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At
a glance...
Body Size... Medium
Coat Length... Long
Life span... 15 yrs |
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Birman |
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A~ Z index |
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Description... |
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 The Birman is a sturdy cat
with a stocky body and rounded head. The eyes are round and
brilliant blue, and the face has a sweet expression. The coat of the
Birman is long and silky, with the body a light golden colour, and coloured points. The dark brown, or seal point, is the most common.
Accepted point colours in Birman s are cream, red, lilac, chocolate,
seal, and blue. Other point colours exist. All Birman s have four
white feet. |
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History...
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 The Birman is the Sacred Cat of
Burma, modern day Myanmar. Legend holds that the Birman developed
its unique colour markings when they were temple cats. Originally, so
the legend goes, the guardians of the Temple of Lao Tsun were
long-haired white cats with yellow eyes. The temple goddess was
Tsun-Kyan-Kse, a golden goddess with blue eyes. Mun-ha, the head
priest of this legendary time kept a companion cat named Sinh, one
of the white temple guardian cats. One day the temple was attacked
and Mun-ha was killed. At the moment of his death, Sinh placed his
paws on the priest's body and faced the goddess. The cat's white fur
took on the golden hue of the goddess, and his eyes turned goddess
blue. His face, ears, legs and tail became the colour of earth, but
his paws, where they touched the priest, remained white as a symbol
of purity. All the other temple cats became similarly coloured. Sinh
then left this life and took Mun Ha's soul to paradise. The first Birman s were seen in the western world when two Europeans, Auguste
Pavie and Major Gordon Russell, either smuggled out or were
presented with a breeding pair of Birman cats by temple priests in
1919. The male cat did not survive the journey to Europe, but a
pregnant female did, and is the progenitor of Birman s outside of
Myanmar. |
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Traits...
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This breed is affectionate,
playful and gentle. They are quiet and unobtrusive, and are a good
family pet. |
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Health...
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Respiratory disease can be
a problem with this breed in catteries. Buy your Birman from a
breeder with a clean facility that vaccinates and maintains
appropriate hygiene for control of respiratory viruses. |
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Summary...
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Although Birman s have a
long coat, it is silky and does not mat badly if brushed regularly.
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