shorthair

Asian Tabby

Origin: United Kingdom

A member of the British Asian Group — Burmese in body and personality but dressed in a full tabby coat, combining a sleek muscular build with a warm, chatty, people-focused nature.

Origin: United Kingdom
Category: shorthair
Lifespan: 12–18 yrs
Size: Medium
Weight: 4–7 kg
Coat: Short, fine, glossy single coat
Colours: Ticked, classic, mackerel and spotted tabby in many base colours

😺 Temperament

OutgoingTalkativeAffectionatePlayful

🏡 Best suited to

FamiliesCompanion-seeking homesHouseholds with time to playMulti-cat homes

📊 Personality ratings

Activity level 4/5

Grooming needs 1/5

Friendliness 5/5

Vocality 4/5

Intelligence 4/5

📜 History & origin

The Asian Group grew out of an accidental 1980s British mating between a Burmese and a chinchilla Persian, which produced the Burmilla. Breeders then developed a whole family of Burmese-type cats in non-Burmese colours and patterns, of which the Asian Tabby is one. It has the Burmese's foreign-medium conformation and golden-eyed expression, but shows tabby markings in classic, mackerel, spotted or ticked form.

🧼 Care & grooming

The short, close coat needs little more than an occasional groom and shines with a balanced diet. What the Asian Tabby really needs is company and stimulation — like its Burmese ancestor it is a demanding, conversational companion that follows its people from room to room and sulks if ignored. Interactive play and a feline friend keep it happy.

🩺 Health notes

Broadly healthy, but the breed's Burmese heritage means it can carry risks associated with that line, including a susceptibility to diabetes and, rarely, hypokalaemic polymyopathy. Buy from breeders who screen their cats, and keep an eye on weight, dental health and the cat's characteristically hearty appetite.

Fun fact: Every colour and pattern in the Asian Group traces back to a single unplanned litter — the meeting of a lilac Burmese and a silver chinchilla Persian in 1981 that first produced the shimmering Burmilla.