shorthair
Mandalay
Origin: New Zealand
New Zealand's home-grown Burmese cousin — a solid-coloured cat with a mirror-glossy coat and a deeply affectionate, almost dog-like devotion to its people.
- Origin
- New Zealand
- Category
- shorthair
- Lifespan
- 14–18 yrs
- Size
- Medium
- Weight
- 3.5–6 kg
- Coat
- Short, fine, exceptionally glossy
- Colours
- Solid black, chocolate, blue, lilac, cinnamon, fawn, red, cream
😺 Temperament
🏡 Best suited to
📊 Personality ratings
📜 History & origin
The Mandalay was developed in New Zealand from matings between Burmese and non-pedigree domestic cats, producing self-coloured (non-pointed) cats with the Burmese's rounded build and glossy coat but in a wider range of solid colours. The New Zealand Cat Fancy recognises it as a distinct breed. It is essentially New Zealand's answer to the Bombay and Asian Self, prized for its lacquer-like single-colour coat.
🧼 Care & grooming
One of the easiest cats to groom — the short, close-lying coat needs only an occasional stroke with a rubber brush or a chamois to keep its famous shine. The Mandalay's real need is companionship: it forms intense bonds, follows its owner from room to room, and does best in a home where it is not left alone all day. Plenty of interactive play satisfies its lively, curious mind.
🩺 Health notes
Drawing on Burmese ancestry, the Mandalay is generally robust and long-lived but can inherit some Burmese-associated concerns, so buying from a breeder who health-tests is wise. Routine dental care, vaccination and weight management cover most of its needs.