Your guide to finding and caring for a Burmese in Omaha
A Burmese suits Omaha apartment life well, as long as someone's home to keep it company. Aksarben Village, Midtown Crossing and Little Bohemia all have apartment buildings, and a medium-sized, sociable cat that follows you from room to room fits fine in them. Burmese stay playful for years, so a window perch and a few minutes of wand-toy play after work go a long way. Long, empty days are harder on them, which matters if your commute runs long.
Find your Burmese
While we don't have enough cats near Omaha, keep in mind that many rescues may offer transport.
F, 8 y., 662 miles
Burmese, Domestic Long Hair
M, 8 y. +, 735 miles
Burmese, American Shorthair
M, 3-7 y., 735 miles
Burmese, American Shorthair
M, 6 mo.-2 y., 746 miles
Burmese, Bombay
F, 0-6 mo., 797 miles
Domestic Long Hair, Burmese
M, 0-6 mo., 797 miles
Domestic Short Hair, Burmese
F, 1 y., 848 miles
Domestic Short Hair, Burmese
M, 2 y., 848 miles
American Shorthair, Burmese
F, 5 y., 1094 miles
Burmese
F, 3-7 y., 1104 miles
Burmese
Nearly every Burmese in America traces back to Wong Mau, a walnut-brown cat brought to San Francisco in 1930 and paired with Siamese cats to establish the line. The result is a compact, muscular cat that's heavier than it looks, usually 8 to 13 pounds, with a glossy, satin-like coat and large gold eyes. Sable brown is the classic color, though champagne, blue and platinum are common too.
Burmese are known for being people-focused and playful well into adulthood. Many follow their people around, greet visitors and pick up games like fetch. In Omaha, that makes them a good match for homes where someone is around often or another pet provides company. Adopters should also know about a few inherited conditions, including diabetes, and that adult cats vary in personality.
Having a Burmese in Omaha
A Burmese packs a lot of personality into a dense, satin-coated body. Its need for company, lifelong playfulness, easy grooming and a few breed-linked health risks all shape how well one fits your schedule in Omaha.
Burmese tend to be affectionate, curious and sociable, and many act dog-like, following people from room to room and learning games. They usually get along with respectful children and cat-friendly dogs. They're quieter than Siamese but will speak up for attention. Personalities vary, especially among adult cats.
Most Burmese stay playful long past kittenhood. Plan on daily interactive play with wand toys and fetch, plus puzzle feeders and sturdy cat trees for climbing. In Omaha, long winters and storm days keep cats indoors anyway, so vertical space and a sunny window perch do much of the work that outdoor time can't.
Burmese can be prone to diabetes, low potassium that causes episodes of weakness, and feline orofacial pain syndrome, and the breed has low genetic diversity. Keep a Burmese lean, watch for extra thirst or weakness, and schedule regular vet visits with blood work as it ages. Nebraska law also requires rabies vaccination.
Burmese adapt to apartments and houses alike if they get company, play and things to climb. Omaha offers both, from Midtown condos to Millard houses. An indoor life with a secure window perch or catio suits them, and a second compatible pet can help if your days are long.
| Expense | Typical cost | Per year |
|---|---|---|
| Food | $25 to $50 per month | $300 to $600 |
| Pet insurance | $30 to $60 per month | $360 to $720 |
| Routine vet care | $150 to $350 per year | $150 to $350 |
| Other* | $485 to $1,185 per year | $485 to $1,185 |
| Estimated yearly total (after year one) | $1,295 to $2,855 | |
Other costs are estimates and vary with size, age and health.
* The Omaha cat license for a spayed or neutered cat, litter, flea prevention, a yearly dental cleaning allowance, toys, scratchers and climbing furniture, and minimal grooming supplies for the short coat.
Now that you know more, let’s find you a new best friend. These rescues and shelters below have cats available in and near Omaha.
Omaha has a mix of a large humane society and foster-based rescues caring for cats and other animals until adoption. Here are the rescues & shelters in the Omaha area with cats available for adoption, worth asking whether a Burmese is coming in.
Yes, but only in a carrier. Omaha has no subway or rail, and Metro buses, including ORBT, require pets to ride in a carrier unless they're service animals. Keep the carrier on your lap or the floor, not a seat, and out of the aisle. A Burmese's medium size fits a standard carrier. Check current fares with Metro.
Yes, Burmese live comfortably in Omaha as indoor cats. Winters get well below freezing and summers turn hot and humid, so a climate-controlled home matters more than the breed's coat. Add a warm bed by a window, plan for storm-season power outages, and keep a carrier handy for tornado warnings. Most Burmese do fine with that routine.
Yes. Omaha's breed-specific rules apply to certain dogs, not cats, so a Burmese is treated like any other cat. You'll need to license it at four months old with proof of rabies vaccination, and stay within the five-cat household limit unless you hold a permit. Browse the Burmese listed on this page, or save a search to hear about new arrivals.
Yes, a Burmese does well in an apartment when it has climbing space, daily play and company. Its voice is soft, so it rarely bothers neighbors, and low shedding keeps small spaces tidy. Choose a tall cat tree and a window perch, and keep balcony doors and screens secure, since Burmese are athletic jumpers.
Often, yes, especially for people who are home a lot or already have a pet. Omaha's long winters mean more time indoors together, which suits a cat that wants to be involved in everything you do. Burmese stay playful, so plan daily play. If you're away long hours, a second compatible pet makes the match easier.
Very little. A weekly rub with a rubber brush keeps the short, satin coat glossy, and shedding is low. Heated indoor air in Omaha winters can dry skin, so regular brushing helps. Most owners don't need a professional groomer, so grooming adds little to the Other costs, mostly brushes, nail trims and dental care.
A Burmese is a medium-sized, muscular shorthaired cat known for a glossy, satin-like coat, gold eyes and a famously people-oriented personality. Most American Burmese trace back to a single brown cat, Wong Mau, brought to San Francisco in 1930. They are playful, social and affectionate, and they come in sable, champagne, blue, platinum and other colors.
The name Burmese simply means from Burma, the country now called Myanmar. It refers to where the breed's foundation cat, Wong Mau, was believed to come from, in the region near the border between Burma and Thailand. Brown cats resembling the Burmese are thought to appear in old Thai cat manuscripts, long before the modern breed was developed in America.
Burmese cats are moderately vocal. They usually speak up when they want attention, food or company, but they are generally quieter than their Siamese relatives, with softer, sweeter voices. Many hold chatty conversations with their people and greet them at the door. Individual cats vary, and some are quite talkative while others rarely meow.
Plan on roughly $1,300 to $2,850 a year for a Burmese in Omaha, covering food, insurance, routine vet care and other costs like the city license, litter, flea prevention and dental care. Food and insurance are paid monthly, while vet visits and extras come yearly. Emergency or illness care isn't included, which is worth remembering given the breed's diabetes risk.
Looking for a different breed? Browse other cats available for adoption in Omaha.
