 The
Birman cat is believed to have originated in Burma, where it was
considered sacred, the companion cat of the Kittah priests. There
is a legend as to how the Birmans developed the colors they are
today: “Originally, the guardians of the Temple of LaoTsun were
yellow-eyed white cats with long hair. The golden goddess of the
temple, Tsun-Kyan-Kse, had deep blue eyes. The head priest, Mun-Ha,
had as his companion a beautiful cat named Sinh. One day the
temple was attacked and Mun-Ha was killed. At the moment of his
death, Sinh placed his feet on his master and faced the goddess.
The cat’s white fur took on a golden cast, his eyes turned as
blue as the eyes of the goddess, and his face, legs and tail
became the color of earth. However, his paws, where they touched
the priest, remained white as a symbol of purity. All the other
temple cats became similarly colored. Seven days later, Sinh died,
taking the soul of Mun-Ha to paradise.”
Other
Names
Sacred Cat of Burma
Native
Country
France
Breed
Description
Build: medium
to large, quite heavy
Head: fairly
round and broad
Face: standard
Ears: medium
Eyes: almost
round, well apart and slightly slanted, sapphire in colour
Tail: medium
length, bushy
Legs: thick,
with white paws on all feet
Coat: medium
length, silky and non-matting
History
Very impressive,
with dark blue eyes and white gloves Having appeared recently in
Europe, this cat’s origins are still mysterious. British
travelers are thought to have brought back a pair of cats from the
so-called Lao-tsun Temple in Burma. A certain Ms. Leotardi in
southern France owned Poupée de Madalpour, a seal point Birman
shown in Paris in 1926. This cat’s parents, from Burma, were
given to Leotardi by a certain Ms. Thadde-Haddish. Actually, the
first specimens resulted from a cross between a Siamese with white
markings on the paws and a longhaired cat (Angora or Persian) made
in the 1920s in the Nice region of France. By around 1930, a male
seal point named Dieu d’Arakan was the star of the shows. The
breed nearly disappeared during World War II. After the war,
colorpoint Persian blood was added to limit inbreeding. In 1950,
the breed was named Chat sacré de Birmanie (Birman in English) in
order to avoid any confusion with “Burmese,” the adjective
form of the word Burma. Introduced to the United States in
1959-1960 and to Great Britain in 1965, where it was officially
recognized, this highly prized breed has become very popular.
Behavior
Halfway between
the Persian and the Siamese, the Birman is calm, well-balanced,
and neither passive nor exuberant. He is friendly toward other
cats and toward dogs. Playful Birmans are good companions for
children, but they also like peace and quiet. Gentle, affectionate
(especially males), and often somewhat possessive, Birmans do not
tolerate indifference and are even less fond of solitude. They
have a soft voice. They require daily brushing during the
shedding season. Otherwise, weekly brushing and combing are
enough.
|
