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Sacred Burma – the Gentle Beauty

If you are looking for an elegant and affectionate velvet paw, the Sacred Birman might just be the right pet for you. She is beautiful and very attached to her people. According to legend, the breed dates back to a white temple cat that kept a dying high priest company. At the moment of his death, the Sacred Birman is said to have assumed the appearance that is so venerable today: her eyes turned blue, her head, tail, and legs golden brown, and her paws white.

Sacred Burma: Character

The cats differ in character from the majority of their conspecifics: Quite atypically, they place value on pleasing their humans. This makes them the ideal pet for cat lovers who don’t want to put up with the idiosyncrasies of house tigers. Sacred Birmans are easy to train and particularly well-behaved – they seldom think of feline mischief. That doesn’t mean these cats are passive or even boring. They enjoy being on the nose for discoveries, following their human-like shadow, and craving hours of play with moving objects. Their lovable character makes the Sacred Birman the ideal family cat. She also gets along well with children or other pets such as friendly dogs.

Sacred Burma: husbandry and care

Caring for the Sacred Birman is relatively easy. The Birman cat’s fur needs to be brushed at least twice a week, with the conspicuous ruff requiring special care. Since the Sacred Birman has a little undercoat, the risk of matting is low, but brushing helps promote well-being and bonding with their humans. The Birman’s tail is feathery and requires no extra grooming.

The Sacred Birman is excellent for housing. If you work, the Birman cat should have fellow cats for company, because she doesn’t feel comfortable as a single cat. Sacred Birmans require a lot of attention from their human, but are also very cooperative. She is easy to train and responds curiously to clicker training. Outdoor access is only recommended to a limited extent: Birman cats can easily put themselves in danger due to their trusting nature towards strangers.

Sacred Burma: Colors

The spectrum of colors of the Birman cat is wide. The Sacred Birman comes in a variety of point colors such as Cream, Red, Lilac, and Seal. Tabby and tortie markings are on the rise in European breed lines of late. Common to all Birmans are the strikingly bright blue eyes and the white paws, the symmetry of which is an important criterion for breeding evaluation. Accordingly, these markings should end in pointed “spurs” on the hind paws.

History of Sacred Burma

Systematic breeding of the Birman cat began in France at the beginning of the 20th century, and it was recognized as a breed there in 1925. Breed breeding in Europe probably goes back to cross-breeding of Siamese and/or Persian cats with cats imported from Burma. In fact, the Sacred Birman visually resembles a mix of Persian and Siamese cats. Breeding also flourished in Germany in the 1930s but was interrupted throughout Europe by the war. Only in 1955, the breeding stock in France had stabilized again. Today the breeding of the Birman cat is secured.

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