| Birmans are famously quiet, placid, gentle cats with great dignity and beauty. They possess an easy going nature and enjoy the company of humans and other household pets and are playful though not boisterous. |
| Birmans are semi long-haired colour point cats. The original colouring of the Birman is the seal point. However blue, chocolate and lilac are recognised in Britain as are the tabby and tortie. The white feet are characteristic of the Birman, white gloves on the front feet and white gauntlets on the back legs. |
| Also known as the sacred cat of Burma, the Birman is truly a cat of mystery. One attractive legend states that long before the birth of Christ, the Khmer civilisation of Asia built beautiful temples in which to worship their gods. Khmer worshipped a golden goddess with sapphire blue eyes. Their faith in reincarnation required that they keep one hundred white temple cats, as it was believed that the priests of the temple would return in the form of the sacred cats of Burma. One moonlight night, raiders murdered a priest while he kept vigil over the goddess. One of the faithful white temple cats was found standing on the head of his dying master and gazing sadly into the sapphire eyes of the goddess, so continuing the vigil. As the priest died, the cats fur turned into gold and his yellow eyes became as blue as those of the goddess herself. Where his feet touched the priests body, the fur became white, a symbol of purity. The eyes of the remaining ninety nine cats were also tuned blue, their coats became gold and their feet white. It was believed that when one of the temple cats died, the soul of the priest who had returned in feline form was carried into Paradise. |