Your guide to finding and caring for a Burmese in Minneapolis
Burmese cats suit Minneapolis apartment life, since they'd rather be near you than anywhere else. In a brick apartment building in Elliot Park or a Whittier rental, a Burmese will follow you from room to room, claim the sunniest windowsill and turn a hair tie into a game. They stay playful well into adulthood, so a wand toy and a tall cat tree matter. Long winter evenings indoors are no hardship for a cat that wants to spend them in your lap.
Find your Burmese
While we don't have enough cats near Minneapolis, keep in mind that many rescues may offer transport.
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 feels heavier than it looks, usually 8 to 13 pounds, with a short, satin-like coat and large gold eyes. Sable is the classic color, though champagne, blue and platinum turn up too.
Burmese are people cats through and through. They stay playful for life, learn games quickly and like a role in whatever the household is doing. In Minneapolis, where long winters keep most of the day indoors, that sociable streak is a plus for homes where someone is around. Adult Burmese vary in personality, and a few inherited health conditions, diabetes among them, are worth knowing about.
Having a Burmese in Minneapolis
A Burmese packs a lot into a dense, satin-coated body. Its need for companionship, lifelong playfulness, easy grooming and a few breed-linked health risks decide how well one fits your schedule, and Minneapolis winters make good indoor routines especially important.
Burmese are usually affectionate, curious and sociable, often called dog-like for following people around and learning games. Many get along with respectful children and cat-friendly dogs. In a Minneapolis apartment, expect a shadow at your heels. Personalities vary, especially in adult cats, so watch how a cat responds to you.
Most Burmese stay active well past kittenhood, and in Minneapolis nearly all of that activity happens indoors. Plan daily play with wand toys and fetch games, plus puzzle feeders and a sturdy cat tree or shelves for leaping. Regular exercise also helps keep this dense, muscular cat lean.
Burmese can be prone to diabetes, low potassium, feline orofacial pain syndrome and, in some lines, a severe inherited head defect in kittens. Keeping a Burmese lean, noticing extra thirst or weakness and scheduling regular checkups with blood work as it ages helps catch problems early. Staying indoors also keeps cats away from Twin Cities coyotes.
A Burmese fits Minneapolis housing from older brick apartments and lofts to bungalows, as long as it has company, play and vertical space. Secure window perches give it a view of snowy streets or leafy ones. Many cope poorly with long hours alone, so a second compatible pet can help busy households.
| 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* | $480 to $1,180 per year | $480 to $1,180 |
| Estimated yearly total (after year one) | $1,290 to $2,850 | |
Other costs are estimates and vary with size, age and health.
* The $30 Minneapolis cat license for a spayed or neutered cat, litter, flea prevention, a dental cleaning allowance, toys, scratchers and climbing furniture, and minimal grooming for the short, satin 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 Minneapolis.
Minneapolis has a city animal shelter and a network of rescue partners, and the cats they list appear below. Here are the rescues & shelters in the Minneapolis area with cats available for adoption, worth asking whether a Burmese is coming in.
212 17th Avenue North, Minneapolis
Minneapolis
Minneapolis
Minneapolis
Minneapolis
Minneapolis
Yes, a Burmese usually does well in a Minneapolis apartment as long as it gets company, daily play and places to climb. A tall cat tree and a window perch matter more than square footage. Get your landlord's approval before adopting, and make sure screens on upper-floor windows are secure.
Yes. Minneapolis has no breed-specific rules for cats, and Minnesota law bars breed-based dangerous-animal ordinances. Cats over four months old need a city license, which requires a current rabies vaccination, and costs $30 a year if spayed or neutered. You can keep up to three cats without a multiple-animal permit.
Often, yes, especially for people who are home a fair amount. Minneapolis winters keep days indoors, which suits a people-loving Burmese, and summers are mild enough that heat is rarely a problem. Long workdays are a harder fit, so plan daily play and consider a compatible second pet.
Yes, as indoor cats they handle it well. Minneapolis averages about 72 days a year that never top freezing and around 22 nights below zero. A short-coated Burmese will hunt for warmth, so give it a heated bed or sunny perch away from drafty windows, and never leave it in a parked car.
Yes, but only in a carrier. Metro Transit buses and light rail allow pets in carriers, and leashed pet dogs and cats aren't allowed to board. Minneapolis has no subway. A Burmese at 8 to 13 pounds usually fits comfortably in a standard carrier, so line it with a blanket for short rides.
Very little. The short, satin coat sheds lightly, so a weekly rubber-brush session is usually enough, and professional grooming is rarely needed. Dry heated air in winter can make skin flaky, so keep up brushing and water access. Nail trims and dental care matter more, and grooming adds little to yearly costs.
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 $1,290 to $2,850 a year for a Burmese in Minneapolis. That covers food at $25 to $50 a month, insurance at $30 to $60 a month, routine vet care at $150 to $350 a year, and other costs of $480 to $1,180 a year, including the city license, litter and flea prevention.
Looking for a different breed? Browse other cats available for adoption in Minneapolis.
