The Birman is a long-haired, colour-pointed cat distinguished by a silky coat, deep blue eyes, and contrasting white "gloves" on each paw.

[1][2] Another pair of Birmans (or a pregnant female called Poupée de Maldapour) were said to have been stolen and later imported to France by Thadde Haddisch.

Only two cats were alive in Europe at the end of the war, a pair named Orloff and Xenia de Kaabaa, both belonging to Baudoin-Crevoisier.

[citation needed] Coat colour is always pointed, save for the contrasting pure white, symmetrical "gloves" on each paw that are the trademark of the breed.

[10] Recognized point colours are seal, chocolate, red and the corresponding dilute varieties: blue, lilac and cream.

[12] A study in the UK of veterinary records found the Birman to have a life expectancy of 14.39 years based on a sample of 38 cats, higher than the 11.74 average overall.

SDMA is a methylated form of the amino acid arginine and is released during normal catabolisms of body proteins.

Levels of creatinine and SDMA are found when Birman cats are tested for chronic kidney disease, for which they are at high risk.

[16] Many Birman breeders follow the French tradition of assigning all kittens born in a particular year given names that begin with the same letter of the alphabet.