The Birman, or sacred Cat of Burma, is a strikingly beautiful and unusual breed. It has a pale coloured body, dark face, ears, tail and legs, a semi-long coat and white "gloves" on its paws. Its eyes are a beautiful, deep sapphire-blue.

A famous legend is the only explanation we have for their colouring: one hundred pure white cats lived in the Burmese temple of Lao-Tsun. One night the temple was raided and the oldest priest was killed. His pure white cat, Sinh, jumped on the body of his master and the priest's soul entered the cat, and as it did so the white hair of his body became golden (like the Temple goddess), his legs, face, ears and tail became earth coloured and his paws remained white as a symbol of purity.

Birmans have soft voices and are more active than Persians but less active and talkative than Siamese. The coat is more silky than fluffy, and for that reason it rarely mats and is easy to groom and keep in order. However, regular grooming is still a must. They are recognised in most colours with sealpoint and bluepoint being the most common.

Their history is romantic, their looks exotic and they make an ideal companion for owners desiring an indoor cat.