“... the legend also has it that when a priest dies his soul was transmigrated into the body  of a cat and upon the cat’s death the priest’s soul’s transition into heaven has been  accomplished..." " .......The reincarnation of souls and a deep respect and love for the priests is the basis of the legend of the Sacred Cats of Burma...... "

Also called the Sacred Cat of Burma, the Birman has been around for centuries. Its true origin is shrouded in mystery; few breeds have the aura of enchantment that this breed enjoys. The Birman’s beautiful colorpoint pattern, long, silky fur, brilliant blue eyes, and pure white gloves make the breed a lovely addition to the cat fancy. The sweet, devoted personality makes the Birman a terrific companion as well. The breed is often favored by those who love the pointed pattern of the Himalayan but don’t care for the flattened facial type and grooming needs.

The origins of this legend lie with the Kittah priests of Khmer, who had by all accounts been relentlessly pursued and massacred since around the early 1700's. Their enemies were the Indian Brahmins and in order to escape their attacks fled to North Burmah where they founded the subterranean Temple of Lao-Tsun (The Abode of the Gods).

According to Buddhist legend the Birman breed was created by a Burmese goddess. The legend tells of a colony of white cats white amber eyes living in a Buddhist temples of Burma (now Myanmar) dedicated to the Goddess of transmutation Tsim-Kyan-Kse, was worshiped in these temples, represented by a golden statue with glowing sapphire eyes.

A most venerable priest known as Mun-Ha was living in the Temple of Lao-Tsun. Mun-Ha had lived his entire life in contemplation of Tsun-Kyankse, the goddess with sapphire eyes who presided over the transmutation of souls. Apparently Mun-Ha had an oracle who dictated his decisions and this oracle was highly revered by the Kittahs - the oracle was his cat Sinh. Sinh sat alongside her master and also lived in contemplation of the goddess, her yellow eyes gazing into the sapphire eyes of the
goddess. Each evening Mun-Ha, prayed in front of the statue of Tsim-Kyan-Kse with Sinh by his side.

One day, marauders raided the temple and struck down Mun- Ha. As Mun-Ha lay dying in front of the statue, Sinh climbed onto his chest and purred to comfort and prepare him for his soul’s journey. When Mun-Ha died, his soul flowed into Sinh, and a miraculous transformation took place. Sinh’s amber eyes changed to the sapphire blue of the statue’s. Her white coat turned a golden hue like the statue’s gold. Her face, ears, tail and legs darkened to the color of the earth on which Mun-Ha lay. Where Sinh’s paws touched the priest, however, there remained a dazzling white, a symbol of Mun-Ha’s pure spirit. The next morning, all the temple cats had undergone the same transformation. For the next seven days Sinh refused all food and finally died, carrying Mun-Ha’s spirit into paradise. From then on the priests guarded their sacred golden cats, believing them to have custody of the souls of the priests.

It is said, that when a sacred cat dies in the temple of Lao-Tsun, the soul of a Kittah re-enters. A warning too, for those who (even accidentally) hasten the end of one of these venerable cats - the most dreadful torments are reserved for them, that the soul in pain may be appeased.

The story may be mythical but the Birman is considered to have originated in Burma, developed by Burmese priests. When the priests were forced to flee their native country they were assisted by the English and French military. In gratitude a pair of Birman cats were sent to France as a gift

In 1919, a pair of Birman cats arrived in France from the temple of Lao-Tsun. The male cat, Maldapour, died on the way, but the female, Sita, arrived pregnant with Maldapour’s offspring and became the European foundation of the Birman breed. Sita produced a kitten named Poupee de Madalpour.

In 1925 it is recorded beyond doubt that the Federation Feline FranSais recognized the Sacre de Birmanie as a championship breed. A photograph taken in 1930 shows a male of the day named Dieu d'Arakan which became the blue-print for the breed. He was owned by M. Baudoin- Crevoisier, well known as a breeder of Birmans at that time. Later Dieu d'Arakan was sold, together with six other Birmans, to Princess Ratibor and she subsequently left them in her will to the Duke d'Aosta.

Eventually their ownership was transferred to the Countess Giriode Panissera and their pedigree line became famous worldwide. During the war M. Baudoin- Crevoisier managed to keep a few cats entire. His champion male Orlaff de Kaabaa and his female Xenia de Kaabaa became the breed's foundation cats.

In 1959, the first Birman pair arrived in the United States, and in 1967, the breed was officially recognized in America. Since then, the Birman has flourished in the United States and is the third most popular longhair, according to the CFA’s registration totals. The breed has continued to be developed in Europe and has spread around the world. The Birman were introduced to Australia in 1967.

Most Breeders follow an old French tradition, of naming kittens alphabetically by the year they are born in, for example, 2002 is "Z", 2003 is "A", 2004 is "B", 2005 is "C" and so on. By following this tradition it is easy to tell a cat's age just from its name. (Note: the first word in a cats name is the breeders cattery, then the cats name, then if  required the current owners cattery.

The name Birman is from the French spelling for Burma.
"Birmanie."
Birman (English);
Sacre de Birmanie (French);
Heilige Birmaan (Dutch).