Birman
About the Breed
When a cat breed is known as the Sacred Cat of Burma, you would expect it to possess an exceptionally sweet nature along with a gentle demeanor and a quiet dignity all its own. The Birman fulfills all these expectations and more. There’s an otherworldly cast to those enchanting blue eyes and a majestic air that accompanies these medium-to-large cats, their fine, flowing coats subtly tinted with “golden mist” and their long yet stocky bodies accented with elegant, symmetrical markings. It’s easy to see why the Birman has made such a powerful impression on cat lovers worldwide, and why it is considered a cat of mystery and legend.
Breed History
Numerous folk tales describe how the Birman obtained its unique markings, while the real Birman history keeps everyone guessing. We know that a breeding pair was shipped from Burma to France in approximately 1919; the female arrived pregnant and became the foundation of the breed in France. The name is derived from “Birmanie,“ the French form of Burma. The Birman arrived in the United States in 1959 and was accepted for CFA registration in 1967. Many Birman breeders follow the French tradition of assigning all kittens born in a particular year given names that begin with the same letter of the alphabet. Kittens born in 2023 would have names starting with ‘U’, and in 2024, ‘V’, and so on till the alphabet is complete, then the cycle begins again.
GENERAL
A cat of mystery and legend, the Birman is a color-pointed cat with long silky hair and four pure white feet. It is strongly built, elongated, and stocky, neither svelte nor cobby. The distinctive head has strong jaws, firm chin, and medium-length Roman nose. There should be good width between the ears, which are medium in size. The blue, almost round eyes are set well apart, giving a sweet expression to the face.
HEAD
Skull strong, broad, and rounded. There is a slight flat spot just in front of each ear and a slight flat spot on the forehead in between the ears.
NOSE/PROFILE
The forehead slopes back and is slightly convex, with a slight flat spot on the forehead in between the ears. The nose is medium in length and width, in proportion to the size of the head. The nose starts just below the eyes and is Roman (slightly convex) in shape and profile. The Roman nose creates nostrils that are set low on the nose leather.
CHEEKS
Full with somewhat rounded muzzle. Muzzle to be neither short and blunted nor pointed and narrow. The fur is short in appearance about the face, but to the extreme outer area of the cheek the fur is longer.
JAWS
Heavy.
CHIN
Strong and well-developed, with the lower jaw forming a perpendicular line with the upper lip.
EARS
Medium in length. Almost as wide at the base as tall. Modified to a rounded point at the tip; set as much to the side as into the top of the head.
EYES
Almost round with a sweet expression. Set well apart, with the outer corner tilted VERY slightly upward. Blue in color, the deeper and more vivid blue the better.
BODY
Elongated and stocky, with a good muscular feel. Females may be proportionately smaller than males.
LEGS
Medium in length and heavy.
PAWS
Large, round, and firm. Five toes in front, four behind.
TAIL
Medium in length, in pleasing proportion to the body.
COAT
Medium-long to long, silken in texture, with heavy ruff around the neck, slightly curly on the stomach. This fur is of such a texture that it does not mat.
COLOR EXCEPT GLOVES
Body: even, with subtle shading when allowed on all colors/patterns of more mature cats. Strong contrast between body color and points. Points except gloves: mask, ears, legs, and tail dense and clearly defined, all of the same shade. Mask covers the entire face including whisker pads and is connected to ears by tracings. No ticking or white hair in points.
Golden Mist: desirable in all points colors is the “golden mist,” a faint golden beige cast on the back and sides. This is somewhat deeper in the seal points and may be absent in kittens.
GLOVES
Front paws: Front paws have white gloves ending in an even line across the paw at, or between, the second or third joints. (The third joint is where the paw bends when the cat is standing.) The upper limit of white should be the metacarpal (dew) pad. (The metacarpal pad is the highest up little paw pad, located in the middle of the back of the front paw, above the third joint and just below the wrist bones.) Symmetry of the front gloves is desirable.
Back paws: White glove covers all the toes, and may extend up somewhat higher than front gloves. Symmetry of the rear gloves is desirable.
Laces: The gloves on the back paws must extend up the back of the hock, and are called laces in this area. Ideally, the laces end in a point or inverted “V” and extend 1/2 to 3/4 of the way up the hock. Lower or higher laces are acceptable, but should not go beyond the hock. Symmetry of the two laces is desirable.
Paw pads: Paw pads can be pink or a combination of pink and any other color, complementary to the point color.
Note: ideally, the front gloves match, the back gloves match, and the two laces match. Faultlessly gloved cats are a rare exception, and the Birman is to be judged on all its parts, as well as the gloves.
PENALIZE
White that does not run across the front paws in an even line. Lack of white on all front toes. Persian or Siamese type head. Delicate bone structure. White shading on stomach and chest. Lack of laces on one or both back gloves. White beyond the metacarpal (dew) pad. (The metacarpal pad is the highest up little paw pad, located in the middle of the back of the front paw, above the third joint and just below the wrist bones.)
DISQUALIFY
Lack of white gloves on any paw. Kinked or abnormal tail. Structural defects or abnormalities. Crossed eyes. Incorrect number of toes. Areas of pure white in the points, if not connected to the gloves and part of or an extension of the gloves. Paw pads are part of the gloves. Areas of white connected to other areas of white by paw pads (of any color) are not cause for disqualification. Discrete areas of point color in the gloves, if not connected to point color of legs (exception, paw pads). White on back legs beyond the hock. Eye color other than blue. White tail tips or chin spots.
SEAL POINT: body even pale fawn to cream, warm in tone, shading gradually to lighter color on the stomach and chest. Points, except for gloves, deep seal brown. Nose leather: same color as points.
BLUE POINT: body bluish white to pale ivory, shading gradually to almost white on stomach and chest. Points, except for gloves, slate blue. Nose leather: slate blue.
CHOCOLATE POINT: body ivory. Points, except for gloves, milk-chocolate color, warm in tone. Nose leather: cinnamon-pink.
LILAC POINT: almost white. Points, except for gloves, frosty grey with pinkish tone. Nose leather: lavender-pink.