Birman Cat

Seal Point Birman Cat Photograph by Kristin Kokkersvold. License: Public Domain.

Birmans are a semi-longhaired breed of cat with robust bodies and short legs. Their paws should be small and round. Birmans' fur is white on most of their bodies and on the paws, with markings on the 'points' of their bodies: their ears, the tips of their tails, their faces and their legs. These points can be any one of a large range of colours. The Birman cat's eyes are very large and strikingly blue. There should be a fluffy collar of fur around their necks, and their tails are long and very bushy. They plume out and the tip is coloured.

Size

Large

Colours

Seal, blue, lilac, red, cream, chocolate, seal tortie (female only breed), seal tortie tabby, blue tabby, seal tabby

Temperament

Birman cats are extremely docile and relaxed animals. They enjoy lying around the house and bond closely with their owners. Birmans are not particularly loud or verbal cats, but they are very loyal and will follow their owners around. They will always be in the same room as their owners and purr perpetually. They are inquisitive, intelligent and playful. They get along well with other animals and are very sociable.

Suitable for

Families, particularly with young children

Care

Birman cats will need brushed at least two or three times a week and will need bathed at least every season to maintain their coats.

History

Birman cats are said to have been created by Burmese priests, who sent a pair to France as a gift of thanks to the French military for helping them to leave Burma when forced out. The female was pregnant at the time, and the breed was established in Europe throughout the 1900s.