A cat with a very gentle temperament, the Sacred Birman is the ideal companion for all members of the family. He is appreciated for his calm, his delicacy, but also for his playful side which is expressed quite often and his very great tenderness, sometimes bordering on hyper-attachment. Of medium height, he has a magnificent semi-long and silky coat, as well as superb intense blue eyes. All associated with the white gloves which adorn its legs and which are part of the physical specificities of the breed. Its origins are debated, but it is accepted that it was in France that the Sacred Birman breed was created, probably from a pair brought from Burma.
Breed History
Also called Birman, the Sacred of Burma should not be confused with the Burmese. The historical origins of this breed of cat are not precise. Various theories are advanced according to the sources.
According to one of them, more mystical, it was born of a miraculous event that occurred a long time ago in a Khmer temple. All the cats that lived there would have seen their appearance completely transformed after one of them, with a white robe, asked the goddess Tsun-Kyan-Kse to resurrect his master, a monk who had just been murdered. The felines in question would have received a gold-colored coat, blue eyes and brown legs. Only the feet would have kept their white color.
According to other tracks, more down to earth, the Sacred Birman would come from a cross between a Persian and a Siamese female with white feet. The couple would have been imported by boat to France from the Burmese temple of Lao Tsun. The male would have died during the trip, but not the female. She gave birth to kittens, including a seal point female called Maldapour Doll. The latter and other representatives of the breed, including blue point, began to be exhibited in the 1920s. Other colors appeared later: chocolate (chocolate point), lilac point, red point, cream, tortie, tabby and silver.
The Sacred Birman breed was on the verge of extinction at the end of the 2nd World War, but the numbers have been gradually reconstituted, in particular from the couple Orloff and Xena from Kaaba.
Physical peculiarities
His body: medium in size, rather long and characterized by good musculature. The back is straight, the neck muscular, the legs of medium height and robust, the feet large and round.
His hair: mid-long, shorter on the face and longer on the back and sides, silky, forming a collar. The outer coat is associated with a fine undercoat.
Its color: all colors are allowed, but only solid and white, tabby and white, silver/smoke and white patterns are accepted. Paws must have white gloves.
Its head: triangular in shape but with rounded contours, medium size, rather large. Without stop, the forehead is a little rounded, the hooked nose and the broad muzzle.
His eyes: large, almost round in shape, set well apart and the most intense blue color possible.
Its ears: medium in size and with rounded ends.
Its tail: of medium length, in accordance with the proportions of the body.
Feed
It is possible to give your Sacred Birman a diet combining dry and wet forms (alternately, not mixed). The largest part is made up of kibble, contributing to the maintenance of his teeth. The mash is, for its part, to be given to the cat 2 to 3 times a week, and will help it to stay hydrated.
The Birman does not eat large amounts of food, but it does have its preferences. If he does not like a food, he will be able to make himself understood by leaving it on the side.
