Birman Cat Insurance

Birman Background

The ‘Sacred Cat of Burma’, the Birman is said to have received its striking colouration from a blue-eyed goddess. As the legend goes, the Birman was a lowly temple cat that felt such love and devotion for the priest, that the goddess was compelled to turn his yellow eyes blue and his white coat to a golden colour.

Few feline breeds can make such lofty claims regarding their origin. The real origin story of the Birman is a bit less clear. What we do know is that the Birman is most likely the result of a cross between a Siamese cat and either a Persian or an Angora. Whether this cross took place in Southeast Asia or back in Europe is another matter.

Much more likely (and significantly less fanciful) is that a pair of Europeans – a British Major named Russell and a Frenchman named Auguste Pavie – received a temple cat each in Burma in thanks for services they provided.

The male cat died in transit, but not before impregnating the female. As far as historical record is concerned, it appears that these two cats were the founding members of the Birman breed, at least as it exists in modernity.