Birman
Origin
Burma
Height
8"-11"
Adult Weight
6-14 pounds
Life Span
12-16 years
TEMPERAMENT
Relaxed, affectionate, inquisitive, intelligent
OTHER NAMES
Sacred cat of Burma
Group
Medium sized longhair
Price
$400 - $1,000
Personality and Temperament
Care
- NUTRITION
- GROOMING
- EXERCISE
- HEALTH
Characteristics
History
The Breed Standard
Body
The Birman is a medium-sized cat with solid musculature.
Head
The head should be well rounded, without strong angles or flatness. Features should be strong. The cheek should be full, and the four head should slope back. The nose should be of medium length and should begin just below the eyes. It should have a Roman shape. The chin should be full with a slight taper, but should not recede.
Eyes
All Birman cats have round, blue eyes. Seal point Birman cats should have deep blue eye coloring. Cats with other coat colors display a lighter, brighter shade of blue.
Ears
The ears should be of medium size, with wide bases and rounded tips. The base of the ears should be nearly as wide as the ears are tall.
Legs & Paws
The legs should be strong and well-proportioned, and should appear slightly short in comparison to the body. The feet should be well rounded. All Birman cats have white paws. The white may cover the toes only, or may extend as far up as the joint between the foot and the leg. Ideally, all four feet should have the same amount of white; however, judges do make exceptions, particularly when a cat's back paws display more white than front paws.
Tail
The tail should be wider at the base and taper to a rounded tip. A Birman cat’s tail should be fully plumed, and should be of medium length.
Coat
The coat should be a single layer with a fine, soft feel. There is a slight ruff around the neck.
Color
At maturity, Birman cats are always color pointed, with the mask, ears, legs, and tail all clearly defined. The mask should cover the entire face, including the whisker pads, and should be connected to the ears by color tracings. The remainder of the coat should display a cream to golden tint and the belly should be an off-white color. Their coats colors may be sealed, chocolate, blue, lilac, cream, red, cinnamon, frost, or tortie. Their points may be solid or show a lynx pattern.