Burmese

Burmese are one of the better choices for a family with children. Expect an average-sized cat that is moderately active, barely sheds and needs very little grooming. It is a committed lap animal, so expect company whether or not you asked for it.

A second number, from veterinary records. A 2024 study of UK veterinary records put life expectancy for Burmese at 14.42 years (95% confidence interval 12.91–15.93). That is measured from birth across every cat of this breed in the data, which makes it a different measure from the range above — and it lands in much the same place. UK cats of every kind average 11.74 years on that same measure.

Based on 45 recorded deaths.

The oldest Burmese in that data reached 21.29 years.

Sources: PDSA breed guide · Teng et al., Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery (2024).

Day to day. Moderately active — a couple of proper play sessions a day and somewhere to climb keeps this one content.

The coat, honestly. This breed barely sheds and needs very little grooming. A brush a few times a week and the occasional tidy-up keeps it in good order.

Company and noise. This one is a committed lap animal and fairly chatty. Expect it on your lap, your keyboard and your chest at six in the morning — a cat bred for closeness does not negotiate.

• You want a cat that will put up with being picked up by a child
• You would rather brush and pay a groomer than vacuum every day
• You want a cat whose coat looks after itself
• You want an animal that actually sits on you, not just near you

• You want a pet that entertains itself while you get on with things

Rough running cost: $$ (middle of the pack) — because there is no single expensive thing about it — just the normal food, vet and insurance costs every cat brings.

Those are relative bands, not live prices. For real numbers across every pet we cover, see the pet cost study and the cost calculator.

Rescues do have Burmese and Burmese crosses, usually adults whose size, coat and temperament you can see rather than guess at.