a couple, don't underestimate the climbing capabilities of a young kitten.

A suitable container to carry your kitten home in.  A stout cardboard box that can be completely enclosed, should suffice for the journey home, but it would be advisable to buy a commercial pet carrier when your kitten gets older for visits to the vet (at least once a year for booster shots).

 Decide where you are going to have the litter tray before you bring your kitten home.  Leave it in the same place and don't move it around or the kitten will become confused.  A good place to have a litter tray is either in the room where the kitten is going to sleep or the room next to it.  Remember a kitten is like a baby and is likely to get lost in the middle of the night if its litter tray is too far away.   Have its bed ready and the water and food bowls nearby but not next to the litter tray.  

The kitten is best confined to one room for a short time, and should be taken into the room where it is to settle, making sure it is not left on its own for long periods.  If children are present, explain that the kitten is young and may be frightened, and that therefore they should be quiet and still.  If you have a dog or adult cat, postpone their introduction until the following day, when the kitten will be feeling more secure.   When introducing the kitten to another animal, let it be in the safety of its cage.  The other animal can smell and sniff it but cannot hurt it.  The kitten will usually react first but will quick want to play.  Remember too that cats are scent oriented so if all animals and humans smell the same, settling in will be much quicker and easier.  A cat friendly perfume is any of the Estee Lauder’s products.

It is essential to keep the kitten confined to the house for at least three weeks before letting it out into the garden, and then only if you are with it.  It should be confined at night throughout its life.   Burmese do believe they can stop traffic with a paw, they cannot and it will avoid unfortunately accidents.

Any sign of illness should be taken seriously, though symptoms like temporary loss of appetite or the odd sneeze may just be due to the stress of changing homes.  Remember that all houses smell differently and it can take your kitten a day or two to settle in.  If you are worried, discuss it with the breeder and if necessary seek veterinary advice.

 DIET

Use the diet sheet supplied by the breeder.  Changes should be made gradually after the kitten has settled in (about 2 weeks).  Kittens need feeding 3 times a day until about 18 weeks of age reducing to 2 meals a day which they should be fed for the rest of their lives.  Meals should be varied e g. tinned food, dry food, raw meat, cooked chicken, and any leftover roast meat.  An egg yolk once or twice a week is beneficial. Fresh water must always be available.   A occasional treat will not harm a Burmese.

HEALTH AND HYGIENE

Cats are naturally clean animals.  Because they like to be clean, they also like to sleep in clean bedding and use a clean toilet.  Your cat's bedding should be washed at least once a week and its litter tray changed DAILY.  Solid matter and wet lumps should be removed and when renewing the litter, wash the tray with hot water.  The tray does not need to be filled to the brim, use only enough litter to cover the tray about 1/2 inch thick.  Keep your cat free of fleas with an either Advantage, Frontline or Revolution.  Use a very fine flea comb to extract the fleas and flea dirt.  You may use a flea collar on your cat when it is old enough (about 9 months).

A worming programme should have been carried out on your kittens prior to you collecting it.  Basically kittens should be wormed every 3 weeks from 6 weeks until 12 weeks and then it is up to you to continue with the treatment every 3 months.

DESEXING

Your kitten will be desexed when you collect it.  This early desexing will protect your Burmese from certain undesirable behaviour such as spraying or calling as well as fighting among male cats; furthermore, it will ensure that the female Burmese is protected from breast cancer.  The indiscriminate mating of entire cats simply adds to the number of unwanted kittens. 

HOLIDAY CARE

If you need to board your cat, enquire with the breeder first then visit the cattery before booking.  Make sure your cat will be kept in a run that is clean and airy with plenty of room.  Do not accept offers of small cages for boarding your pet.  Make sure that your cat will be fed the same food it is used to eating at least  twice a day.

HELP AND ADVICE

Your breeder is the best source of any further help or information as well as most veterinarians.   It is also useful to look up information on world wide web.  Most breeders and veterinarians have websites with a lot of useful information.