Birman cat, care, origin and characteristics

The Burmese cat or Birman cat is a beautiful breed of feline characterized by being a version of the Siamese cat.

They are noble, playful, and sociable, they love to spend time with their family and they are characterized mainly by their white gloves and for having an origin full of legends.

 We invite you to discover everything about this cat breed in this article!

Origin of the Birman cat

This breed has its origin in the Asian country of Birman, and in 1916 it arrived in Europe, specifically in France, and later, in 1920 they arrived in England, but it was not until 1925 that they were officially recognized while in 1967 they became a recognized breed in the United States.

They are the result of the crossing of the Siamese cat, from which they inherited many of their characteristics, and the Persian. Nowadays this breed is among the 10 most popular breeds in the world.

The origin of this cat is full of hypotheses and legends. Among the most famous is said that many centuries ago in the temple of Lao-Tsun, a priest named Mun-Ha was kneeling worshiping the goddess Tsun-Kyan-Kse with his cat beside him, when thieves raided the temple and murdered him, then his beloved cat named Sinh put his paws on his lifeless body, taking after this the characteristics mentioned above that are so unique to the breed.

After World War II the Birman cat was almost extinct, only a couple of them remained, and it took a long time to recover the breed.

The Birman cat is today recognized by the main cat registries, but not all registries allow all colors. Cat-friendly associations recognize two types: the Birman and the European Birman.

Physical characteristics of the Birman cat

Size: between 30 and 40 cm.

Weight: 3-5 kg, females are usually smaller and males can exceed 5 kg.

Eyes: large, almond-shaped, blue.

Ears: are small and rounded at the tip, set wide apart.

Coat: It is semi-long and mostly white, with coloring only on some extremities such as the nose, paws, tail, and ears. 

The base color or the one that defines the cat is only evident in the colder parts of the body, that is, in the points, and is described as follows:

• Seal-point: black base color.
• Blue-point: black base color diluted towards blue.
• Chocolate-point: brown base color.
• Cinnamon-point: red color is the base color and is only visible in the points.
• Fawn-point: cats with cinnamon base color diluted towards fawn.
• Lilac-point: lilac is the dilution of brown and, therefore, is only visible on the extremities.
• Red-point: these are the sacred Birmans that have a red base color.
• Cream-point: the cream color is only visible on the points, and is the dilution of the red.

Body: it is elongated, muscular, and semi-heavy, his head is heart-shaped with a medium-sized muzzle, his legs are stocky and his tail is long and bushy.

Life expectancy: usually 14 to 16 years, which is above average.

Birman cat character

They are ideal as family pets since they have been bred as companion cats for generations, they are curious, attentive, and very intelligent.

They have a beautiful physique, in fact, they are considered as one of the most beautiful by many critics of cat shows and contests.

They are docile and easy to tame, so they adapt to other pets and humans without any problem, they enjoy peace but do not tolerate loneliness well, you should keep an eye on them, sometimes they can be quite distracted.

They like to feel the company of their family and are not necessarily one person, and tend to have a lot of eye contact with their favorite people.

They are talkative, using a very pleasant meow, usually meowing when they want attention, and if you constantly respond to their meows, the Birman can have long and frequent "chats" with you.

Birman cat care

• Its semi-long coat has a little undercoat, so it does not tend to get tangled and only needs to be brushed once or twice a week.
• Clean his eyes regularly, wiping them with wet wipes or the products recommended by your veterinarian.
• Clean his ears and tail periodically, to prevent infections and in general plays in favor of his health.
• Brush his teeth once a week to avoid periodontal disease.
• It is essential to stimulate him with toys that keep him active and with which he can drain all his energy and avoid overweight.
• You should protect them extra when there are sudden temperature changes to prevent them from developing diseases.

Feeding

It is necessary to give him food that is adequate for the stage of life in which he is, in order to give him the nutrients he requires; however, his diet should be based on high-quality wet food, with a high content of meat and abundant animal proteins.

The health of the Birman cat

Although the Birman cat is usually in good health, there are a number of conditions that can compromise his health.

The Birman cat is prone to hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, which is characterized by poor contraction of the walls of the heart.

Also, feline spongiform degeneration is a degenerative disease of the central nervous system of the sick cat. Concentrations of creatinine in the blood can indicate a kidney problem.

Congenital hypotrichosis, is a rare disease consisting of a lack of hair in the kittens, although it is very unlikely.

Thymic Aplasia, a rare immune system deficiency, alterations of the CS gene, can lead to the development of cataracts in the vegetative stage.

Trichobezoars, which is an accumulation of hairballs in the digestive tract.

Now you know more about the Birman cat!

We hope you have learned something new about this beautiful breed, they are undoubtedly the ideal type of cat for people who love to spend time with a good companion, our main recommendation is that you should give them a lot of love and attention because the Birman cat is very affectionate and talkative.