Breed of the Day: Birman

    The legendary Birman takes your breath away with its stunning pointed, semi-longhaired coat and bewitching deep sapphire eyes. The silky coat is light in color and ideally misted with a golden hue. They have white gloves on all four feet and white laces up the backs of their hind legs contrasting with the main point color. These gentle cats have a stocky build and a powerful musculature, which is kept in fine condition through their love of play.
    The Birman has a lovely legend about being raised by the Kittah priests in their temple in Burma. The story tells of a golden-eyed, white cat that stood guard over his dying holy master and was transformed into a cat with a dark brown head and dark brown legs and tail, but his coat became a creamy color with a golden glow from his master's golden goddess. As his master died and his soul passed on to the cat, the cat's paws and hocks, where he sat on his master's chest, stayed pure white as a sign of his master's purity. As the cat gazed up at the golden goddess, his gold eyes turned into a beautiful sapphire blue, the same as his master's goddess. There are many versions of the legend, and this is just a very short one. As for fact, the Birman was first recognized and shown in France in the 1920s. England then recognized the breed in 1966. The Birman was first imported into the United States in the 1960s and was recognized and shown in 1967. The Birman is now recognized and loved world-wide. The breed has consistently remained in the top 10 most popular cat breeds for many years.
    The Birman is a great family cat. It dwells peacefully within a single cat home or a home with multiple cats. With a constant response from his owner when the cat meows, the Birman can become quite a talker. If you prefer just the quietness of his purr, lack of response will easily discourage the cat from vocalizing. With lots of love, good food, regular grooming and proper health care, the Birman makes an all around perfect pet.