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Birman Cat

While the exact origins of the Birman cat breed are unknown, many believe they originated from temples in Burma (Myanmar) as companions to priests. Stories exist of pairs of Birmans being given or smuggled as gifts from Burma to France in the early 1900s. The breed was nearly wiped out during World War II but was rebuilt in the following decades using other long-haired breeds like Persian and Siamese. Birmans have distinctive pointed coats and white "gloves" on their paws and are now recognized worldwide in various point colors.

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236 views

Birman Cat

While the exact origins of the Birman cat breed are unknown, many believe they originated from temples in Burma (Myanmar) as companions to priests. Stories exist of pairs of Birmans being given or smuggled as gifts from Burma to France in the early 1900s. The breed was nearly wiped out during World War II but was rebuilt in the following decades using other long-haired breeds like Persian and Siamese. Birmans have distinctive pointed coats and white "gloves" on their paws and are now recognized worldwide in various point colors.

Uploaded by

FibyToby
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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History

No clear record of the breed's origin exists. They are most often claimed to have originated
as the companions of temple priests in northern Burma in the Mount of Lugh.[1] Many
stories exist of how the cats first came to France, including pairs of cats being given as a
reward for helping defend a temple, or being smuggled out of Burma by a Vanderbilt.[1][4]
Another pair of Birmans (or a pregnant female called Poupée de Maldapour) were said to
have been stolen and later imported to France by Thadde Haddisch.[5] The first traces of
historical Birmans go back to a Mme Leotardi[6] in Nice, France.
Many believe, as legend will tell, that the breed originated in Burma (now known as
Myanmar) among the temples of ancient times and alongside priests; however, there are
also some that later believed the felines came to Europe, namely France, from somewhere in
Asia, which has been spread from other legends and stories passed around as well.
Regardless of the numerous stories and folklore that go around, there is a positivity that the
Birman cat breed was found in France as early as the 1920s, and many different stories
continue to surface about the mystique that lies behind their history.
Birmans were almost wiped out as a breed during World War II. Only two cats were alive in
Europe at the end of the war, a pair named Orloff and Xenia de Kaabaa, both belonging to
Baudoin-Crevoisier. The foundation of the breed in postwar France were offspring of this
pair. They had to be heavily outcrossed with long-hair breeds such as Persian and Siamese to
rebuild the Birman breed. By the early 1950s, pure Birman litters were again being
produced. The restored breed was recognized in Britain in 1965 and by the CFA in 1966.[8]
The first Birman cats were seal point. The blue point colour was introduced in 1959 using
blue Persian lines. New colours were later added by English breeders including chocolate,
red, and tabby/lynx points.[9] Birmans have also been used in the development of new
breeds such as the Ragdoll.[10]
Appearance
Birmans have a medium-sized, rectangular body with a broad face and distinct Roman nose.
Their ears are ideally as wide on the base as they are tall and should be set as much on top
of the head as on the side. The eyes are rounded and should be a deep sapphire blue.
The Birman's fur is medium-long and should have a silky texture. Unlike a Persian or
Himalayan, they have no undercoat, thus are much less prone to matting. Coat colour is
always pointed, save for the contrasting pure white, symmetrical "gloves" on each paw that
are the trademark of the breed. The white must involve all toes and in front must stop at the
articulation or at the transition of toes to metacarpals. These gloves should extend
noticeably further up the back of the leg (referred to as the "laces"), finishing with an
inverted V extended half to three-fourths up the hock. Any other spot of white on the points
is considered a serious fault. The base body colour is white to cream, with a wash of colour
that corresponds to the points, but is much paler.
Recognized point colours are seal, chocolate, blue, lilac (a softer silver-grey), red, or cream.
[11] Tabby and tortie variations in seal, chocolate, blue or lilac are also allowed; other
colours are in development.[

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