BIRMAN
Standard of Excellence

GENERAL DESCRIPTION

The Birman is a semi-long haired (but heavy boned) cat, which strikes a medium between the extremes of the cobby, heavy boned cats, and the long fine boned cats. The distinctive head has strong jaws, firm chin and medium length Roman nose. There should be good width between the ears, which are medium in size. The blue, almost round eyes are set well apart, giving a sweet expression to the face. There must be strong definition between colour of points and white of paws and gauntlets. No single attribute is to be emphasized over the impression of a well balanced aesthetically beautiful cat.

Head Strong boned, slightly rounded in the muzzle. Broader than high, forehead slopes well back, is slightly convex in profile with a flatter appearance in front of and between the ears.
Jaws Strong, cheeks full and well developed.
Nose Medium in length, in proportion to size of head. Roman in shape, but not to excess.
Chin Firm, full and strong, forming a perpendicular line with the upper lip.
Ears Medium in size, set moderately far apart and slightly flared.
Eyes Almost round in shape, widely spaced but not bold.
Body Of good length, yet muscular and solid and in excellent physical condition. Neck strong and of medium length. Broad chest. Males are generally larger in size than females.
Legs & Paws Strong boned. Medium in length. Large round paws. Stiff rear legged gait.
Tail The medium long tail presents an elegant appearance in pleasing proportion to body. Slender at the base, full at the tip. At rest, it falls away, but it is generally carried high with a curl at the tip.
  • Note – Balance of tail with body should be apparent without having to measure the tail to shoulder.
Coat Medium in length, silken in texture, with no undercoat. Full ruff around neck, slightly curled on belly, and with such a texture that it will not matt.
Condition The cat should be well grown, the frame (skeleton) should be strong, well covered and muscular. Eyes bright and temperament good.

Colour Description

The points – mask, ears, legs, paws and tail, must be equal in colour density as possible, definitely by the age of two years. There must be a good contrast between points and body colour. It is important that the cat shades gradually to paler tones on chest and stomach. There is a golden hue colouring across the back and sides. This hue is deeper in the seal, but should be noticeable in all colours.

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BIRMAN
Standard of Excellence

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COLOUR NOTES
Points The mask (adult) should extend over the whole head and cover the face to over the eyes, but joined by tracings to the ears. The chin is shaded to match the mask, particularly after the age of two.
  • Note - Leg point colour to go up to just above the elbows on the front and to merge into flanks at the rear. Leg colour lighter inside legs.
Paw Pads Pink or pink mottled with the points colour.
Eyes Blue, clear and bright, the deeper the better.
Gloves The specific characteristics of the Birman are its four white paws called gloves, which must be absolutely pure white. In the ideal specimen, the white gloves end in an even line across the front of the break of the feet of all four paws.
Gauntlets On the back paws, the gloves should continue up the back of the hock. This is referred to as Gauntlets (Laces). In the ideal specimen, the gauntlets should be evenly matched and should end in a point. It is preferred that the gauntlets do not continue past the hock.
Note The description of the gloves applies only to the front of the feet. In general, low gloves are preferred to high gloves. In the absence of the ideal, which is difficult to achieve due to the white spotting factor, the following is the order of priority:
  • Evenly matched gloves on all four feet.
  • Evenly matched front gloves and evenly matched rear gloves, even though front do not match the rear.
  • Evenly matched front gloves and uneven rear gloves.
  • Uneven front gloves and evenly matched rear gloves.
Penalise
  • Strong almond shaped eyes.
  • Areas of white in the points other than gloves/gauntlets.
  • Blotches/spots of colour in gloves or gauntlets.
  • Lack of width in head.
  • Small rounded ears.
  • Adverse temperament.
Note The white feet are characteristic of the Birman and whilst it is desirable to have them perfect, they should not be given preference over the TYPE of the cat. A cat may be SLIGHTLY imperfect in gloves and gauntlets yet still be eligible for top awards.

Withhold First Place
  • Lack of white gloves on any paw.
  • Lack of gauntlets on back legs.
  • Crossed eyes.
  • Kinked tail.
  • Coloured toes.
  • White chin spot.
  • Squint.
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BIRMAN
Standard of Excellence

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SCALE OF POINTS
Total 100 points
Head incl. Size, shape of Eyes, and Ear shape and set 25
Body incl. Size shape, bone and Tail 25
Coat and condition 10
Colour 20
Gloves and Gauntlets 10
Eye colour 10

RECOGNISED COLOURS

All Traditional Himalayan Colours.

Allowable Outcrosses: None

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