"The Official Standard of Points"

of the recognized Breeds of Cats as approved by The Governing Council of the Cat Fancy
(edition June 1995) (Cat photos not provided by GCCF)

BIRMAN

General Type Standard:

HEAD - Skull strong, broad and rounded.

Nose medium in length (no 'stop' but with slight dip in profile).

Cheeks full and round.

Chin full and well developed, slightly tapered but not receding.

EARS - Medium in size and placed well apart.

EYES - Almost round but not bold. Blue in colour; the deeper the blue the better.

BODY - Long and massive

LEGS AND PAWS - Legs of medium length and thick-set; paws short and strong.

TAIL - Bushy. Medium in length and in proportion to body.

COAT AND CONDITION - Coat long, silken in texture; full ruff around neck;

slightly curled on the stomach. The cat should be well grown, the frame (skeleton) should be strong, well covered and muscular. Eyes bright and temperament good.

COLOUR - The distinguishing colours of the Birman are those of the Siamese.

Mask, ears, legs and tail dense and clearly defined (except in kittens). On reaching maturity, the mask covers the entire face including whisker pads and is connected to the ears by tracings.

THE WHITE FEET ARE CHARACTERISTIC OF THE BIRMAN:

FRONT PAWS - Have pure white symmetrical gloves

ending in an even line across the paw and not passing beyond the angle formed by the paw and leg.
Colour of the paw pads irrelevant.

BACK PAWS - Have pure white gloves (gauntlets) covering the entire paw

and tapering up the back of the leg to finish just below the point of the hock.
Colour of the paw pads is irrelevant.

 

Scale of Points: Head and ears: Eyes: Body, Legs and Paws: Gloves and Gauntlets: Tail: Colour and Condition of coat: ...................................................Total 20 15 20 20 5 20 100

WITHHOLD CERTIFICATES OR FIRST PRIZES IN KITTEN OPEN CLASSES FOR:

1. Coloured toes / spots in the white area.
2. The complete absence of a gauntlet on one or both back legs.
3. Incorrect eye colour.
4. Persian or Siamese type head.
5. Runners (streaks of white) on the front of the front legs or extending beyond the 'stopper' pad on the sides and / or back of the front legs.
6. Grossly asymmetric foot markings.
7. Spots or patches of white (excluding the gloves and gauntlets) appearing anywhere on the body, particularly chin and chest. Note: since the colour of the paw pads is irrelevant, an area of white on the front feet that is attached to a large pad, which is itself coloured, should not be viewed as a spot.
8. Any other defect as listed in the preface to the SOP booklet. * (see bottom)

SOLID POINT BIRMANS:

SEAL POINT (13c1) - Points, dark brown; body, clear pale beige with a slightly golden hue; nose leather, dark seal brown.

BLUE POINT (13c2) - Points, blue-grey; body, bluish white, cold in tone; nose leather, slate-grey.

CHOCOLATE POINT (13c3) - Points, milk chocolate; body, ivory; nose leather, chocolate. Additional Withholding Fault: heavy ringing on the tail in adult cats.

LILAC POINT (13c4) - Points, pinkish grey; body, off-white magnolia; nose leather, pinkish / faded lilac.

Additional Withholding Fault: heavy ringing on the tail in adult cats.

RED POINT (13c5) - Points, orange / red; body, pale cream with slight golden hue or halo; nose leather, pink. notes:
1. Tabby markings, barring and tail-rings shall not be considered as major faults, especially in kittens.
2. 'Freckles' may occur on nose, lips, eyelids and ears. Slight freckling in a mature cat should not be penalized.

CREAM POINT (13c7) - Points, cream; body, off-white with faint golden hue or halo; nose leather, pink. notes: as for Red Point above.

TORTIE POINT BIRMANS:

The colour on the points should be seal brown or chocolate intermingled with shades of light and dark red, or blue or lilac intermingled with shades of light and dark cream.
The presence or absence of a blaze is immaterial.
The points need not be evenly broken but each point must show some intermingling of the colours.
Additional Withholding Fault: Complete absence of any of the required colours from one or more points.

SEAL TORTIE POINT (13c6) - Points, seal brown intermingled with shades of light and dark red; body, fawn, shading unevenly to warm brown and / or pale red on back and sides; nose leather, seal brown and / or pink.

BLUE TORTIE POINT (13c8) - Points, blue intermingled with shades of light and dark cream; body, off-white, shading unevenly to pale blue and / or cream on back and sides; nose leather, blue and / or pink.

CHOCOLATE TORTIE POINT (13c9) - Points, milk chocolate intermingled with shades of light and dark red; body, ivory, shading unevenly to pale chocolate and / or pale red on back and sides; nose leather, chocolate and / or pink.

LILAC TORTIE POINT (13c10) - Points, lilac intermingled with shades of light and dark cream; body, off-white (magnolia), shading unevenly to pale lilac and / or pale cream on back and sides; nose leather, pinkish / faded lilac and / or pink.

TABBY POINT BIRMANS:

There should be a clearly defined 'M' marking on the forehead, light coloured 'spectacle' markings round the eyes with spotted whisker pads. Ears solid with no stripes. Clear 'thumb marks' which are less apparent in dilute colours and mottled in the Tortie Tabby Point Birmans.
The legs should have clearly defined, varied sized broken stripes and / or rings with solid markings on the back of the hind legs above gauntlets.
The tail should have many varied sized, clearly defined rings ending in a solid coloured tip.
NOTES:
1. The nose leather should be pinkish outlined in pigment or to tone with the points.
2. Markings in kittens are less well defined.
3. A ringed tail is desirable but a solid top-tail, ringed on the underside, is not a fault.

TABBY POINT BIRMANS (excluding Tortie Tabby):

These colours show distinct tabby markings, although they are more diffuse in the dilute colours.
Additional Withholding Fault: Solid points.

SEAL TABBY POINT (13c11) - Points, seal brown markings on a pale brown agouti background; body, clear pale beige with a slight golden hue.

BLUE TABBY POINT (13c12) - Points, blue markings on a light beige agouti background; body, bluish white.

CHOCOLATE TABBY POINT (13c13) - Points, milk chocolate markings on a light bronze agouti background; body, ivory.

LILAC TABBY POINT (13c14) - Points, lilac markings on a pale beige agouti background; body, off-white (magnolia).

RED TABBY POINT (13c15) - Points, rich red markings on a light apricot agouti background; body, pale cream with a slight golden hue or halo. note: 'Freckles' may occur on nose, lips, eyelids and ears. Slight freckling in a mature cat should not be penalized.

CREAM TABBY POINT (13c17) - Points, cream markings on a paler cream agouti background; body, off-white with a slight golden hue or halo. note: as for Red Tabby Point above.

TORTIE TABBY POINT BIRMANS:

These colours show the normal tabby pattern which has been overlaid with shades of light and dark red or cream.
The extent and distribution of the tortie areas are not important providing that both elements, tortie and tabby, are clearly visible. note: The nose leather should be mottled pink and pigmented or to tone with the points.

SEAL TORTIE TABBY POINT (13c16) - Points, seal brown markings on a pale brown agouti background overlaid and intermingled with shades of light and dark red; body, fawn, shading unevenly to warm brown and / or pale red on back and sides.

BLUE TORTIE TABBY POINT (13c18) - Points, blue markings on a light beige agouti background overlaid and intermingled with shades of light and dark cream; body, off-white, shading unevenly to pale blue and / or cream on back and sides.

CHOCOLATE TORTIE TABBY POINT (13c19) - Points, milk chocolate markings on a light bronze agouti background overlaid and intermingled with shades of light and dark red; body, ivory, shading unevenly to pale chocolate and / or pale red on back and sides.

LILAC TORTIE TABBY POINT (13c20) - Points, lilac markings on a pale beige agouti background overlaid and intermingled with shades of light and dark cream; body, off-white (magnolia), shading unevenly to pale lilac and / or cream on back and sides.

SIZE AND CONDITION - Withhold certificates or first prizes in kitten open classes on any exhibit which, in the opinion of the judge, is not in excellent physical condition or is undersized for its age and breed.

THE FOLLOWING LIST OF DEFECTS APPLIES TO ALL BREEDS - Withhold certificates or first prizes in kitten open classes for any of the following defects. It is considered that these defects are undesirable in breeding stock and may be detrimental to the individual cat:

FOLDED EARS - Where the top of the ear is folded forwards instead of being pricked.

SKULL - Any depressions or protrusions. (The skull should be gently rounded to a greater or lesser degree according to the breed.)

ENTROPION - Where the upper, lower or both eyelids turn inwards, allowing the lashes or hair to rub the surface of the eye.

PERMANENT SQUINT* - Permanent squint or any abnormality of alignment.

REDUCED NOSTRIL APERTURE - Narrowing of the nostrils vertically, horizontally or both, which may cause breathing difficulties. It is often associated with flattened nasal bones and small nose leather.

EXAGGERATED DEPRESSION OF THE NASAL BRIDGE (STOP) - The nasal cavity is severely reduced, which may cause breathing difficulties. This is often accompanied by blocked tear ducts. The nose should not be excessively short.

ABNORMAL POSITION OF NOSE LEATHER - When the upper edge of the nose leather is above the lower edge of the eye.

NOTICEABLY UNDERSHOT OR OVERSHOT JAW

NARROW OR TWISTED LOWER JAW

ABNORMAL ANGULATION OF CANINE TEETH - When the mouth is closed the canine teeth should be nearly vertical, the lower canines fitting closely between the upper ones so that the anterior surface of the left upper canine and the posterior surface of the left lower canine almost touch, and similarly with the right upper and lower canines.
The incisor teeth should from a straight line between the canines in both upper and lower jaws.
The ideal bite is where the upper and lower incisors meet in alignment.

DEFORMITY OF RIB CAGE

FIXED DEVIATION OF THE STERNUM OR XIPHISTERNUM - The chest should be rounded or oval symmetrically from spine to breast bone when seen in cross-section.
There should be no depressions or protrusions on spine or ribs.
The sternum (breast bone) should follow a gentle convex curve with no deviation, depression or protrusion, and with no hook where the sternum ends.

FIXED DEVIATION (KINK) OF THE SPINE OR TAIL AT ANY POINT* - Small bony excrescence's need not debar the cat from being placed, but should be taken into consideration.

LUXATING PATELLA IN ADULTS - Where the kneecap can slip from the front of the joint towards the side.

ABNORMAL NUMBER OF TOES - Anything other than four toes on each foot and one dew-claw on each foreleg.

HERNIA - Consult the Duty Vet

MONORCHID OR CRYPTORCHID ADULT MALES - Both testicles must be descended and positioned in the scrotum in entire adult males.

* Squints and kinks have been included in the list because they are faults in all breeds, although the are unlikely to affect the health of the cat or its progeny.

Thanks to : Leo Decap for typing this up.

Visit the Rest of Taron Birmans:

Taron Birmans Home Page Site Map Taron Birmans History Taron Birman Photographs Taron Birman Photographs 2 Taron Birman Photographs 3 Taron Birman Photographs 4 Taron Birman Kittens More Taron Birman Kittens Taron Birmans in there homes Taron Birmans Pedigrees Birman FAQ Birman Markings Birman Legend CFA Birman Color Classes Early Birman Breed History Links to other pages Link to us Feline Health Should I Declaw? General Care of Birmans Toxic Chemicals and Plants The Birman Store, Birman Items for Sale Birmans Online Birman archive project CFA best of breed Birman 87/88 to Current CFA best of breed Birman 69/70 to 86/87 CFA best of breed Birman Kitten CFA best of breed Birman Premier CFA Distinguished Merit Birmans TICA best of breed Birman TICA best of breed Birman Kitten TICA best of breed Birman Alter TICA Outstanding Sire/Dam of Record Birmans CCA best of breed Birman (Canada) View our guestbook GCCF Birman Standards Birman web ring NBF Parade of Grands Taron Birmans Home Page

© Copyright 1996, 2009 Ronald & Nora Thayer, All Rights Reserved