About
The Birman has veritably unusual markings. She looks like a pointed cat with four white bases( mitted) and deep blue eyes. The head is actually triangular, but the Birman has such a broad cranium that the face can appear nearly rounded. The Birman has a Roman nose and medium- sized cognizance.It tends not to mat and is easy to watch.
Characteristics of the Birman Cat
Gracious and social, the Birman is a sweet and gentle cat that gets along with nearly everyone, including other pussycats and tykes , too. In fact, Birmans are so social that they detest to be alone. It’s recommended to bring home two Birman gibs, especially if you work outside the home, so they always have a friend to cuddle and hang out with. Birmans are patient and tolerant pussycats, making them awful playmates for children who handle them gently and with respect.
They’re sportful and curious, and tend to follow you from room to room so they can “ help ” with whatever you are to be doing.
Appearance
The Birman is a medium- sized cat with an elongated body and A heavyset, muscular figure. The Birman’s head is broad and rounded, with heavy jaws, a firm chin, full cheeks, a kindly
rounded nib and a medium- length Roman nose. All Birman gibs are born white; the color points on the face, cognizance, legs and tail develop latterly as they develop.
Diet and Nutrition
Because the Birman cat generally has a healthy appetite and has a heavyset figure, the strain has the implicit to become fat if Birman possessors don’t duly manage nutrition. Keeping your Birman cat spare is healthier for the cat, and can help the development of rotundity- related health issues like diabetes and arthritis. Rather than keeping the food coliseum filled all day( called free feeding), serve your adult Birman cat two measured reflections a day( youthful gibs should eat multiple times a day). Serving measured reflections helps help gluttony. Ask your veterinarian or breeder for advice about the stylish food for your Birman cat.
Disposition
Sweet and tender! That is the stylish way to describe a Birman cat’s personality. These beautiful creatures are bred to be social with everyone in the family( including other pussycats or tykes , if introduced duly).
” Birmans are ridiculously precious and sweet pussycats,” says Ingrid Johnson, CCBC, cat groomer, and author of Unnaturally nimble.
You will not find Birmans with the zoomies at all hours of the night. rather, you are more likely to find them coiled up on your stage or at the bottom of your bed. Their laid- back station makes them an nearly perfect family pet, says Marilyn Krieger, certified cat geste adviser in San Francisco.
Attributes
The typical Birman cat personality is tender, friendly, gentle, and curious. Because they’ve such an easy- going and kind address, these pussycats are an awful choice for families with children or homes with other pussycats or tykes . Overall, these pussycats adore spending time with their family and basking in a shaft of attention.
Besides a fascinating personality, Birman pussycats are also relatively intelligent. They enjoy learning and frequently respond well to training — who does not want a cat that can do tricks? To help your cat continue to exercise their mind, try playing colorful mystification games with them. Indeed when pussycats do not catch on the first time, you may be surprised how snappily they can learn.
Strain Overview
The Birman cat is an easy- going strain that fits well into nearly any ménage and family. Medium- sized and mightily erected, they aren’t too delicate for children to handle. Birmans are sweet and tender pussycats, happy to warm your stage or crawl up onto your casket for a clinch. They’re generally quiet, vocalizing only when necessary with soft chirruping meows.
Coat Color And Grooming
The Birman has a silky, medium- length fleece in the pointed pattern of the Siamese( meaning that the color is darker on the face, cognizance, legs and tail), a broad, rounded head outgunned with medium- size cognizance, bright blue eyes that give him a sweet expression, and four white bases that give him the appearance of wearing little white mittens. This is a medium- size to large cat with a heavyset, important body that belies his gentle address.
The medium-long to long fleece has a silky texture and little hair, which means that it infrequently mats. It forms a heavy trim around the neck and is crimpy on the belly.
For case, a seal point Birman has a body that’s a pale fawn to cream color with a warm tone, gradually shadowing to a lighter color on the belly and casket. The points are a deep seal brown. On the front and back paws are white “ gloves ending in an even line across the paw. On the reverse paws, the gloves extend up the reverse of the leg( called laces) and end in a point or an inverted V shape.
Besides seal point, Birmans come in blue point, chocolate point, lilac point, and colorful parti- color point and lynx point colors. Lynx point Birmans have an easily defined M marking on the forepart, light markings that act as eyeglasses around the eyes, spotted whisker pads, solid- multicolored cognizance with no stripes, and “ thumb marks ” on the reverse of the cognizance. The legs and tail have stripes and rings.
Personality
The Birman is a more private strain and tends to attach itself to one person. Some Birmans can show a bit of covetousness if their parents don’t pay attention to them. While they’re territorial, they aren’t aggressive.
Living With
Being a larger cat and kindly heavyset to begin with, Birmans can become fat. Diurnal exercise can help keep her in good physical condition.
In addition, prepare your Birman daily to help matting of the fine fur.
History
The Temple of Lao- Tsun was erected in Asia for the deification of the goddess Tsun- Kyan- Kse. Mun Ha, one of the preachers of the tabernacle, would kneel before the statue of the goddess with the white tabernacle cat named Sinh sitting beside him. One night, aggressors came into the tabernacle as Mun Ha was worshiping and killed him. As Mun Ha was dying, Sinh put his bases on Mun Ha and faced the goddess. His body incontinently turned from white to gold, and his eyes turned blue, just like those of the goddess. His legs turned brown, but where his bases touched his master, they remained white as a symbol of chastity. All the other pussycats in and around the tabernacle also changed in this way. Sinh stayed with his master for the coming seven days when he too failed, and Sinh carried the soul of Mun Ha to paradise. To this day, it’s believed that whenever one of the sacred tabernacle pussycats dies, the soul of a clerk accompanies the soul of the cat to paradise.
When the tabernacle was raided again in 1919, Auguste Pavie and Major Gordon Russell helped the tabernacle preachers. As a gesture of thanks, the preachers gave these men a parentage brace of Birmans, which were the foundation of the strain in the west. Both men were also living in France. The Birmans did veritably well for a while but by the end of the Second World War, only one brace of Birmans was left. formerly again, hard work had to work to keep this strain alive.
Gibs from these parentage programs were exported to other countries all over the world. In 1966, the Birman was honored in Britain and in 1967, the Birman became an honored strain in the United States. In Europe, the strain goes by its traditional name, the Sacred Cat of Burma.
Fixing Birman pussycats
The fleece of a Birman cat is soft and silky but not as delicate to deal with as that of the Persian. Still, to help keep it this way, it does bear cat grooming once a week with comb and encounter. Birman pussycats prepped from any early age enjoy the redundant mortal attention this regular exertion brings. Flash back that a slithery fleece can be substantiation that your cat is no longer trying to prepare themselves, which can be reflective of poor or failing health. As with all pussycats, Birmans benefit from regular vaccination, sponger control and an periodic veterinary cat health check.
Health
Both thoroughbred pussycats and mixed- strain pussycats have varying frequency of health problems that may be inheritable in nature.
Corneal dermoid, the presence of skin and hair on the face of the cornea of one or both eyes. It can be corrected surgically.
Spongiform degeneration, a progressive degenerative complaint of the central nervous system causing signs that include hind- branch weakness and awkward movement.
Shaking and pulsing in gibs. This condition begins in some gibs when they’re about 10 days old and lasts until they’re about 12 weeks old.
Surprisingly high attention of urea and/ or creatinine in the blood, which may or may not indicate order dysfunction.
Common Health Problems
Birman pussycats are an extremely healthy strain, with no given strain-specific conditions or other health enterprises. That said, any cat of any age can come sick or injured or develop a health problem. Bring your Birman cat to your veterinarian at least once a time for a complete physical to insure your cat is healthy and so you can identify any developing health enterprises.
General Health Information for your Birman
Weight operation
Rotundity is a major complaint that contributes to an unexpectedly large number of ails and deaths in pussycats.
This disclosure is a more well- known and well- understood moment than in the last many decades, but too numerous possessors are still ignoring the troubles of redundant weight on their faces . Redundant weight is one of the most influential factors in the development of arthritis, diabetes, and other life- hanging conditions. Everyone knows numerous firsthand from particular experience — how indeed slipping just a many pounds can affect better mobility and increased overall provocation to be active.
Research suggests that carrying redundant weight may dock a pet’s life by as important as two times, and can beget the onset of arthritis two times sooner. Diabetes, an inherited complaint, has a much more advanced chance of developing in fat faces , and may Norway become a problem for a healthy- weight cat. The more fat a cat becomes, the more likely it’ll come diabetic. Hepatic lipidosis, or adipose liver, is another potentially fatal complaint in fat faces ; hepatic lipidosis can develop in as many as 48 hours when a fat cat stops eating for any reason.
So how can we help our faves stay neat? Understanding your cat’s salutary habits is crucial. The average cat prefers to eat about 10- 15 times a day, just a few bites at a time. This system, free- feeding, works well for utmost pussycats, but tedium may increase the number of passages your cat makes to the food coliseum. By keeping your cat playfully active and engaged, you will help your pet stay healthy and have some fun at the same time! A string tied to a stick with commodity crinkly or fuzzy on the other end of the string, and a little imagination you and your cat will both be entertained. Food mystifications, like kibbles put in a paper bag or under an capsized handbasket or box, may help to motivate pussycats with further food- grounded interests to roll and tumble.
For really tough cases of gorging, you’ll have to take an establishment station, and regulate your cat’s food input. rather than filling your cat’s coliseum to the top, follow the feeding companion on the food package and be sure to feed a high- quality grown-up cat diet as recommended by your warhorse. Replace your cat’s habits of eating when wearied with redundant playtime and affection. pussycats generally acclimate their solicitations for particular commerce by the quantum of affection offered to them, so in other words, ignoring your cat means your cat will ignore you. By the same commemorative, loving on and playing with your cat a lot will make your cat desire that time with you. A more active cat means a healthier, happier pet — and proprietor!
Dental Disease
Dental complaints are one of the most common habitual problems in faves who do n’t have their teeth brushed regularly. Unfortunately, utmost pussycats do n’t take veritably good care of their own teeth, and this presumably includes your Birman. Without redundant help and care from you, your cat is likely to develop potentially serious dental problems. Dental complaints start with food residue, which hardens into tartar that builds up on the visible corridor of the teeth, and ultimately leads to infection of the epoxies and tooth roots. guarding your cat against dental complaints from the launch by removing food residue regularly may help or delay the need for advanced treatment of dental complaints. This treatment can be stressful for your cat and precious for you, so preventative care is salutary each around. In severe cases of habitual dental infection, your pet may indeed lose teeth or sustain damage to internal organs. And, if nothing else, your cat will be a more affable companion not knocking everyone over with funky cat breath! We ’ll show you how to keep your cat’s pearly whites clean at home, and help you schedule regular routine dental examinations.
Vaccine- Preventable Infections
Like all pussycats, Birmans are susceptible to bacterial and viral infections similar as panleukopenia, calicivirus, rhinotracheitis, and rabies, which are preventable through vaccination. The threat of your cat contracting these conditions is high, so the corresponding vaccines are called “ core ” vaccines, which are largely recommended for all pussycats. In addition, vaccines are available to offer protection from other dangerous conditions like nimble leukemia contagion( FeLV). In making vaccination recommendations for your cat, we will consider the frequency of these conditions in our area, your cat’s age, and any other threat factors specific to her life.
Spongers
All kinds of worms and bugs can foray your Mitted Cat’s body, outside and out. Everything from fleas and ticks to observance diminutives can overrun her skin and cognizance. Hookworms, roundworms, heartworms, and whipworms can get into her system in a number of ways: drinking sick water, walking on polluted soil, or being stung by an infected mosquito. Some of these spongers can be transmitted to you or a family member and are a serious concern for everyone. For your nimble friend, these spongers can beget pain, discomfort, and indeed death, so it’s important that we test for them on a regular basis. numerous types of spongers can be detected with a fecal test, so it’s a good idea to bring a fresh coprolite sample( in a stink- proof vessel, please) with your pet for her doubly-a-year heartiness examinations. We ’ll also recommend preventative drugs as necessary to keep her healthy.
Spay or Alter
One of the stylish effects you can do for your Birman is to have her desexed( fixed for males). In ladies, this procedure includes surgically removing the ovaries and generally the uterus; in males, the testicles are surgically removed. Spaying or neutering your pet decreases the liability of certain types of cancers and eliminates the possibility of your pet getting pregnant or getting unwanted litters. Both relations generally come less territorial and less likely to bat, and neutering particularly decreases the circumstance of urine scattering and marking actions in males.
Performing this surgery also gives us a chance, while your pet is under anesthesia, to identify and address some of the conditions your cat is likely to develop. For illustration, if your pet needs hipsterismX-rays to check for dysplasia or a thorough dental test to look for stomatitis, these procedures can be accessible and performed at the same time as the spay or neuter to minimize the stress on your cat. Routine blood testing previous to surgery also helps us to identify and take preventives against common problems that increase anesthetic or surgical threat. It sounds like a lot to keep in mind, but do n’t worry- we ’ll bandy all the specific problems we will look for with you when the time arrives.
Inheritable tendencies for Birmans
Arterial Thromboembolism
Pussycats with heart complaints may develop blood clots in their highways known as FATE( nimble aortic thromboembolisms). Blood clots most generally come lodged just past the aorta, the large blood vessel that supplies blood from the heart to the body, blocking normal blood inflow to the hind legs. When this happens, one or both hind legs may come paralyzed, cold, or painful. FATE is a life- hanging complaint, and requires quick action and prolonged medical care. pussycats who survive thromboembolisms, still, generally recapture full function of their limbs.However, we may define specifics to help lower the threat of blood clots, If your cat is diagnosed with heart disease.However, do n’t stay! Your pet needs immediate emergency care, If your cat suddenly ca n’t walk or is dragging one or both back legs and crying.
Hemophilia
The term hemophilia refers to a group of blood clotting diseases in which injuries in the body bleed continuously and profusely. Several types of these inherited blood diseases can occur in pussycats and range from mild to severe. Indeed with mild cases, still, hemophilia diseases can be life- hanging . A cat affected by hemophilia may feel fully normal until an injury occurs or surgery is performed, after which dangerous, prolonged bleeding may begin. For at- threat types like your Birman, individual testing to describe abnormal clotting times is recommended before any type of surgery or dental birth.
Blood Type
Although we detest the possibility of the worst passing to our faves , when disaster strikes, it’s stylish to be prepared. One of the most effective life- saving treatments available in exigency med
Just like people, individual pussycats have different blood types. Most domestic pussycats have type A blood, but thoroughbred pussycats, like your Birman frequently have a different blood type, generally type B or veritably infrequently, type AB. Determining your cat’s blood type is essential before starting a transfusion, so knowing your cat’s type ahead of time can save pivotal twinkles. Blood typing is recommended for all pussycats, but is especially important for crossbreds. This test can be done as part of a routine heartiness blood testing, and the results can be added to your pet’s microchip record as well for fast action indeed if you are not there.
Neonatal Isoerythrolysis( NI)/ Hemolytic Icterus
Neonatal isoerythrolysis, or NI, is a rare vulnerable- mediated complaint that’s caused when an invigorated alley cat with type A blood suckles colostrum( first milk) from a mama with type B blood or vice-versa. The mama ’s impunity against type A blood is contained in her colostrum, so when the alley cat nurses, the antigen is absorbed into the alley cat’s bloodstream through ingestion. The performing vulnerable response develops antibodies that attack and destroy the alley cat’s own red blood cells. Accordingly, affected gibs generally die within a many days of birth. NI can do in numerous cat types, but is more frequently seen in types with a advanced liability of having type B blood like yourBirman.However, you’ll need to learn further about this problem beforehand from your veterinarian, If you plan to breed your cat.
Neutrophil Granulation
Neutrophils are a type of white blood cell present in normal blood that we anticipate to see( under the microscope) in certain amounts and conditions as part of routine blood testing. The number and appearance of neutrophils and other white blood cells can give us suggestions about your cat’s health. generally grains present in these neutrophils would be a cause for alarm and reflective of infection or illness, but with your Birman, these grains may be impeccably normal. These unusual cells aren’t a problem, and aren’t associated with any complaint, but we need to keep this normal birth variation in mind when interpreting your cat’s special lab results.
Portosystemic Shunt
Portosystemic shunt is a complaint seen sometimes in pussycats, in which some of the blood force to the liver is shunted around it rather. This condition deprives the liver of the full blood inflow it needs to grow and serve duly, leading to an small, inadequately nourished liver that can not completely remove poisons from the bloodstream. These undressed waste accoutrements , similar as ammonia and corrosiveness acids, ultimately make up in the bloodstream and act as venoms to the body’s systems. For illustration, in severe cases, high blood- ammonia situations can beget neurological issues. pussycats affected by a portosystemic shunt are also extremely sensitive to medicines and anesthetics, as the liver can not efficiently cleanse the bloodstream of the added chemicals.However, we will perform blood testing or a liver ultrasound checkup can to check for the complaint, If your cat shows symptoms of a portosystemic shunt. In some cases, surgery can restore proper blood inflow to the liver.
FIP vulnerability
Puss contagious Peritonitis, or FIP, is a fatal complaint caused by a type of coronavirus. All pussycats may carry this contagion in a dormant state, but if the contagion undergoes a combination of specific mutations, it can act on a susceptible cat’s vulnerable system, causing the cat to develop FIP. Birmans feel to be more at threat for developing FIP than other types. FIP causes damage to the blood vessels( vasculitis) and fluid figure- up inside the tummy or casket. Blood testing is available for detecting coronaviruses in pussycats, but these tests do not separate well between non-harmful coronaviruses and the factual FIP complaint. Screening pussycats for this complaint before breeding or dealing them is thus delicate and unreliable. FIP is always a threat for any alley cat, but more so when copping a thoroughbred cat from a breeder; formerly FIP has developed in a cattery population, it’s tough to get relief from it. Be veritably careful to ask about any history of FIP infection in an alley cat or cat’s family or cattery history before copping your pet. Unfortunately, there’s presently no effective treatment for FIP, and it’s a fatal complaint.
Multiple Eye Problems
Not numerous effects have the dramatic impact on your cat’s quality of life as the proper functioning of his eyes. Unfortunately, Birmans can inherit or develop a number of different eye conditions, some of which may beget blindness if not treated right down, and utmost can be extremely painful! We’ll estimate your cat’s eyes during every visit to look for any worrisome signs.
Cataract
Cataracts are a common cause of blindness in aged Birmans. Onset of the complaint presents with the lenses of the eyes getting more opaque, or further cloudy than clear. Surgery to remove cataracts and restore the cat’s sight may be an option, although utmost pussycats acclimate well to gradually losing their vision and still get on well in life. The Lowell Animal Hospital platoon will always examine your cat’s eyes nearly at each biannual test and will bandy treatment options with you if your cat develops cataracts.
Eyelid Agenesis
Eyelid agenesis is a birth disfigurement in which the upper eyelid doesn’t form duly. This contortion leaves the eye constantly vulnerable to foreign accouterments reaching the cornea, like dust, eyelashes, and hair. In addition, the eye is duly doused , and remains bothered, red, and dry as a result. Over time, this vexation causes painful corneal ulcers and scar towel to develop, ultimately leading to partial or complete blindness. In mild cases, treatment may include the operation of eye lubricant and cryosurgery to remove the eyelashes rubbing the eye. generally however, affected pussycats are treated through surgical eyelid reconstruction. Once healed, the new eyelids should serve typically, and the cat should be suitable to live a healthy life with normal vision.
Corneal insulation
Corneal insulation is a painful condition common in types with prominent eyes, like Birmans. A corneal sequestrum is a hard black patch of dead towel that develops on the front of the cat’s eye, or the cornea. This condition generally develops as the result of habitual inflammation due to viral infection, eyelid blights, or indeed eyelashes that grow the wrong way. Some early cases may be managed fairly well for months to times using topical specifics, but in more advanced cases, preventative surgery may be suitable to repair the disfigurement and save the eye before the sequestrum detaches. So keep an eye out for any signs of eye infection in your cat, and we ’ll check for this condition and other implicit eye problems at eachsemi-annual hardiness test too.
Hypotrichosis
Hypotrichosis is caused by a sheepish inheritable disfigurement set up in several cat types, including Birmans. This complaint causes thinning of the hair or balding, which tends to develop in patterns or patches on the torso and head. An alley cat can be born with symmetrical hair loss, or thinning of hair may postdate shortly after birth. In time, affected areas may develop fresh saturation or thickened skin. Skin vivisection samples will indicate if your cat has a lower- than-normal number of hair follicles, sebaceous glands, or sweat glands. Hypotrichosis isn’t painful, but special care is needed to cover your cat’s skin. No effective treatment is presently known for this condition. Because it’s genetically linked, affected pussycats and their close cousins shouldn’t be bred.
Taking Care of Your Birman
The importance of what you can do at home to keep your cat happy and healthy is common sense, just like it’s for people. Watch her diet, make sure she gets plenty of exercise, regularly brush her teeth and fleece, and call us or a pet emergency sanitarium when a commodity seems unusual( see “ What to Watch For ” below). Be sure to cleave to the schedule of examinations and vaccinations that we recommend for your pet. During your cat’s examinations, we ’ll perform her necessary “ check- ups ” and test for conditions and conditions that are common in Birmans. Another veritably important step in minding for your pet is subscribing her up for pet health insurance. There will clearly be medical tests and procedures she’ll need throughout her life and pet health insurance will help you cover those costs.
Where to Borrow or Buy a Birman Cat
The Birman is less common than some other cat types, but it’s still possible to find an estimable breeder with gibs available. The Cat suckers Association and The International Cat Association both list active Birman breeders on their separate websites. A delightful way to meet Birman breeders and see numerous different cat types in one place is by attending a cat show. To find an original cat show, search the internet for “ cat show near me. ”
Children And Other faves
The friendly, laidback Birman is a perfect choice for families with children and cat-friendly tykes . He loves the attention he receives from children who treat him politely and with respect, and he does n’t mind playing dress- up or going for a lift in a baby perambulator
He’s happy to live with cat-friendly tykes , too, thanks to his gracious disposition. Introduce faves sluggishly and by controlled circumstances to insure that they learn to get along together.
