Chapter
9: Birman
CFA Standard
POINT SCORE
HEAD, BODY, TYPE & COAT (65)
Head (including boning, nose, jaw, chin ...... 30
profile, ear & eye shape & set.)
Body/Type (including boning, stockiness ...... 25
elongation, legs, tail.)
Coat (including length, texture, ruff.)....... 10
COLOR - INCLUDING EYE COLOR (35)
Color except
gloves
...... ... 15
(including body color, point color, eye color.)
Gloves
....... 20
(including front & rear gloves, laces & symmetry)
GENERAL: a cat of mystery and legend, the Birman is a color
pointed cat with long silky hair and four pure white feet. It is
strongly built, elongated and stocky, neither svelte nor cobby.
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.
HEAD: skull strong, broad, and rounded. There is a slight flat
spot just in front of the ears.
NOSE: medium in length and width, in proportion to size of head.
Roman shape in profile. Nostrils set low on the nose leather.
PROFILE: the forehead slopes back and is slightly convex. The
medium length nose starts just below the eyes and is Roman in
shape (which is slightly convex). The chin is strong, with the
lower jaw forming a perpendicular line with the upper lip.
CHEEKS: full with somewhat rounded muzzle. The fur is short in
appearance about the face, but to the extreme outer area of the
cheek the fur is longer.
JAWS: heavy.
CHIN: strong and well-developed.
EARS: medium in length. Almost as wide at the base as tall.
Modified to a rounded point at the tip; set as much to the side
as into the top of the head.
EYES: almost round with a sweet expression. Set well apart, with
the outer corner tilted VERY slightly upward. Blue in color, the
deeper blue the better.
BODY: long and stocky. Females may be proportionately smaller
than males.
LEGS: medium in length and heavy.
PAWS: large, round, and firm. Five toes in front, four behind.
TAIL: medium in length, in pleasing proportion to the body.
COAT: medium long to long, silken in texture, with heavy ruff
around the neck, slightly curly on stomach. This fur is of such
a texture that it does not mat.
COLOR EXCEPT GLOVES: Body: even, with subtle shading when
allowed. Strong contrast between body color and points. Points
except gloves: mask, ears, legs, and tail dense and clearly
defined, all of the same shade. Mask covers entire face
including whisker pads and is connected to ears by tracings. No
ticking or white hair in points. Golden Mist: desirable in all
points colors is the "golden mist", a faint golden
beige cast on the back and sides. This is somewhat deeper in the
seal points, and may be absent in kittens.
GLOVES: Front paws: front paws have white gloves ending in an
even line across the paw at, or between, the second or third
joints. (The third joint is where the paw bends when the cat is
standing.) The upper limit of white should be the metacarpal
(dew) pad. (The metacarpal pad is the highest up little paw pad,
located in the middle of the back of the front paw, above the
third joint and just below the wrist bones.) Symmetry of the
front gloves is desirable. Back paws: white glove covers all the
toes, and may extend up somewhat higher than front gloves.
Symmetry of the rear gloves is desirable. Laces: the gloves on
the back paws must extend up the back of the hock, and are
called laces in this area. Ideally, the laces end in a point or
inverted "V" and extend 1/2 to 3/4 of the way up the
hock. Lower or higher laces are acceptable, but should not go
beyond the hock. Symmetry of the two laces is desirable. Paw
pads: pink preferred, but dark spot(s) on paw pad(s) acceptable
because of the two colors in pattern. Note: ideally, the front
gloves match, the back gloves match, and the two laces match.
Faultlessly gloved cats are a rare exception, and the Birman is
to be judged in all its parts, as well as the gloves.
PENALIZE: white that does not run across the front paws in an
even line. Persian or Siamese type head. Delicate bone
structure. White shading on stomach and chest. Lack of laces on
one or both back gloves. White beyond the metacarpal (dew) pad.
(The metacarpal pad is the highest up little paw pad, located in
the middle of the back of the front paw, above the third joint
and just below the wrist bones.)
DISQUALIFY: lack of white gloves on any paw. Kinked or abnormal
tail. Crossed eyes. Incorrect number of toes. Areas of pure
white in the points, if not connected to the gloves and part of
or an extension of the gloves. Paw pads are part of the gloves.
Areas of white connected to other areas of white by paw pads (of
any color) are not cause for disqualification. Discrete areas of
point color in the gloves, if not connected to point color of
legs (exception, paw pads). White on back legs beyond the hock.
BIRMAN COLORS
SEAL POINT: body even pale fawn to cream, warm in tone, shading
gradually to lighter color on the stomach and chest. Points,
except for gloves, deep seal brown. Gloves pure white. Nose
leather: same color as points. Paw pads: pink. Eye color: blue,
the deeper and more violet the better.
BLUE POINT: body bluish white to pale ivory, shading gradually
to almost white on stomach and chest. Points, except for gloves,
deep blue. Gloves pure white. Nose leather: slate-color. Paw
pads: pink. Eye color: blue, the deeper and more violet the
better.
CHOCOLATE POINT: body ivory with no shading. Points, except for
gloves, milk-chocolate color, warm in tone. Gloves pure white.
Nose leather: cinnamon-pink. Paw pads: pink. Eye color: blue,
the deeper and more violet the better.
LILAC POINT: almost white. Points, except for gloves, frosty
grey with pinkish tone. Gloves pure white. Nose leather:
lavender-pink. Paw pads: pink. Eye color: blue, the deeper and
more violet the better.
The following information is for reference purposes only, and
not an official part of the CFA Show Standard.
BIRMAN (Sacred Cat of Burma) COLOR CLASS NUMBERS
Chocolate Point .............. 0180 0181
Seal Point ................... 0182 0183
Lilac Point .................. 0184 0185
Blue Point ................... 0186 0187
AOV .......................... 2198 2199
IMPORTANT:
Birman cats registered as chocolate point, seal point,
lilac point or blue point, but with AOV color ancestry (parents,
grand-parents, great grand-parents, etc.), are NOT eligible to
compete in Birman championship color classes. These cats are
identified by a registration prefix number of "21xx."
* Birman allowable outcross breeds: none. |
TICA Standard
HEAD |
|
|
30 points |
|
Head |
15 |
|
Ears |
5 |
|
Eyes |
5 |
|
Eye Color |
5 |
BODY |
|
|
30 points |
|
Body |
15 |
|
Tail |
5 |
|
Legs |
5 |
|
Feet |
5 |
COAT |
|
|
10 points
|
COLOR |
|
|
30 points |
|
Body Color |
5 |
|
Point Color |
10 |
|
Gloves |
10 |
|
Laces |
5 |
RECOGNIZED CATEGORIES/DIVISIONS/COLORS:
Pointed Category, Particolor Division: All
pointed colors.
Solid Particolor
Point, Lynx (silver and non-silver) Particolor, Tortie Particolor Point, and Smoke
Particolor Point.
GENERAL DESCRIPTION:
The Sacred Cat of Burma is a longhaired pointed cat with white feet. He is imposing in
appearance, medium to large in size, with heavy boning in proportion to size. Females are
appreciably smaller than males. The tail is carried erect. The Birman is to be healthy,
muscular, and in perfect balance. The coat does not mat or tangle.
EYE COLOR:
Blue, the deeper the blue the better.
PATTERN: Gloves and laces: Front paws have white gloves ending in an
even line
across paws at third joint (where toes meet paws); the back paws have white gloves,
extending straight up back of legs ending in a point approximately half-way up hock
("laces"). Evenly matched gloves and laces are desirable.
COLOR DESCRIPTIONS:
Paw pads are pink or pink spotted with point color; solid pink paw pads preferred.
Seal Point: Body an even pale fawn to cream, warm in tone, with subtle shadings
allowed on back and haunches, lightening to creamy white on the stomach and chest. Points,
except gloves and laces, are deep seal brown. Gloves and laces are pure white. Nose
leather, deep seal brown.
Blue Point: Body an even platinum gray to bluish-white, subtle shadings allowed on
back and haunches gradually shading to almost white on the stomach and chest. Points,
except gloves and laces, deep blue-gray. Gloves and laces, white.
Chocolate Point: Body an even ivory with no shading allowed. Points, except gloves
and laces, a warm milk chocolate. Gloves and laces, pure white. Nose leather is cinnamon
pink.
Lilac Point: Body an even milk white, cold in tone with no shading allowed. Points,
except gloves and laces, lilac gray. Gloves and laces, pure white.
Cinnamon Point: Body an even buff to ivory color with no shading allowed. Points,
except gloves and laces, reddish cinnamon brown. Gloves and laces, pure white. Nose
leather, is burnt rose.
Fawn Point: Body a creamy off-white with no shading allowed. Points, except gloves and
laces, warm fawn or buff. Gloves and laces, pure white. Nose leather is pink.
Red Point: Body an even clear white color with no shading allowed. Points, except
gloves and laces, red. Gloves and laces, pure white. Nose leather is flesh or coral pink.
Cream Point: Body an even white color with no shading allowed. Points, except
gloves and laces, cream. Gloves and laces, pure white. Nose leather is pink.
PENALIZE:
Areas of white extending above the level of the dew pad on the front legs. Lack of one
or both laces. Free spots of point color in gloves or laces.
WITHHOLD ALL AWARDS:
See Show Rules for rules governing
penalties/disqualifications applying to all cats.
HEAD:
Shape: Strong, broad and round, from frontal view; slightly longer than wide in profile.
Size: Medium.
Profile: Forehead sloped back with slight transverse flat spot in middle of forehead just
above the eye ridge leading to a rounded top head. Definite stop between forehead and
roman nose.
Nose: Roman in shape, nostrils set low, medium in length.
Muzzle: Medium length, jaws are heavy.
Chin: Well-developed forming a perpendicular line with upper lip.
Cheeks: Full, cheekbones to be high and prominent.
EARS:
Shape: Almost as wide at base as tall. Open at base. Rounded tip.
Size: Medium.
Placement: Moderately far apart. Furnishings: Heavy.
EYES::
Shape: Almost round.
Size: Large.
Color: Blue.
Placement: Set wide apart.
NECK:
Size: Medium.
Length: Medium.
Musculature: Well-muscled.
BODY:
Shape: Medium long, sturdy, back level.
Size: Medium to large. In all respects, males are generally larger than females.
Boning: Heavy.
Musculature: Firm and muscular.
TAIL:
Size: In proportion to body.
Length: Medium.
LEGS:
Length: Medium length, in proportion to body.
Boning: Heavy.
Musculature: Well-muscled.
FEET:
Shape: Round and firm.
Size: Large.
COAT:
Length: Semi-long to long.
Texture: Silky.
Miscellaneous: Heavy ruff is desirable, especially in males.
Fur slightly curly on stomach. Note: seasonal changes to be considered when judging coat
length.
PATTERN:
Gloves and laces: Front paws have white gloves ending in an even line across paws at third
joint (where toes meet paws); the back paws have white gloves, extending straight up back
of legs ending in a point approximately half-way up hock ("laces").
Evenly matched gloves and laces are desirable.
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