Standards

General  

A cat of mystery and legend, the Birman is a colourpointed cat with long silky hair and four pure white feet. 

Points 

Head:  

20 

Shape  

Top of head 

The head is а broad, moderately short modified wedge with rounded contours. The forehead is slightly rounded, continued by a smooth curve to the back of the head. 
The cheeks are full and well rounded. 

10 

Muzzle and chin 

The slightly rounded muzzle has medium length, with enough width to prevent a pinched look. The chin is well-developed and has good depth, forming a perpendicular line with the nose leather. 

5 

Profile  

The profile is slightly curved, without stop. The convex (Roman) nose is medium in length and width, in proportion to the size of the head. The nose leather is level and not curved down. 

5 

Eyes 

The eyes are medium in size, moderately rounded, but not bold, set well apart. 
They are blue in colour, the deeper the better. 

10 

Ears 

The ears are medium sized, about as high as broad at the base, with slightly rounded tips and good width between the ears.
Ears set as much to the side as to the top of the head. 

5 

Body: 

20 

Size and boning 

The medium to large sized cat has a solid bone structure with well developed musculature and an elongated rectangular format. Females may be proportionately smaller than males.  

5 

Torso 

The body is slightly elongated and fairly broad. Musculature is firm and strong. Chest is broad with a full rib cage. 

5 

Neck 

The neck is of medium length and well-muscled, thicker on breeding males. 

5 

Legs and paws 

The legs are of medium length, strongly boned and well muscled.
The feet are firm, round and compact, with moderate toe tufts. 

5 

Tail 

The tail is of medium length with plume-like furnishing. 

5 

Coat: 

35 

Length 

Long to medium long coat. The coat is short on the face, but becomes longer on the cheeks and turns into a full frill on the chest. It is long on the back and on the flanks. 

5 

Texture  

Silky texture. Top coat is definitely longer than the fine undercoat, which has an uneven structure creating volume.  

10 

Colour 

The Birman is a colourpointed cat and recognized in all pointed colours, but with white gloves and gauntlets added. The description of colours is listed in the general list of colours.
Mask, ears, legs and tail dense and clearly defined (except in kittens) with a good contrast between body colour and points.  

5 

The special features of the Birman cat are the white "gloves" and "gauntlets".  The white markings on all four paws are called gloves. In particular evenness and symmetry of the gloves are essential; both between the front paws and the hind paws. The white is absolutely pure; it may end at the carpus or at the joint. It is not permitted to extend to the legs. Slightly longer gloves (socks) on the hind paws are tolerated. The white plantar markings on the hind paws, which end in a point, are called gauntlets. They shall be even on both soles and shall end ideally in the center of the metatarsal bones. Lower or higher gauntlets are acceptable, but they should not extend beyond the hock.
The paw pads may be also pink, mottled or correspond to the colour of the points. 

Gloves 

5 

Gauntlets 

5 

Evenness of gauntlets and gloves 

5 

Condition  

5 

Total  

100 

Special breed faults 

The overall appearance is not permitted to show any similarity with the Persian cat, it may also not go to the other extreme to resemble a Siamese cat.
Too narrow at cheek bones.
Narrow muzzle.
Straight profile.
Pale blue colour of eyes 
Too long or too short gloves and gauntlets. 
Patches on the belly in the colour of the points.
“White tie” (lightened narrow part from the chest to the belly) on the chest and/or on the belly. 

Without certificates 

Coloured spots in gloves or gauntlets (excluding the paw pads). 
White spot on the chin. 
Partial pigmentation of the nose leather.
Gloves, which extend beyond their normal shape (“runners” – streaks of white running up the paws beyond the gloves).
The complete absence of a gauntlet on one or both hind paws. 

Disqualify 

White spots on the mask, tail or body. 

Remarks 

Slight patches and stripes on the flanks may be tolerated. 

Outcross  

None