The Asian, also known as the Malayan, is a

cat The cat (''Felis catus'') is a domestic species of small carnivorous mammal. It is the only domesticated species in the family Felidae and is commonly referred to as the domestic cat or house cat to distinguish it from the wild members of ...

breed similar to the Burmese but in a range of different coat colours and patterns. Long-haired Asians of all varieties are called Tiffanies. Asians are grouped in the foreign section at cat shows.

Origin

The breed was developed in

Britain Britain most often refers to: * The United Kingdom, a sovereign state in Europe comprising the island of Great Britain, the north-eastern part of the island of Ireland and many smaller islands * Great Britain, the largest island in the United King ...

, starting with a litter of kittens bred in 1981 by Baroness

Miranda von Kirchberg Miranda may refer to: Law * ''Miranda v. Arizona'', an American legal case * ''Miranda'' warning, an American police warning given to suspects about their rights, before they are interrogated Places Australia * Miranda, New South Wales * Mirand ...

Description

Appearance

It has a broad, rounded chest and slender legs with a tail of medium length. The pleasantly rounded head has no flattened areas, and there is a very visible spot in its profile. This gives the Asian a full-looking face. The round and wide-set eyes come in the colour of yellow. Females are not quite as big as the males. They can weigh anywhere from 6–13 pounds. Shimatora Smith 3

Coat and colours

The short-haired coat of the Asian is fine, satiny and glossy, and can be multiple colors and patterns. Asian Shorthairs are classified in four different varieties: the Asian Self (including the

Bombay Mumbai (, ; also known as Bombay — the official name until 1995) is the capital city of the Indian state of Maharashtra and the ''de facto'' financial centre of India. According to the United Nations, as of 2018, Mumbai is the second-m ...

, which is a black Asian Self), the Asian Tabby, the Asian Smoke and the

Burmilla The Burmilla is a breed of domestic cat that originated in the United Kingdom in 1981. It is a cross between the Chinchilla Persian and Burmese cats. Standards were produced in 1984, and the breed gained championship status in the United King ...

(which is a shaded Asian).

Temperament

Asians are very affectionate and good with children. They share similar traits with the Burmese. They love to play, explore and even enjoy traveling by way of a cat carrier. They are quite a talkative and rather loud cat with an apparent strong will. They enjoy interacting with people, even with strangers.

Reproduction

The females usually go into their first heat at around six to eight months old. Although registered as a separate breed, Asians can produce Burmese phenotype kittens which are known as Asian Variants, these are almost identical to Burmese. Variants cannot be shown in Breed classes but can grace the Pedigree Household Pet Section at GCCF shows. There are over 600 variations on colours and patterns within the breed, some of which are very rare.

References

External links

{{Commons category, Asian cats
Bombay and Asian Self Breed ClubAsian Cat AssociationAsian Group Cat Society
Cat breeds Cat breeds originating in the United Kingdom