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Birman Cat
IntroductionBy all accounts this breed has a fine and balanced temperament. In both the picture above of Happy and of Hidden below, the playful and inquisitive nature of this cat is well captured by Helmi. The origin of this breed, in the Western World, is from the importation of a female Birman Cat from Burma into France (see below). She had kittens, the only survivor of which was a female, who was outcrossed with Siamese, Colourpoints (Himalayans) and White Longhairs. The development of the breed in the West had then begun. Some, though, argue that the breed has been created after the war through selective breeding of Siamese and black and white longhaired cats (denying the importation story). You make your choice 
The origin and history of the cat breeds is frequently hazy and
sometimes
lacks credibility.
The Birman Cat is shrouded in legend going back to pre 653 BC (the birth of Buddha). In outline, the legend is that the coat of a white cat, the companion of a temple priest, turned into the Birman markings we now see, on her master's murder and when she faced the goddess of the temple, Tsun-Kyan-Kse. These are quasi-religious stories, enjoyable but no more than that and certainly no help in establishing the exact origins of this breed.
The picture opposite evokes, to a certain extent, the image created by the legend of the beginnings of this breed. It is a picture of a white temple cat in Burma and perhaps a young priest studying. Appearance and CharacterThis cat has the standard colourpoint pattern and in addition white feet. This is very similar to the Snowshoe Cat in terms of coat colour and pattern. It would be useful to have a look at the Snowshoe cat on this website, as the same genetics are at work.The Piebald gene (white spotting gene) produces the white (gloved) feet, which should ideally have a nice clean edge and be symmetrical. The coat is not as long as the Persian's (it has been bred long in the Persian - too long in some cases, I believe) and is therefore easier to maintain. Helmi's great photographs show you the texture and color of the coat. The color points are pure seal, chocolate, blue, red, lilac or cream. You might like to look at the Traditional Siamese page for some pictures of these point colors. The Birman Cat has round, blue eyes and a cobby (stocky) and large body. It is her character that some might find the most appealing feature of this cat; intelligent, companionable, playful and pleasant. My research indicates no particular health related issues with this breed.
History
NamesThere is a convention that can be adopted for naming the Birman Cat. There is also a naming convention for another cat that originates in France, the Chartreux. The Chartreux truly does originate in France, while the Birman's presence in the Western World started in France.If the convention is followed, the first letter of the name, in the USA, should begin with "A" for cats born in 2003 (it was "Z" for 2002). For each subsequent year the first letter advances through the alphabet. This doesn't seem to be the case for Happy and Hidden however (I am waiting for someone to tell me different ). Although for Boss below this tells us that he was born in 2004.
BreedersThere are of course many more breeders of this cat than listed here, but these are the only cat breeder sites, as non-directory sites, in the first 30 Google listings.Taron Birmans Located Pittsboro, North Carolina, USA. Nice website with a good Google PageRank. Felonie Birmans Located near Salisbury, England, Breeding for about 20 years (at 2008). Russpurrz Located in Central/Southern Illinois, USA. Breeding since 1991. From Birman Cat to Home Page
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