BIRMAN
Standard of Excellence
GENERAL DESCRIPTION
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The Birman is a semi-long haired (but heavy boned) cat, which strikes a medium between the extremes of the cobby, heavy boned cats, and the long fine boned cats. 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. There must be strong definition between colour of points and white of paws and gauntlets. No single attribute is to be emphasized over the impression of a well balanced aesthetically beautiful cat.
| Head
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Strong boned, slightly rounded in the muzzle. Broader than high, forehead slopes well back, is slightly convex in profile with a flatter appearance in front of and between the ears.
| | Jaws
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Strong, cheeks full and well developed.
| | Nose
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Medium in length, in proportion to size of head. Roman in shape, but not to excess.
| | Chin
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Firm, full and strong, forming a perpendicular line with the upper lip.
| | Ears
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Medium in size, set moderately far apart and slightly flared.
| | Eyes
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Almost round in shape, widely spaced but not bold.
| | Body
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Of good length, yet muscular and solid and in excellent physical condition. Neck strong and of medium length. Broad chest. Males are generally larger in size than females.
| | Legs & Paws
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Strong boned. Medium in length. Large round paws. Stiff rear legged gait.
| | Tail
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The medium long tail presents an elegant appearance in pleasing proportion to body. Slender at the base, full at the tip. At rest, it falls away, but it is generally carried high with a curl at the tip.
- Note – Balance of tail with body should be apparent without having to measure the tail to shoulder.
| | Coat
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Medium in length, silken in texture, with no undercoat. Full ruff around neck, slightly curled on belly, and with such a texture that it will not matt.
| | Condition
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The cat should be well grown, the frame (skeleton) should be strong, well covered and muscular. Eyes bright and temperament good.
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| Colour Description
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The points – mask, ears, legs, paws and tail, must be equal in colour density as possible, definitely by the age of two years. There must be a good contrast between points and body colour. It is important that the cat shades gradually to paler tones on chest and stomach. There is a golden hue colouring across the back and sides. This hue is deeper in the seal, but should be noticeable in all colours.
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