The Birman: A Cat for the Laid-Back and Quiet

With its long body and pale coat, this cat's white paws make it look as though it is wearing socks. Graceful on its feet, it moves with a light step, and its dignified, quiet nature means it is not noisy. Any cat lover who meets its blue-eyed gaze is bound to fall in love. This is the Birman, known as the “temple cat.”

Pet publication PetMD explained, “Gentle, active, and playful, yet quiet and cautious, the Birman makes an excellent companion.”

According to legend, white cats lived in a temple in Burma, now known as Myanmar. These cats were believed to carry the souls of monks, a process known as transmutation. The monk Mun-Ha worshiped a goddess named Tsun-Kyan-Kse, depicted as a golden statue with sapphire eyes at the Lao-Tsun temple. Every night at the temple, he prayed to the goddess with a cat named Sinh by his side. Then one day, a band of thieves from Siam raided the temple and killed Mun-Ha.

Just before Mun-Ha died, Sinh placed a paw on his forehead and gazed at the golden statue. “At that moment, Sinh was transformed into a golden cat with sapphire eyes,” PetMD noted. The cat's paws therefore remained white as a symbol of purity. PetMD wrote that all the other cats living in the temple subsequently underwent the same transformation.

According to another story, the temple was attacked again in 1919. Major Russell Gordon and Auguste Pavie helped the monks and a group of white cats escape from the temple. When Gordon and Pavie returned to France, the monks gave them two Birman cats. Of the two, only a female named Sita survived the voyage. “After becoming pregnant during the voyage, Sita is often regarded as the ancestor of the Birman breed in Europe,” PetMD said.

Birman cats are known for being affectionate and gentle. The breed is considered one of the easier cat breeds to raise because it is highly intelligent and responds well to training. Birmans enjoy attention from their families and make suitable companion cats because they adapt easily to children as well as other pets. The downside is that so many people want to adopt a purebred Birman that finding one can be difficult.

However, if you have the patience to wait for one to become available, a Birman could be an excellent companion cat for you.