What makes a cat a Birman cat? Birman cats have huge sapphire eyes and its coat is predominantly white in color. Types of Birman cats are differentiated by the colors of the tips of their ears and tail and the color that covers their face: this  cat type can be said to be defined by 'point'.  Birman cats can be seal point, chocolate point, blue  point or lilac point. The Birman also has a distinct and rare cat characteristic: its paws are covered by a 'white glove'. 'White gloved' paws are common in birmans but rare in other cat breeds. 

In its history the birman cat is the sacred cat of the country of Birma. It was the favorite companion cat of Keltar priests. The Birman cat first traveled away from Birma to France in the early 19th century. Two cats were placed on a ship  but only the female cat survived the journey. Luckily, the female cat became  pregnant while en route so the cat breed was allowed to have its beginnings in the western world. Indeed, France was the first to list the Birman cat as an official breed in the 1920s.   The Birman cat has a gentle, delightful sweetness that it shows in its facial expressions. Birmans are active, playful and practice a gentile independence.  The Birman cat closely resembles the persian cat with its long silky hair but Birman cat hair is not as thick and dense.  It has a soft, bushy tail that grows to medium length.