Description

The Birman is a medium sized cat but imposing, with a very strong boning, and semi-long hair.

Head
The head has a very strong boning, it’s rounded and heart shaped. The forehead is slightly rounded, cheecks are full somewhat rounded, the nose is medium in lenght without stop, but with a slight indentation and with a bump which characterize the roman nose. The chin is firm and in line with the nose.

Body
Slightly long body with strong boning and muscles.

Legs
Legs are short and strong. Paws are rounded with hair between the fingers.

Coat
The coat has a silky texture and can be from long to semi-long, according to the actual parts of the body: short on the face, gradually growing longer on the cheeks to a full frill, long on the back and the flanks. It has little undercoat that’s why you don’t need to brush your birman cat daily unless it’s shedding time. Coat is colored on the points, face, ears, legs, tail and genitals. The body colour must be in good contrast to the points and the colours is a very pale eggshell. The special feature of the Sacred Birman is the white feet, called “gloves”, on both the front and hind feet.
These gloves must be absolutely pure white. They should stop at the articulation or at the transition of toes to metacarpals, over which they should not extend.
Slightly longer white gloves on the hind feet can be tolerated.On the back of the hind feet the white gloves end in points. The ideal “gauntlets” end in inverted “V’s” and extend 1/2 to 3/4 of the way up the hock. Lover or higher gauntlets are acceptable but should not go beyond the hock.
It is important that the gloves are equally long and show a symmetry of white, on either the two front or two hind feet, or even better, on all four feet.

Temperament
The Birmans is a calm, weel balanced and playful cat; never passive nor exuberant. The birman is a very tender and affectionate cat, especially males of the breeds. It’s very sociable towards other cats and also with dogs and other animals. The Birman cat loves peace but suffers from solitude and doesn’t like being many hours alone. When outside it’s a good hunter. Birmans are not great talker and have a sweet miaowing.