Unfortunately, the French breeding programme suffered badly during the second world war and again, only two cats are known to have survived and the breed as we recognise it today was developed from these two.

By the mid 1950's Birmans had been introduced into the UK, at that time only seals and blues were available.  The breed has developed through careful selective breeding programmes and Birmans are now available in twenty colours. More on this on the Breed Standard page. 

The Birman Legend

Anyone who has been priveledged to own a Birman will know what I mean when I say that they can look deep into your soul.  Regarded as sacred in their native region, i.e. the foothills of the Himalayan mountains, in Burma and in Tibet, they can still be found living in the temples, where the following fascinating legend is said to have originated around the end of the eighteenth century, when there were many tribal uprisings recorded.   So, according to the legend, all Birmans carry the soul of a departed priest and should therefore be treated with the utmost respect at all times !

The Legend of the Sacred Cat of Burma

When, with the malevolent moon, the barbarian Siamese Thais came to the mountains of the Sun, the very holy Kittah Mun-Ha lived in prayer in the Temple of Lao-Tsun.  Mun-Ha was the high priest, the most holy among the most holy, for whom the god Song-Hio had woven a beard of gold.  The venerable priest had ever lived in rapt contemplation of Tsun-Kyan-Kse, the golden goddess with eyes of precious sapphire who presided over the transmutation of souls the one who permits the Kittahs to live again in a holy animal for the duration of it's animal existence, before taking again a haloed body with the full and holy perfection of the great priests.   Mun-Ha had an oracle who dictated his decisions, and this was his white cat Sinh, whom the Kittahs fervently revered.

Seated close to his great master, Sinh lived in contemplation of the goddess. He was a most beautiful animal, his eyes were yellow like gold from the reflection of the golden beard of Mun-Ha, yellow like the amber body of the goddess with sapphire eyes.

One night, at the rising of the moon, the Thais attacked the sacred Temple. Then, invoking destiny, Mun-Ha died, weighed down by years and anguish. He died in the presence of his goddess. Close beside him was his beloved cat, and the Kittahs lamented their cruel loss.

But suddenly the miracle of immediate transmutation took place. Sinh bounded on to the holy Throne and resting on the head of his stricken master he faced the goddess and the hair along his spine blanched to a golden hue, while his legs, face and tail took on the colour of the earth.  

His eyes, golden as the gold of the beard woven by the god Song-Hio, changed to blue, immense, abysmal, sapphire like the eyes of the goddess. His four feet which contacted the venerable head of his master, whitened to the claws, to the toe-tips, thus purified by the touch of the puissant dead.    Sinh turned towards the South door, his imperious gaze, full of serenity and light, in which could be read an imperative order, possessed of an invincible force the Kittahs obeyed and they closed on the ancestral enemy the bronze doors of the holy Temple, and passing by their subterranean tunnel they routed the profane invaders.

Sinh refused all nourishment, and would not quit his Throne.  He continued standing erect and facing the goddess, fixing his gaze on her eyes of sapphire, partaking of their fire and sweetness.

Seven days after the death of Mun-Ha, erect on his purified feet of white, he died. Thus was borne away towards Tsun-Kyankse the soul of Mun-Ha, which was too perfect for this earth. 

But for the last time, his look turned slowly towards the South door.  Seven days after the death of Sinh the Kittahs assembled before Tsun-Kyankse to choose the successor of Mun-Ha. Then amazingly there came in slow procession the hundred cats of the Temple, their feet were all gloved in white, their snowy hair emitted the reflection of gold and the topazes of their eyes had changed to sapphires.

The Kittahs fell prostrate in an attitude of devout fear, and waited.  Did they not know that the souls of their masters inhabited the harmonious forms of the sacred animals?   And all of these solemn and grave, surrounded Legoa, the most youthful of priests and so revealed the will of Heaven.

When a sacred cat dies in the Temple of Lao Tsun the soul of a Kittah re-enters to quit no more the mysterious paradise of Song-Hio, the god of gold.

Unhappy are those who even involuntarily hasten the end of these formidable and venerable cats.  The most dreadful torments are reserved for them, that the soul in pain may be appeased.