The Birman
The Birman is a very beautiful semi-longhaired cat. They were my first venture into the feline world around 1991 with the arrival of a chocolate point boy ( Fudge) and a half Birman, half mog called Letty.
Birmans have a colour pointed coat pattern, rather like that of a Siamese, and deep, beautiful 'china blue' eyes. Their one defining feature are their four snow white feet known as 'gloves' ( front feet ) and 'gauntlets' ( back feet ). There are twenty colours of Birman to choose from including seal , blue, chocolate, lilac, red and cream in solid, tabby, tortie and tortie tabby points.
Legend of the Birman
In a temple built on the side of Mount Lugh lived the very holy priest Kittah Mun-Ha. He lived in service to Tsun Kyan-Kse, the goddess with the sapphire eyes, who presided over the transmigration of soules, the one who permitted the Kittahs to live again in a holy animal for the duration of its life beore being transported to Heaven. Near him meditated Sinh, a cat with yellow eyes and a white body whose ears, nose, tail and legs were dark like the colour of the earth, a mark of impurity of all that touches the ground. One night raiders came to the templae as Mun-Ha lay dying, having at his side his sacret cat Sinh. It was then the miracle happened and the soul of the Holy Priest entered the body of his sacred cat. In a bound, Sinh was on the golden throne of his master, who for the first time was not looking at the golden statue of his Goddess. As he sat on his dead master's head, the fur of his white spine turned a golden yellow. His yellow eyes became a deep blue and his paws which were touching the old man's skull became a dazzling white.
He looked over to the door of the temple with a commanding look to warn the Kittahs of the raiders and the doors were closed, saving the temple from pillage. Sinh stayed with his master for seven days, facing the statue of the Goddess. Then he died mysteriously, carrying the soul of Mun-Ha to the Goddess Tsun Kyan-Kse. When, seven days later, the assembled priests consulted before the statue to decide on the succession of Mun-Ha, all the cats of the temple ran up and all were dressed in gold with white gloves and all had deep sapphire eyes, and in silence they surrounded the youngest of the Kittahs to show the will of the Goddess. Legend has it that when a priest dies his soul is transmigrated to the body of a Birman cat and upon the cat's death the priest's soul is transported to heaven by the sacred cat. If you look into a Birmans eyes you will see the face of Tyn Kyan-Kse looking back at you, in all her Holiness, if your Birman allows it!
Full Championship Status
Birmans have had full championship status within GCCF shows since the early 70s.