In 1930, Dr. Joseph Cressman brought a cat from Burma to the US. The cat's name was Wong Mau, and is known as the first Burmese cat in the United States. Dr. Thompson believed that the cat's distinct build indicated that this cat was a different breed than just a variant of the Siamese breed. Wong Mau was bred with a sealpoint Siamese and then again with one of her sons so that dark brown kittens would be produced. In 1936, the Cat Fancier's Association accepted the Burmese as a breed.
Burmese enjoy people and usually like to be near family members when at home. They like to participate in whatever their human family is doing such as sleeping with them at night or sitting on computer keyboards. They are athletes and very playful, acting like kittens when they are adults. They like to vocalize, and some actually call out to their owners. Their voices are softer than those of the Siamese. If provoked, a Burmese will not shrink away from a fight with another cat, even if he or she is much larger. The Burmese cat is a wonderful pet and is especially adaptable to noisy, large households.
