Meet the Birman

We don’t like to brag, but if you think our beauty is near godly, then you might be right. They call us the Sacred Cat of Burma, and legend has it that we inherited our deep blue eyes from a blue-eyed goddess, who gave us this gift to reward a temple cat for his devotion to his Kittah priest. Legend has it that this goddess gave us blue eyes, turned our coats golden, and kept our white paws white (as a symbol of our purity). They say now that priests who died were reborn into Birman cat bodies (which we can’t confirm or deny).

Legends aside, it’s unclear how we really came to be. Theories suggest that we’re a cross between Siamese cats, Angora cats, or Persian cats, but really, we’re not sure. What we do know, however, is that we were imported to France when two Europeans - Auguste Pavie and Major Gordon Russell - were given a pair of Birmans in 1919 as a reward for helping priests. Sadly, the male of the pair died before making it to France, but not before he impregnated the female. Thus, the Birman bloodline was born.

But getting to where we are now was no easy feat. During World War II, we were nearly wiped out. They say only two Birmans remained when the war ended! Over time, we made a comeback, and in 1959 we were imported to the United States. In 1967, we were officially recognized by the Cat Fanciers Association (CFA). Today, we are beloved and beautiful family pets; we’re playful, affectionate, and totally adorable. And that’s no legend - we really are that purrfect.