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Birman Cat Facts & Worksheets

The Birman is semi-longhaired with darker colorations to the points, face, legs, ears, and tail, with a pale toning fur.

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A long and large cat, the Birman is semi-longhaired with darker colorations to the points, face, legs, ears, and tail, with a pale toning fur. Famous for having blue eyes and four pure white “gloves” on each paw, the Birman, or the “Sacred Cat of Burma”, is surrounded by mystery and legend and captures the heart of the public through its very unusual markings.

See the fact file below for more information on the Birman or alternatively, you can download our 26-page Birman worksheet pack to utilise within the classroom or home environment.

Key Facts & Information

History

  • While there is no clear record of the origin of the Birman, this cat is sometimes alleged to have come from the companions of temple priests in northern Burma in the Mount of Lugh. Some tales mention how the Birman initially reached France, for example with pairs of cats being given as a token for helping defend and protect a temple or being transferred illegally out of Burma by a Vanderbilt.
  • Another pair of Birmans, or a pregnant female called Poupée de Maldapour, were assumed to have been stolen and later brought to France by Thadde Haddisch. The first traces of historical Birmans lead to a Mme Leotardi in Nice, France.
  • Most people believe that the Birman came from Burma, present-day Myanmar, among the temples of ancient times, together with priests.
  • However, other stories and legends suggest the breed originated in Europe, particularly France, or somewhere in Asia. 
  • Despite the different legends and stories about the Birman, this breed was discovered in France as early as the 1920s, and various tales continue to emerge about the mystery of their history.
  • The breed was wiped out during World War II, leaving only two cats named Orloff and Xenia de Kaabaa from Baudoin-Crevoisier alive in Europe after the war. The foundation of the Birman in postwar France was the offspring of this surviving pair. They had to be heavily crossed with long-haired cats, such as Persian and Siamese, to revamp the Birman breed. By the early 1950s, pure Birman kittens were again being produced. They were restored and recognized in Britain in 1965 and by the Cat Fanciers’ Association in 1966.
  • The first Birmans were seal points. The blue point color was made known in 1959 through blue Persian lines. New colors were soon introduced by English breeders including chocolate, red, and tabby/lynx points. 
  • Birmans have also been used in the development of new cat breeds, such as the Ragdoll.

Appearance

  • A Birman is a  medium-sized cat with a rectangular body, broad face, and unique Roman nose. Its tall triangular ears are wide on the base and should be set as much on top of the head and on its side. Its round eyes are deep sapphire blue.
  • Its silky fur is medium-long. Compared to a Persian or Himalayan cat, the Birman lacks an undercoat, thus it is much less prone to matting. Its coat color is always pointed, or it has a pale body with relatively darker extremities, with pure white symmetrical “gloves” on every paw – a trademark of the breed. Its white paws should involve all toes and in front must stop at the articulation of the toes to metacarpals, reaching up the back of the leg, or the “laces”, and finishing with an inverted V stretching halfway to three-fourths up the hock.
  • Any patch of white on the points is seen as a serious fault. 
  • Its base body coat is white to cream, with a wash of color that associates to the points, but is much paler.
  • Accepted point colors include seal, chocolate, blue, lilica, red, or cream. Tabby and tortie disparities in seal, chocolate, blue, or lilac are also recognized.
  • Similar to all color-point breeds, Birman kittens are born white and start developing their points after a week for a dark color, and two weeks or more if the points are “clear” or lighter-colored. Their coats do not fully develop until they reach two years of age.

Health

  • The most serious threat a Birman could experience is feline hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM), the most common heart condition seen in cats. In Birmans, it is assumed to be hereditary, seen as an autosomal dominant trait. It is a progressive disease and can lead to heart failure, paralysis of the hind legs caused by clot embolisation originating in the heart, and sudden death.
  • Birman cats were also found to have a high serum concentration of creatinine and symmetric dimethylarginine, but most of them have higher concentrations of the former than the latter. 
  • Feline audiogenic reflex seizures (FARS), a type of epilepsy that plagues cats, is also believed to be particularly common in the breed.

Personality

  • As former temple cats, Birmans are sweet, gentle, and faithful breeds with an air of dignity that tends to capture adoration from their families.
  • They are very intelligent, affectionate, and friendly. They will usually greet visitors and strangers with curiosity rather than fear. 
  • Birmans are submissive and soft-spoken breeds. Despite being social breeds that enjoy the attention, they are not loud and demanding about it.
  • Birman kittens love playing “chase the laser”.

Care

  • Since Birmans do not have undercoats, they are easier to groom than their long-haired cousins. A simple brushing or combing once every week is enough to keep them well-groomed.
  • A dematting comb, or shedding comb, with wide teeth of different lengths, is used to get rid of their undercoat.
  • A wide-bristle slicker brush is used to remove dirt and dander.

Birman Cat Worksheets

This is a fantastic bundle that includes everything you need to know about the Birman across 26 in-depth pages. These are ready-to-use worksheets that are perfect for teaching students about the Birman is surrounded by mystery and legend and captures the heart of the public through its very unusual markings.

Complete List Of Included Worksheets

  • Birman Facts
  • Cat Corner
  • Describing a Birman
  • Fill in the Puzzle
  • Fuzzy Facts
  • Ask Yourself
  • Baby Blue Eyes
  • Two Cutie Cats
  • Adopt a Birman
  • Cat Care
  • Mimi-cat

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Link will appear as Birman Cat Facts & Worksheets: https://kidskonnect.com - KidsKonnect, October 8, 2021

Use With Any Curriculum

These worksheets have been specifically designed for use with any international curriculum. You can use these worksheets as-is, or edit them using Google Slides to make them more specific to your own student ability levels and curriculum standards.