The Birman

The Birman as the name indicates was a breed that was originally developed in Burma. Legend has it that they were reared by the Kittah priests and were revered as the guardians of some sacred temples. The breeding of Birmans in Europe took off sometime in the early part of the 19th century. By 1925 they were recognized as a separate breed in France and in 1966 in England.

Though bred to be big, stocky cats, Birmans with their round, blue eyes, Roman nose and low set nostrils are known to be quiet, gentle and playful but not mischevious cats. With long silky fur, the normal Birman coat has a lovely golden glow to it.

The "points" - face, legs and tail - are darker, with color patterns of seal point, blue point, chocolate point and lilac point just like the Siamese cats.

White gloves on the front feet, ideally should run across in an even line, while on the back feet they should end at the back of the leg, at the laces.

A rare treasure is the Birman with four perfectly white gloves.