Birman

Folk tales abound about how the Birman got its markings, but its real history keeps everyone guessing ^[1]. What is known: around 1919 a breeding pair was shipped from Burma to France. The female arrived pregnant and became the foundation of the breed in France ^[1]. The name comes from "Birmanie", French for Burma ^[1]. After World War II only one breeding pair was left in Europe. French breeders rebuilt the breed by outcrossing to Persians and Siamese, and by the early 1950s pure Birman litters were being born again ^[1]. The breed reached the US in 1959 and CFA accepted it for registration in 1967 ^[1].

• Body: medium to large, elongated and stocky, neither svelte nor cobby ^[1].
• Head: broad and rounded, with strong jaws and a medium-length Roman nose; almost-round blue eyes set well apart ^[1].
• Coat: long and silky; pale body with darker face, legs and tail, sometimes with a "golden mist" on the back ^[1].
• Feet: the bicolour gene gives white "gloves" on the front paws and "laces" on the back ^[1].
• Colours: originally only seal, blue, lilac and chocolate points; now also tabby, red, cream and tortie points ^[1].
• Maturity: about three years ^[1].

Birmans are intelligent, enjoy learning and usually train well ^[1]. They're sociable, playful and like attention; moderately active, but very "helpful" with household tasks ^[1]. Patient and tolerant, they're an excellent choice for families with children and other pets ^[1]. They don't do well alone for long, so if you work away from home, consider a pair ^[1]. Most are soft-spoken, with chirp-like voices, though a cat whose meows always get answered may become quite a talker ^[1].

• Coat: sheds less than most longhairs and has no undercoat to mat; weekly combing is usually enough ^[1].
• Bathing: not routinely needed; ask your breeder about products if you do ^[1].
• Company: plenty of time with people or a feline friend ^[1].

• Testing: CFA says testing for hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) and other conditions has helped breeders keep a healthy, diverse gene pool ^[1].
• Lifespan: median 16.1 years in a UK study, but from only 12 cats, so treat it with caution ^[3]. A 2024 study estimated life expectancy at birth at about 14.4 years ^[4].

Ask the breeder about the parents' test results, and talk to your vet about any specific concern.

Don't confuse with…

• Burmese: very short glossy coat, solid colour, gold eyes ^[5].
• Ragdoll: also a blue-eyed colourpoint, but a large breed, and not all have four white feet ^[6].
• Himalayan: blue-eyed colourpoint with a flat Persian face ^[7].

• "Birman" comes from "Birmanie", French for Burma ^[1].
• Many breeders name kittens by a letter assigned to each year ^[1].
• The white on the front paws is "gloves"; on the back, "laces" ^[1].