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LONG-HAIRED CATS
LONG-HAIRED BIRMAN (SACRED CAT OF BURMA)
This attractive variety has been exhibited in France since
1931, and has recently been imported into England. It has
now received official recognition.
The Birman has Siamese colourings, but is long-haired. It
should have a well-proportioned long and massive body, with
short sturdy legs. The shape of the head should be more like
the type of the long-haired rather than that of the Siamese.
The fur must be long and luxurious, silky in texture, with
a good ruff, and may have soft waves under the stomach. The
eyes should be a deep vivid blue. The coat colour is very
like that of the Siamese but should be slightly golden. A
most distinctive feature is the flawless white tips to the
paws. These on the brown points give the cat the appearance
of wearing white gloves on the four feet. The mask, points
and tail colouring are as for the Seal-pointed Siamese. A
few are now being shown with the Blue-point colouring.
The Burmans are supposed to be descended from the sacred cats
of the Burmese legends. These were kept in the temples as
oracles hundreds of years ago.
Many years before the coming of Buddha, so the legend runs,
in the Temple of Lao-Tsun in the mountains of Lugh in Indo-China,
lived an old Kittah prist, Mun-Ha, who had a white cat called
Sinh for his oracle. Together they would sit gazing at the
golden statue of the Goddess with the sapphire eyes, Tsun-Kyankse,
who presided over the transmigration of souls. One day the
old priest died suddenly in front of the goddess, worn out
with worry for his country which was threatened by invasion.
As he died, the cat, Sinh, jumped on to the sacred throne
and rested against the silvery white head of his old master,
and the miracle of transmigration took place. Instead of being
white, his fur became the golden colour of the statue, his
yellow eyes became the sapphire blue of the goddess’s,
and is paws and ears turned to the dark brown of the ground,
except for the tops of his paws which were touching the head
of his dead master; they alone remained white. When the other
priests came into the chamber, he compelled them by his gaze
to go and repel the invaders who had so worried his master,
and this they did. He refused all food and after seven days
he died, taking with him the perfect soul of his master. Another
seven days followed and while the Kittahs were assembled before
the Goddess to decide who should be the next high priest,
the hundred temple cats, who were now no longer white but
had become the same colouring as the dead Sinh, came in and
surrounded Ligoa, the youngest of the priests, and so he was
chosen.
Since then whenever one of the Temple’s sacred cats
dies, the soul of a priest is supposed to go with it to Paradise.
Standard Points
Colours and
condition The colouring is the same as Siamese, seal and blue,
but face (mask) tail and paws are dark brown with the
seals and blue-grey with the blues. However, the beige
of the coat is slightly golden. The paws are white-gloved,
this being the characteristic of the Birman cat. 20
Body Long but low on legs. Short strong, white paws. The white
on the two back paws has to go up the back of the legs to
a
point, like a gauntlet. 20
Head Wide, round but strongly built with full
cheeks. 20
Fur Long with good full ruff, bushy tail, silky
texture, slightly
curled on belly. 25
Eyes Bright china blue. 5
Tail Bushy (not short). 10
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