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Baygazer Birmans.

Cat Information

Here you will find lots of interesting things about the Birman cat.

The origins of this legend lie with the Kittah priests of Khmer, who had by all accounts been relentlessly pursued and massacred since around the early 1700's. Their enemies were the Indian Brahmins and in order to escape their attacks fled to North Burmah where they founded the subterranean Temple of Lao-Tsun (The Abode of the Gods ). This temple was described by Russell Gordon as lying to the East of Lake Incaougji, between Magaoung and Sembo.

In 1898, one of the last remaining Kittas related the following legend to Russell Gordon.

A most venerable priest known as Mun-Ha was living in the Temple of Lao-Tsun. Mun-Ha had lived his entire life in contemplation of Tsun-Kyankse, the goddess with sapphire eyes who presided over the transmutation of souls. Apparently Mun-Ha had an oracle who dictated his decisions and this oracle was highly revered by the Kittahs - the oracle was his cat Sinh.

Sinh sat alongside his master and also lived in contemplation of the goddess, his yellow eyes gazing into the sapphire eyes of the goddess.

One evening as the moon rose, the Thai's entered the temple and murdered the revered priest in the presence of his goddess and his divine cat. Immediately transmutation took place, Sinh bounded onto the throne, supported by his masters head he faced the goddess. Where his feet contacted the head of his master, they whitened to the claws, his eyes changed to blue - like the eyes of the goddess and the hair along his spine changed to a golden hue.

The legend continues, Sinh, ordered the Kittahs to find and kill the enemy, then followed seven days where he refused to take nourishment and died. Seven days after the death of Sinh the kittahs assembled before the goddess to chose their successor to Mun-Ha, when a great wonder was observed - all the one hundred temple cats came in procession, and all had sapphire eyes, golden coats, and snowy white feet.

It is said, that when a sacred cat dies in the temple of Lao-Tsun, the soul of a Kittah re-enters.

A warning too, for those who (even accidentally) hasten the end of one of these venerable cats - the most dreadful torments are reserved for them, that the soul in pain may be appeased.

The history of the Birman in Europe dates back to around 1920, although the details are rather sketchy. The Birman is reported to have decended from a pair brought to Europe by Mr. Vanderbilt this pair being Sita the female and Madalpour the male. During the voyage to Nice Madalpour died, Sita was however in kitten and later gave birth to a litter where only one survived - this was the female Poupee being the beginnings of the 'de Madalpour' stock.

Selections and cross breeding to Siamese and other breeds (including Colourpoints, and White Longhairs)were done in order to establish the early birman, as there was no other way to recreate that which had been found in Sita & Madalpour.

Pedigree research is rewarding and fascinating and a very good way to get to know the breed. The starting point in the UK being the original imports in 1965 by Mrs. Elsie Fisher "Praha" Prefix and Mrs Margaret Richards "Mei Hua" Prefix.

Nouky de Non Reve a Seal Pt. male born 17th September 1964
Orlamonde de Khlaramour Blue Pt. female born 2nd March 1965
Osaka de Lugh Blue Pt. born 17th September 1965
Nouky was apparently a large cat with a good coat, pale eye colour and too much white on his front feet although his gauntlets were good. Orlamonde on the other hand had no gauntlets, but did possess even front feet, whereas Osaka was well marked and had the best eye colour of the three, but also had occasional fits.

Mrs Fisher and Mrs Richard worked under the joint Prefix "Paranjoti" at this time until 1967 when the reverted to their own.

from 1966 to the early 1970's five more cats were imported

Pipo du Clos Fleuri - Seal Pt. Male by Mrs. Elizabeth Towe
Ghandi Von Assindia - Blue Pt. born 14th August 1968 Mrs. Fisher
Solomon Von Assindia - Seal Pt. born 7th September 1969 by Miss. Betty Brown
Shani de la Valliere - Seal Pt. Female by Mrs Enid Holmes
Dandy von Aroldessen - Seal Pt.Male by Mr. Bransdon (no progeny from this line is known)
Ghandi is said to have been a beautifully marked cat with a lovely coat but an unpredictable temperament. Pipo's father Hamlet de Madalpour was also the father of Osaka and the grandfather of Orlamonde. A study of these early pedigrees will show all these cats to be related sometimes quite closely.

Fortunately the addition of the new colours has injected some new blood into the birman and should over time serve to strengthen the lines.