Birman Cat Pictures

Birman Cat pictures can be found in the documents of ancient Thailand. The exact origin of these cats is unknown. For many centuries, this cat breed was unknown in Europe. Birman cats possibly first appeared in France in the beginning of the 20th century. According to the legend, a pair of Birman cats was presented to French military men by Birman priests for saving people of their sect during the revolution. According to another version, two cats were stolen by a servant from a temple and sold to an American millionaire. Anyway, the male Birman cat died on the way from Thailand, but the female gave birth to the first litter of Birman Kittens outside its motherland.

Since there were no other cats of this breed in Europe and America, one of the females from the first litter was bred to a Laotian Lynx cat, a variety of the Siamese. When looking at Birman Cat pictures we can make sure that modern Birman cats resemble both the original cats of the Thailand temples and the Siamese cats.

The Birman cat was first registered in France in 1925. The breed was named “Sacre de Birmanie.” The new history of the breed was very difficult. During World War II, the breed became almost extinct. Only two cats survived in France. The present-day population of the European Birman cats is the offspring of those two cats bred to several long-haired breeds. Pure Birman cats were produced in the 1950s, when the breed was rebuilt. In some Birman Cat pictures of that time you can see animals much resembling the original cats brought from Thailand. The restored breed was registered by the CFA (American Cat Fanciers’ Association) in 1965. Birman cats are nowadays recognized by all major associations for purebreds.

Birman cats have always been bred as companions. They are very affectionate and gentle. They like to be around people and take an interest in everything their owners are doing. Birmans frequent shows for purebreds. They like to be in the center of attention. In showing quality Birmans, the coat color and markings are very important. Unlike the Siamese, Birman cats have white gloves on each paw. In all Birman Cat pictures, you’ll see that show quality animals have pure white paws.