The Asian cat is an affectionate, sociable breed closely related to the Burmese, prized for its devotion and chatty nature.
How the Asian cat coat is built, and what that means when you groom it.
The Asian is a medium, affectionate shorthair developed in Britain and closely tied to the Burmese, prized for its devotion to people and chatty nature.
The Asian is a medium-sized shorthaired cat that carries the build and personality of the Burmese, but appears in a much broader spread of coat colours and patterns. It was developed in the United Kingdom and is often treated as a group of related varieties rather than one fixed coat. Every cat in the group shares the same compact, muscular frame and the same appetite for human company.
Most weigh somewhere between 4 and 6.5 kilograms, with toms running larger than queens. The coat is short, fine, and lies close to the body, so grooming stays easy. Eye colour usually sits in the yellow-to-gold range, with the precise shade shifting according to the coat.
This is a cat that keeps close to its people. It trails its owner from room to room and stays part of whatever the household is doing. Intelligent and sociable, it talks a good deal, though its voice is gentler than the Siamese while still being freely used. Anyone after a quiet, self-contained pet may find the Asian more demanding of attention than they bargained for.
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| Origin | United Kingdom |
| Size | Medium (about 4 to 6.5 kg) |
| Lifespan | 12 to 18 years |
| Group/role | Companion cat, Burmese-related group |
| Good with | Families, attentive owners, other cats |
The Asian suits an owner or family that is home for much of the day and wants a cat that joins in. It gets on well with children who handle cats gently, and it usually takes to other cats and cat-friendly dogs. It is a poor fit for anyone out of the house for long hours on end, since it hates being left on its own for lengthy stretches.
The Asian was developed in Britain from the 1980s as a Burmese-related group, following an accidental cross between a Burmese and a chinchilla Persian-type cat.
The Asian group goes back to the United Kingdom in the early 1980s. Its starting point was a cross between a lilac Burmese and a chinchilla coated cat of Persian type. The kittens that resulted kept Burmese conformation but showed new coat colours, and breeders recognised the worth of fixing those traits.
The breeding programme is linked to British breeder Baroness Miranda von Kirchberg, who set out to establish the variety and its related coats through this period. The shaded coats from that first cross were worked up into the Burmilla, while the wider effort gave rise to a family of Burmese-type cats in extra colours and patterns.
Across the years that followed, the Asian gained recognition within UK cat registries as a group spanning several coat varieties, among them self (solid), tortie, smoke, and tabby forms, alongside the shaded Burmilla. All share Burmese conformation, which holds the group together in body type despite the range of coats on offer.
The Asian is still far more common in the United Kingdom than anywhere else. A comparatively small circle of committed breeders works with it, so finding one outside its home country remains difficult.
The Asian is a medium, muscular shorthair with Burmese conformation, a rounded head, expressive yellow-to-gold eyes, and a short glossy coat in many colours and patterns.
The Asian is built like the Burmese: medium in size, unexpectedly heavy for its length, and muscular beneath a sleek coat. Its chest is rounded, its back straight, and its legs slim in proportion to the body. The head forms a rounded wedge with good width between the ears, full cheeks, and a firm chin.
Large eyes, set well apart, lend the face an alert and open look. Their colour runs from yellow through to gold, the exact tone bound up with the coat. The tail is medium in length and narrows to a rounded tip.
| Feature | Standard |
|---|---|
| Height | Around 25 to 30 cm at the shoulder |
| Weight | 4 to 6.5 kg (males larger) |
| Coat | Short, fine, close-lying, glossy |
| Colors | Self, tortie, smoke, and tabby in many shades |
| Eyes | Yellow to gold, large and well spaced |
The coat is short and lies flat, its shine owing to the fineness of the hair rather than any length. The group covers a wide palette. Self varieties turn up in solid colours such as black, blue, chocolate, lilac, red, cream, and caramel. Tortie, smoke, and tabby patterns appear across those same base colours. The shaded coat that launched the programme is recognised in its own right as the Burmilla. For all that variety, every coat carries the same close, low-maintenance texture.
The Asian is affectionate, intelligent, and highly sociable, forming strong bonds with its people, mixing well with other pets, and talking in a distinctive voice.
The Asian is an outgoing, people-focused cat. It looks for contact with its household and gravitates to wherever the activity is, settling on a lap, draping over a shoulder, or parking itself beside whoever is at work. It bonds tightly with its family and makes its attachment to them plain.
With strangers the Asian tends towards confidence rather than shyness, and it will often go to meet a visitor rather than take cover. It mixes happily with other cats and frequently accepts cat-friendly dogs, which suits it to a multi-pet home. With children it stays patient so long as handling is gentle.
The breed is bright and stays curious about its surroundings, picking up routines fast and dreaming up games of its own. It is talkative and will keep up a running commentary with its owner, though the voice is softer and less piercing than a Siamese. Long spells of solitude do not suit the Asian, and it can grow unhappy if it is regularly left alone all day.
| Trait | Rating |
|---|---|
| Affection | 5 |
| Energy | 4 |
| Trainability | 4 |
| Vocalness | 4 |
| Shedding | 2 |
The Asian asks little in grooming thanks to its short coat, but it needs steady daily interaction, play, and company to stay settled.
The Asian does best in a home where someone is about for much of the day. It settles into indoor living well when given enough stimulation and height to climb. Being so sociable, it can take company from a second cat while the household is out, though that never fully replaces human attention.
The Asian does well on a balanced meat-based diet fed in measured portions across two meals a day, with care taken not to overfeed.
As an obligate carnivore, the Asian needs a diet centred on animal protein. A complete commercial cat food that meets recognised nutritional standards covers its needs at each life stage. Wet and dry foods both suit it, and many owners feed a mix, so the cat draws moisture from the wet food alongside the convenience of dry. Fresh water should always be on offer.
How much to serve turns on age, weight, and activity. The figures below are general starting points; adjust them to body condition and a vet's advice.
| Life stage | Amount per day | Meals |
|---|---|---|
| Kitten (2 to 12 months) | Per pack guide, free-fed or 3 to 4 meals | 3 to 4 |
| Adult (1 to 7 years) | About 45 to 65 g dry, or equivalent wet | 2 |
| Senior (7+ years) | Adjusted to weight and activity | 2 |
Hold treats to no more than about 10 percent of daily calories to keep weight in check. A cat on a complete, balanced food usually needs no supplements. Talk over any addition, such as joint support for an older cat, with a vet before you start it.
The Asian is generally healthy with a lifespan of 12 to 18 years, though it shares some conditions seen in the Burmese line and benefits from routine veterinary care.
The Asian is a hardy breed and most cats see out long, healthy lives. A typical lifespan runs 12 to 18 years with good care. Since the breed shares ancestry with the Burmese, it can carry some of the same inherited tendencies, so choosing a breeder who screens their cats matters. Routine checkups, dental care, and keeping weight under control all help towards a long life.
| Condition | Signs | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Dental disease | Bad breath, drooling, trouble eating | Common in cats; regular brushing helps |
| Diabetes mellitus | Increased thirst, weight loss, more urination | Linked to the Burmese line; manage weight |
| Hypokalaemia | Muscle weakness, neck weakness | Inherited low blood potassium seen in some lines |
| Obesity | Weight gain, low activity | Prevent with measured portions and play |
The Asian is intelligent and quick to learn, responding well to short reward-based sessions for tricks, recall, and good litter and scratching habits.
The Asian's intelligence and focus on people make it one of the more trainable cat breeds. It learns its name and household routines quickly and, with patience, will pick up tricks, recall, and even harness walking. Training also gives the breed's energy and curiosity a productive outlet, which trims back the mischief. Keep sessions short, since cats lose interest faster than dogs.
Asian queens mature around five to nine months, carry litters for roughly 63 to 67 days, and usually produce four to six kittens that rely on the mother through their early weeks.
Female Asians can reach sexual maturity from around five to nine months, though responsible breeders hold off until the queen is physically mature, usually past a year, before a first litter. Mating follows the queen's heat cycle. Gestation runs about 63 to 67 days.
Litters usually come to four to six kittens, with some variation either way. Newborns arrive blind and wholly dependent on the mother for warmth and feeding. Their eyes open at around one to two weeks, weaning begins near four weeks, and it wraps up around seven to eight weeks. Because the Asian is so social, kittens gain from gentle handling and early exposure to household life, which lays down the confident temperament the breed is known for. Kittens normally head to new homes from about twelve to thirteen weeks, once their first vaccinations are done. Breeders should screen the parents for the inherited conditions seen in the Burmese line before mating.
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Sexual maturity | About 5 to 9 months |
| Recommended first breeding | After 12 months |
| Gestation | 63 to 67 days |
| Average litter size | 4 to 6 kittens |
| Weaning age | 7 to 8 weeks |
| Ready for new home | 12 to 13 weeks |
Free lifetime registration for your Asian cat, chip record included, searchable wherever in the country she wanders.
An Asian cat does not need to roam to go missing; one open window does it. Her free United Pet Club profile keeps your details, her photo, and her chip number together where a vet or shelter can find them. Cat registration never costs a cent, now or later.
Scanners find chips in seconds; the question is what the number points at. Point your Asian cat's chip at a live record: free with the lifetime plan, open to all brands, kept current through every move without charges. Microchip registration plus a free account, and she's covered.
Free with United Pet Club: set up an account, add her name, colouring, and a photo, and the profile's live for her whole life. A chip isn't required to start.
Enter the 15-digit number into your free account with your current details. Registration and updates never cost anything, whatever brand of chip your vet used.
Several states and territories require it, and shelters chip before rehoming as standard. Requirement or not, the register entry with your current number is what actually brings an Asian cat home.
Nothing at all. United Pet Club's lifetime plan covers her profile, the chip record, and every update, with no annual renewal.
Common questions about the Asian cat cover its size, temperament, care needs, lifespan, suitability, and availability.
It is a medium breed, usually weighing between 4 and 6.5 kilograms, with toms larger than queens. The body is muscular and heavier than it looks for its size.
It is affectionate, intelligent, sociable, and vocal. It bonds closely with its people, greets visitors confidently, and usually gets along with other cats and cat-friendly dogs.
No. The short coat needs only weekly brushing, and the main requirement is company and daily play. Its needs run to attention rather than grooming.
Most live 12 to 18 years with good nutrition, routine veterinary care, and a healthy weight.
Yes, for families that are home often. It does well with gentle children and other pets but dislikes being left alone for long periods.
They are most common in the United Kingdom and bred by a small number of breeders, so availability elsewhere is limited. Expect a wait list with reputable breeders.
