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the end of World War II, the populations of Birman had decreased so dramatically, that very few remained. Breeders in Germany began to revive the numbers and some were exported to the United States during the late 1950s and to Britain in 1964. The Birman cat was first recognized in the UK in 1966 and then a year later in the United States by The Cat Fanciers' Association (CFA).

The appearance of the Birman cat has been described as a "long-haired Siamese". The Birman is a long-hair, heavy built breed with unique characteristics. The coat is silky and portrays the dark points of a Siamese. The coat color is a golden-fawn and the paws are pure white. The legs have the dark coloring which ends at the paws giving the feet the appearance of wearing gloves. The eyes are a vibrant blue and the head is large and rounded. The Birman cat's personality is noted to be gentle, intelligent, and very faithful to their owners.

It should be mentioned that the history of the Birman cat will always be under speculation. And to add to the confusion is the story of an American breeder who in 1960 came into ownership of two "Tibetan Temple Cats" which turned out to be Birmans. Some believe that these cats were descendents of the original Birmans that lived in the temples and were rescued by the priests. The importation of these Tibetan Temple Cats has had some historians reevaluating the original stories of the ancient cats that lived in the sacred Khmer temple.

References:

CAT BREEDS OF THE WORLD, by Desond Morris, copyright 1999.

http://www.cfainc.org/breeds/p rofiles/birman.html

Learn more about this author, Angela Pollock.
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