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 spaced 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 proportion to the body.

Coat & Condition ..... Coat long, silken in texture, full ruff around the neck, slightly curled on 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, and not passing the stopper pad just behind the leg. Colour of the paw pads irrelevant.

Back Paws ..... Have pure white socks covering the entire paw and gauntlets tapering up the back of the leg to finish just below the point of the hock. Colour of the paw pads irrelevant.

SCALE OF POINTS

Head and ears....................... 20
Eyes.....................................15
Body, Legs & paws................ 20
Gloves & Gauntlets................ 20
Tail......................................... 5
Colour and Condition of Coat... 20
Total....................................100

13c1
13c2
13c3
13c4
13c5
13c6
13c7
13c8
13c9
13c10
13c11
13c12
13c13
13c14
13c15
13c16
13c17
13c18
13c19
13c20

Breed

Birman
Birman
Birman
Birman
Birman
Birman
Birman
Birman
Birman
Birman
Birman
Birman
Birman
Birman
Birman
Birman
Birman
Birman
Birman
Birman

Colour pattern

Seal Point
Blue Point
Chocolate Point
Lilac Point
Red Point
Seal Tortie Point
Cream Point
Blue Cream Point / Blue Tortie Point
Chocolate Tortie Point
Lilac Cream Point / Lilac Tortie Point
Seal Tabby Point
Blue Tabby Point
Chocolate Tabby Point
Lilac Tabby Point
Red Tabby Point
Seal Tortie Tabby Point
Cream Tabby Point
Blue Cream Tabby / Blue Tortie Tabby Point
Chocolate Tortie Tabby Point Point
Lilac Cream Tabby Point / Lilac Tortie Tabby Point

Withhold Certificates and 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. With hold certificates and 1st prizes in kittens, for lack of pigmentation on nose leather and/or philtrum on seal, blue, chocolate and lilac point Birmans. (nose leather should tone with points colour).
9. Any other defect as listed in the preface of the GCCF Standard of Points booklet.

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, 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 penalised.

Cream Point - 13c7 Points, cream; body, off-white with faint golden hue or halo; nose leather, pink.
Notes:
As for Red Point.

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/or 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/or 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/ or 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 the 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 penalised.

Cream Tabby Point - 13c17 Points, cream markings on a paler cream agouti background; body, off white with a feint golden hue or halo.
Note:
As for the Red Tabby Point.

Tortie Tabby Point Birmans
These colours show the normal tabby pattern which is 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 beige 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 pale cream on back and sides.

©  compiled by Linda Stevens for NBCC
updated July 2003