Birman cats or Burman cats?

The origin of the name would appear to be French - the French name for Burma - the original home of this breed - was Birmanie and these cats were called Sacre de Birmanie. In the UK and the US, they are known as Birman Cats or the Sacred Cat of Burma.

The French were the first to import Birman cats to Europe around 1919. The offspring were mated to a male Siamese cat and this is how the breed was put on the map.

The US and UK were surprisingly slow to take to this semi-long hair breed (1959 and 1964 respectively) but the breed did eventually take off, not surprisingly given these cats' beauty and glamour.

What do they look like?

I think the best word to describe them would be FLUFFY. After that, rounded with the look of a lady's powderpuff! For Siamese lovers, you get the Siamese points in all the regular shades and of course the fabulous blue eyes.

But were you so mesmerised by those China blue eyes that you missed the obvious difference?

These cats have pure white socks, and their hind legs a white streak that goes up the back of their legs. You won't be surprised that there is a story to explain these unusual white feet.

Let me tell you a little story about how the Birman cat came to be. It's not my story, but it's a fable that's been told over and over again, a poignant story of cats with little white feet.

Many visitors to Burma know that temples often have temple cats. One temple, nestled along a riverbank, was unusual: it had 100 white cats, possibly with Siamese points. The goddess, Tsun-Kyan-Kse, was worshipped there: she was the gatekeeper for dead souls on their way to nirvana, or paradise.

The goddess was portrayed in gold, with brilliant blue eyes. An old and devoted monk called Mun Ha or Mun Hawho, possibly the leader of the temple, was a natural cat lover - the cats were believed to house the souls of departed monks.

Of all the cats his favourite was called Sinh.

One day, while he was deep in meditation, the temple was attacked and Mun Ha was killed. His loyal Sinh remained with him and as he breathed his last breath, the monk's soul passed into Sinh. The cat was transformed. His coat glowed like gold and his eyes turned blue, just like the goddess, and his paws turned white because they rested on the monk, whose soul was pure.

Sinh was transfixed. He stood still, eating nothing, worshipping the goddess. After 7 days, he died, releasing the monk's soul to heaven.

As for the remaining 99 temple cats, they were magically transformed into copies of the now holy Sinh, and thus we are blessed with the special and kind cats we know as the Birman.

Don't worry too much about managing a cat with long-ish fur because unlike Persians that need constant grooming, this breed doesn't have the same thick undercoat, just a semi-long silky coat. They still need grooming of course and obviously need more care than the Siamese cat, so if this is a problem because you have such a busy lifestyle, then you will have to let this lovely Birman go to others with more time at home.

According to breeders, the Birman cat is more docile than the Siamese, and calmer, almost zen! However don't bank on this because not all cats fit the mold. They love - some might say crave - company and love to be with you wherever you are. Sweet!

But can you handle this? Or would you consider it clinging and something that would get on your nerves? If not, then this cat should be perfect!

What colours are there? The usual Siamese colours: seal, chocolate, blue and lilac and all the colours of the Siamese cat. You should be able to find your favourite, although the rarer ones may require travel further afield.

For those of you who are serious about cat shows, the GCCF put the Birmans in the semi-longhair section. The breed is called 13C with numbers after the C designating the colour points.

According to TICA, the Birman is found within 'Category 1' which contains the established breeds. After that the breed is defined as Category: Pointed, Division: Particolors, Color: All and with no permissible outcrosses allowed. TICA is an international breeders club made up of regions. For example the UK is part of the Europe North Region.

TIP: There are many other cat clubs and they all have their own rules, regulations and ways of doing business. If you're thinking of becoming a cat breeder, the clubs will introduce you to like-minded people, and help you avoid the many mistakes others have made before you.

The Templecat

This is a new breed which is being developed, so you might find it hard to actually buy one yet.

What does it look like? Just like the Birman but this cat has a short haired coat. It is a little like the Snowshoe but the Snowshoe has a white v shaped blaze on the face. At present if you can't get a Templecat then the Snoeshoe is going to be as close as you can get if you are after a cat with Siamese points, white feet and a more stocky build. These cats have a quieter personality and generally like to be underfoot whether you want them to be or not!

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