Birman

The Birman is a domestic cat breed. Also called the "Sacred Cat of Burma", it is not to be confused with the Burmese, which is a separate and dissimilar breed. The Birman has medium-long hair, a pale colored body and darker points with deep blue eyes. Even though the cat is pointed, the paws have white gloves. Birmanie is the French spelling of Burma. The Birman breed was first recognized in France by the Cat Club de France in 1925, then in England by the Governing Council of the Cat Fancy in 1966 and in United States by the Cat Fanciers' Association in 1967. It is also recognized by the... Canadian Cat Association , and by The International Cat Association in 1979. There is no clear record of the origin of Birmans, but one unsourced but oft repeated legend is that the Birman cat originated in Burma where they were kept by temple priests in Northern Burma in the Mount of Lugh. This is repeated as Auguste Pavie and Major Gordon Russell, a British officer , received a pair of temple cats from the Temple of Lao-Tsun , situated East of Lake Incaougji , between Magaoung and Sembo .
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