Birman Cat Names, Cat Names of Birman Breed, Page 11

The Birman has a temple legend and a documented 1919 shipment, and the two stories don't quite line up. The legend, preserved in French breeder records: the cat Sinh sat with the priest Mun-Ha at the temple of Lao-Tsun. When Mun-Ha was killed, Sinh climbed onto his master's body. The cat's golden eyes turned sapphire blue, his coat darkened — but his four paws stayed pure white, "as a sign of his master's purity," in CFA's wording. The documented history is more prosaic. In 1919, a breeding pair was shipped from Burma to France. The male died in transit; the pregnant female arrived alive and founded the European Birman line.

CFA accepted the Birman for registration in 1967; GCCF recognized the breed in 1966; the breed had been shown in France since the 1920s. The breed's signature — white "gloves" on the front paws and longer white "laces" running up the back of the hindlegs — is required by every breed standard. Eyes are sapphire blue. The coat is a single semi-longhaired layer without an undercoat, and the build is sturdy with a Roman nose.

Birmans are sometimes called Velcro cats by TICA — they follow their chosen human throughout the day, vocalize in a soft, pretty voice, and prefer being held to being chased. French breeders preserve a naming tradition: every kitten born in a given year is named with the same opening letter of the alphabet, rotating through the years.

Specific naming examples grounded in the breed's actual history. Sinh, after the temple cat in the legend. Mun-Ha, after the priest. Lao-Tsun, after the temple. Birmanie, the original French form of Burma the breed name itself derives from. For a Velcro Birman, soft two-syllable names work well — Sapphire for the eye color, Mira for "wonder," Zola for warmth.