Birman Cats

The origin of the Birman cat breed is thought to be among the Kittah priests of Burma. There is a legend that recounts a story of the development of the Birman cats’ characteristic appearance. In Burma, Birman cats that lived among the priests were considered sacred. The original cats that lived with the Kittah priests were said to be longhaired, white cats with yellow eyes.

While the temple of the Kittah priests was attacked, the head priest was killed. The head priest’s cat stood on its master and faced the golden goddess of the temple. The golden goddess had blue eyes. The cat began to transform, taking the eye color of the goddess, a golden cast to the fur, and the tail, face, and legs took on the brown appearance of earth. The paws remained white as a symbol of the priest’s purity. The other cats of the temple were similarly transformed.

A pair of Birman cats was shipped to France in the early twentieth century. The male cat did not survive the trip to France. However, the female survived and was pregnant. Though the Birman cat breed was accepted in France’s registry in 1925, the existence of Birmans was threatened by World War II. Only two Birmans survived World War II. Through careful crossbreeding, the cat breed’s existence outside of Burma was resurrected.

The appearance of Birman cats is as the legend describes. The color over the body is light, preferably with golden shading. The cat’s colored points are darker than the rest of the body. The white on each of the paws are preferred to be symmetrical by Cat Fanciers’ Association (CFA) standards.

Though the Birman cat has long hair, the hair is not prone to matting. Therefore, Birman cats do not require the daily frequency of grooming like a Persian cat requires. Occasional brushing is recommended. Along with the ease of grooming, Birman cats can often be left to free feed on cat food that is left out without the fear of becoming overweight like many cat breeds.

The body of a Birman cat is large and stocky. These cats are playful, but do not tend to be as involved or curious about the owner’s activities if the owner is busy. Birman cats often make affectionate, loving pets.