PET PROJECTS

THE CAT WITH THE EYES OF A GODDESS

Although currently rare in Thailand, one lover of birman cats hopes the breed will become more popular here

Story By Chompoo Trakullertsathien, Photos By OLGA NICKLAS

In 1998, Olga Nicklas received a special gift that, for several years, she'd been hoping for. It was a gift of life that brought happiness and delight to her entire family.

"My birman cat gave birth to many kittens. They were so beautiful," recalled the cat lover.

Birmans, also known as the sacred cat of Burma, originated in western Burma. According to a legend, the birman breed with their unusual colouring was created by a Burmese goddess. The legend tells that there were many white cats living at the Lao-Tsun temple, which had been built to honour the goddess Tsun-Kyan-Kse, who was thought to have sapphire-blue eyes. Mun-Ha, a much-loved priest at the temple, often knelt in meditation before a statue of the goddess with Sinh, a very beautiful white temple cat.

"One night, raiders attacked the temple and Mun-Ha was killed," explained Nicklas. "As Mun-Ha died, Sinh placed his feet upon his fallen master and faced the golden goddess. As he did, his white fur took on a golden cast and his yellow eyes turned sapphire-blue like those of the goddess. His four white legs turned earthy brown, but his paws, resting gently on his dead master, remained white to symbolise purity."

The next morning, all the cats of the temple had changed like Sinh, who did not move until he died seven days later, carrying his master's soul to heaven.

The birman's modern history is, like its legendary origins, also mysterious. It is widely believed that the breed was first developed by Burmese priests, who then helped introduce the cats to Europe. According to this story, Burmese priests who were forced to flee fighting in their area in 1919 were assisted by French soldiers. To show their gratitude, the priests gave a pair of birmans to the soldiers. The male cat died on the way home, but the female, who was pregnant, survived and gave birth to many kittens. The breed was later expanded in Europe and introduced to other parts of the world. Its name is derived from Birmanie, the French spelling for Burma.

According to Nicklas, birmans were introduced to Australia in 1967. That was where she first discovered the breed, falling in love their deep blue eyes, dark brown face and white socks.

"The birman is a wonderfully balanced cat with many interesting characteristics ranging from a pleasant temperament to a striking appearance," she said. "They have a soft voice when they decide to talk. This is normally to remind you that they are waiting for their dinner or to demand your attention. Birmans also enjoy lying down and showing off their white paws!"

Seeking to find out more about the breed, Nicklas visited many cat shows in Australia. Eventually she learned breeding techniques and how to prepare the cats for shows. Olga went on to establish her own cattery in Brisbane called Bavaria Birman and began to take part in cat shows.

To Nicklas, the most fun, and also the most challenging, thing she does with her birmans is prepare them for a show.

"You have to give the cat a bath a couple of days before, which involves shampooing, conditioning, drying, powdering and brushing to make the cat's fur beautiful and fluffy," she explained.

Nicklas said that not all cats are happy to be put on display. Some are too shy, others prefer to be left alone. She said she does not force her cats to participate.

"My first breeding cat, Lilian, was not happy at shows, so I stopped taking her after the second one. But my best boy, Jonash, was very nice at shows and collected one award after another. Within months he achieved the titles champion, double champion, grand double champion, bronze, silver, and then the highest title, gold double grand champion," beamed Nicklas.

But the road to superstardom in feline beauty shows is not smooth. It is a tough and time-consuming process to get a cat to win the highest title.

"You can imagine how many shows you have to attend to get the 600 points required for the title when you get only 20 points for first place at each show and only 11 points for coming between second and 10th place," said Nicklas.

When Nicklas moved to Thailand her passion for this unique breed was still strong. She brought her beloved cats with her and has continued breeding birmans here. However, she said it is unlikely anyone will run into a birman in Thailand as the breed is still rare here, known only by a few groups of cat enthusiasts.

"When we decided to move to Thailand, my first concern was whether I could continue breeding birmans. I was looking for a birman club but I couldn't find one. I would like to find people who are interested in owning or even breeding this lovely cat, which originated close to this part of Asia. I would like to share my interest with other cat admirers," she said.

The birman is an average size cat - males generally weighs four to six kilogrammes and females slightly less. Birmans resemble Persian cats as they have long silky hair, but it is not as thick as that of the Persian and the texture of its coat is finer and never becomes matted.

The colour tones on birmans emphasize their face, ears, legs, paws and tail in a manner similar to that of Siamese cats. Different variations of birmans have now been bred with a range of colours in these areas.

The most prominent aspect of a birman is its round, blue eyes. Second is their white feet, which look like four dainty boots.

Nicklas described the birmans temperament as gentle, dynamic and playful. They are known for having affectionate personalities. Like most cats, they prefer peaceful, quiet environments, but they are still friendly with other pets.

"The birman has a wonderfully balanced temperament. They are very intelligent and can establish strong bonds with their owners. Birmans are also curious. They like to find out what you are doing or learn about the new things all the time. They make great companions because they are rather sociable, they love to be around people. You will find that a birman will match its schedule to yours, so you'll find your birman waiting to say hello as soon as you get home," said Nicklas.

Birmans are not outdoor cats, though they do enjoy being taken outside sometimes. Cat owners should be wary of taking their cat to a play group with other cats as it my catch diseases there. Naturally, young birmans should be given all available immunisations.

Like other longhaired cats, birmans need regular grooming. Their hair should be combed at least once a week. This will also help it shed and avoid furballs. Bathing is also thought to be necessary from time to time to remove old hair.

Like other cats living indoors, a birman will need access to a litter tray. Of the many kinds of cat litter available, select a high-quality one as this will not stain the cat's coat. Clay litter is good because it absorbs urine and moisture well and clumps can be easily removed from the tray. Wood-and-fibre-based litters will need to be changed more often, while soil and sand litter tend to be cat's favourites.

When it comes to food, a high-quality dry food is recommended.

"Birmans can be free fed without becoming overweight. Keep a good supply of clean, fresh water available at all times and don't give you cat cooked food as it contains less nutrition," said Nicklas.

She described birmans as long-term companions since their life expectancy is 13 to 15 years.

"Birman can make an adorable pet for those who are looking for a lovely and friendly cat," Nicklas said.

Anyone interested in birmans can write to Olga Nicklas at opn@volny.cz

Bangkok Post

Last Updated : Sunday April 08, 2007