A calm, loving cat with a silky coat, deep blue eyes and four snow-white feet.
The Birman has a dark face, ears, legs and tail, just like a Siamese. But its coat is semi-long and silky, and on all four feet it wears white 'gloves'. An old legend says it comes from a temple in Burma; it was really bred in France. It is calm, affectionate and talks with a soft chirp.
Very sweet and affectionate. It follows you through the house and often picks one favourite person.
Likes a nap on your lap.
Enjoys playing, but in a gentle way. Some learn to bring back a ball.
One of the calmest breeds. It likes a game, but it is not busy.
Fairly quiet, with a soft chirp. It talks more if you talk back.
Clever and keen to learn. It picks up tricks easily.
Usually friendly and trusting with visitors. It is among the least fearful breeds.
Patient and gentle, a lovely cat for families with children.
Often gets on well with a friendly dog.
Enjoys another cat's company and is often happier with one than on its own.
Does not like being alone for long. A second cat helps.
Happy indoors with enough to do. It is not a keen climber and is too trusting to roam freely.
A white temple cat turned golden with blue eyes when its priest died, and that is how the Birman began.
A lovely legend, told in France in the 1920s. No document supports it. Even breed clubs call it just a story.
The Birman and the Burmese are the same breed.
No, both names point to Burma, but they are very different cats. The Burmese has a short coat, golden eyes and no white. The Birman has a semi-long coat, blue eyes and white feet.
With no undercoat, a Birman is hypoallergenic.
No cat breed has been shown to be hypoallergenic. A Birman sheds too, mostly in spring.
Legend says a pair of temple cats came from Burma to France around 1919. That was never proven. What is certain: in the 1920s French breeders near Nice and Paris bred longhaired cats with dark faces and white feet, from Siamese and longhaired cats. After the Second World War the breed had nearly vanished and was built up again.
Poupée de Madalpour, the first known Birman, is born in Nice.
France recognises the Birman as a breed, the first country in Europe to do so.
Poupée de Madalpour is shown at a cat show in Paris.
After the war only two Birmans are known in Europe: Orloff and Xenia. The breed starts again from their kittens.
The European federation FIFe recognises the Birman in the year it is founded.
In France the breed officially becomes the 'chat sacré de Birmanie', so no one mixes it up with the Burmese.
The first Birmans arrive in the United States.
Elsie Fisher sees Birmans at a show in Paris and brings the first ones to Britain.
Britain's GCCF recognises the breed.
America's CFA starts registering Birmans.
CFA gives the Birman championship status.
Sturdy and slightly long, with a silky coat, blue eyes and points like a Siamese. Its best-known feature is its feet: all four are pure white, as if it is wearing white gloves. On the hind legs the white runs up the back in a narrow point; these are called the laces.
Cat registries write colours as an EMS code. The letter is the colour (n black, a blue, d red, f tortie), s means silver or smoke, y golden, and the numbers tell you about white (01–09), shading (11, 12), the tabby pattern (22–25) or colourpoint (33).
Seal point(n 33)
Blue point(a 33)
Chocolate point(b 33)
Lilac point(c 33)
Seal tortie point(f 33)
Blue tabby point(a 21 33)FIFe only. WCF does not allow silver, and CFA and GCCF do not list these colours. They are rarely seen.
WCF only. FIFe, CFA and GCCF do not list these colours.
A Birman always has points, and white only on its feet. A cat with more white, like a bicolour Ragdoll, is another breed. Golden is in no standard; the golden glow on the back that every Birman has is something else.
Kittens are born all white. The dark points appear after a week or two, and the full colour takes up to two years.
No other colourpoint breed has white feet like these. The gloves in front and the laces behind should match nicely.
Many breeders give all kittens born in one year a name starting with the same letter, a French custom: 2023 was U, 2024 V.
After the Second World War only two Birmans were known in Europe. The breed was built up again from their kittens.
Fashion designer Karl Lagerfeld had a Birman called Choupette. She flew with him by private jet and appeared in adverts.
Usually 12 to 16 years, one of the longest-lived breeds. In British vet records a Birman kitten could expect about 14 years on average, more than the average cat (about 12).
The heart muscle thickens, so the heart works less well. Britain's GCCF calls it the breed's biggest health concern. No gene has been found in the Birman yet.
How it is found: A heart scan of the breeding cats, as in PawPeds' HCM programme. There is no proven DNA test for this breed.
Healthy Birmans often have a higher kidney value in their blood than other cats. In an Italian study that was true for 4 in 10. So for this breed such a value does not straight away mean the kidneys are ill.
How it is found: A blood test. Tell the vet it is a Birman; another value (SDMA) often says more in this breed.
Blood type B is more common in Birmans than in most breeds. For the cat itself that is harmless. But if a type B mother has type A kittens, her first milk can make those kittens ill.
How it is found: Blood typing of both parents. A type B mother is not mated with a type A tom.
Rare. A kitten with two copies of this gene is born almost bald and has no proper immune defence. Cats with one copy are healthy, but pass it on.
How it is found: DNA test of the parents. Two carriers are not mated with each other.
Comb it once or twice a week with a metal comb. The silky coat rarely mats. In spring it sheds its winter coat; comb it every day then.
Not an athlete, but a little play every day keeps it fit. A scratching post, a hiding place and a spot to look outside make it happy.
It needs no special food, but puts on weight easily. Give measured portions, split into two or three small meals.
A Birman is not hypoallergenic. If you are allergic to cats, do not count on it.
It does not like being alone for long. If you are out at work a lot, a second cat makes a good companion.
Checked on 20 October 2026
Let's swap links. We list your club here, with logo, a short text and a link. You link to this page. No costs, no contract.
Register your cat with SpotKat for free, with photos and chip number in one place.
