Many cats come with unique stories attached, but the Birman is unique in that the breed is surrounded in mystery. As the legend goes, a Kittah priest called Mun-Ha was worshiping at the Temple of Lao-Tsun, accompanied by a white temple cat named Sinh.
Raiders entered the temple and killed Mun-Ha. As the priest lay dying, Sinh placed his feet on his body and faced the goddess Tsun-Kyan-Kse. The cat was transformed; his body turns to a golden color, his eyes turned blue, and his legs changed to brown. His feet remained white where they touched his master. Legend says that the Birman cat’s white feet are a symbol of purity.
At the same time, the rest of the temple cats were transformed, taking on the same appearance as Sinh.
The temple of Lao-Tsun was actually raided again in 1919. Two men, Major Gordon Russell and Auguste Pavie, came to the aid of the priests. As a gesture of gratitude, the priests gave the men a breeding pair of Birman cats, which were transported to France. It is believed that many Birman foundation cats were Siamese.
Sadly, the end of World War II saw only one pair of Birman cats remaining alive, even though the breed had begun to gain popularity. By the 1960s though, there were enough Birman cats to allow for importation into England. The breed gained popularity, and by 1966, was officially recognized by British cat fancy associations.
The first Birman cats arrived in America in 1959 and CFA granted the breed official recognition in 1967.