Birman Cat: Cat Food and a Description of the Breed
The Birman cat is a semi-longhair cat from France. It is also called Holy Burma. Thanks to its extremely gentle nature the Birman cat, which is also very popular with families with children, is considered to be the ideal cat for keeping indoors.
History of the Birman cat
The exact origins of Sacred Burma can no longer be traced beyond doubt. However, with the purposeful breeding of the today's Burmese cat was begun at the beginning of the 20th century in France.
The first entries in stud books date back to 1915 and the recognition of the Sacred Burmese as an independent cat breed took place in France in 1925, but it took up to the 1960s before it was recognized by the British and American breeding associations.
After the breeding came to a more or less standstill due to the Second World War, the population recovered in the 50s and 60s. Today the Sacred Burmese is appreciated by cat lovers in many countries thanks to their friendly and gentle nature.
Look of the Birman cat
The Sacred Burma is a medium- sized cat. Males usually reach a weight of 4.5 to 6 kilograms, while females usually weigh about 3.5 to 4 kilos. The Birman cat has a strong bone structure and well developed muscles. Its legs are short and its paws are broad and rounded.
The head of the Birman saint has the shape of a rounded triangle. Her medium sized ears are set quite wide apart and her eyes are large and slightly oval. The eye colour is always deep blue in the Birman cat.
The coat of the Birman cat
The fur of the Birman cat has a silky texture. Undercoats are hardly present. The hairs on the face are slightly shorter and especially long on the flanks and on the back.
Just like the Siamese, the Sacred Birman belongs to the point cats. This means that their coat only gets darker on the face, ears, legs and tail, while the rest of the body retains a light colouring.
The breed standard of the Birman cat allows all common point colours, such as Blue-point, Seal-point or Lilac-point. A special feature of the Sacred Burmese are also the white paws, which are called gloves.
Character of the Birman cat
The Holy Burmese is a very special cat with a very special character. In contrast to most of her conspecifics, it’s really important to them to please their owner. The Birman cats are therefore very easy to train.
Instead she follows her owner at every opportunity and appreciates extensive stroking and playing together. Even older Burmese cats are usually still easily inspired for cat toys, such as a cat fishing rod.
The gentle Birman gets along very well with children. Living together with dogs usually does not cause any problems either.
Attitude and care of the Birman cat
The Birman cat is a classic indoors cat. It’s considered to be extremely gentle and people-oriented. Working people should refrain from keeping them individually and keep at least one more Sacred Burmese or another conspecific. Otherwise the Birman cat feels alone very quickly, which can lead to behavioural problems.
The Birman is not suitable for outdoor activities. Because it is very trusting and appears also opposite strangers completely without shyness. A cat-safe balcony, on which she gets some fresh air from time to time, is of course gladly accepted by her.
The coat of the Birman cat is quite easy to care for. Nevertheless, the Birman should be brushed about twice a week. Otherwise it can happen that swallowed hairs during grooming can lead to an intestinal obstruction in the cat.
Burmese cat diseases
The Burmese cat is generally considered to be quite healthy. However, inflammations of the cat's eyes occur comparatively often. This means that owners should pay specific attention to eye care.
Sometimes the cats may suffer from a genetic disease called hypomyelination, which is usually already visible a few weeks after birth and manifests itself especially in the form of spasms and strong trembling. In order to avoid inheritance of hypomyelination, affected Birman cats must be excluded from breeding.
Apart from this, the Burmese cats can of course also fall ill with cat diseases such as cat sniffles and develop a kidney insufficiency, which is common in cats in old age.
The life expectancy of the Birman cat
A healthy Birman cat from a reputable breeder can easily reach 12 years and older. With good living conditions the Burmese cat even often reaches an age of about 20 years. Inbreeding and bad living conditions can also shorten their life expectancy considerably.
The right food for the Birman cat
Of course, genetic diseases cannot be prevented with a healthy diet. Nevertheless, a species-appropriate feeding is of crucial importance for a long and healthy life of your Birman cat.
You should therefore pay particular attention to the quality of the cat food. We recommend feeding with the natural products of I love my cat. The well-balanced dry and wet food for cats does not contain any cereals and provides your Birman cat with exactly the right amount of animal proteins that he needs for his well-being.
In addition, it may be useful to supplement the diet of your Burmese cat with the following food supplements and care products, if required:
- Eye care drops for a gentle cleaning and care of the sensitive eyes
- Shiimun Skin as natural nutrient supplier for a dense and healthy coat
- Dental powder for the daily dental care and a permanently healthy denture of your Birman cat
Leave your comment