Birman Cats, The Complete Owners Guide to Birman Cats and Kittens Including Buying, Daily Care, Personality, Temperament, Health, Diet, Clubs and Breeders

By Colette Anderson

All you want to know about Birman cats and kittens. This superb resource gives answers to all your questions and is a must have for anybody passionate about Birman Cats. This guide covers all aspects of caring for your pet, including what to consider before buying, daily care, personality, health, temperament, diet, clubs, breeders, the equipment you need, along with your responsibilities as an owner. Colette Anderson has many years of experience of owning and breeding cats, and passes on her knowledge in an informative and easy to read style. The book has plenty of sound advice and answers to your questions - including some you didn't know you had!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Evolution Knowledge Limited
• Release date: May 11, 2014
• ISBN: 9781909820524

Book preview

Birman Cats

The Complete Owners Guide to

Birman Cats and Kittens

Including Buying, Daily Care, Personality, Temperament, Health,

Diet and Breeders

Colette Anderson

Smashwords Edition

Published By EKL Publishing (UK)

Copyright 2014 By Colette Anderson

ISBN 978-1-909820-52-4

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Foreword

The first Birman cat I ever saw was sitting on top of a refrigerator. I was in graduate school at the time, and helping one of my dearest friends Julie move into a new apartment.

I walked into the old kitchen to start packing dishes, glanced up, and was stopped in my tracks by the bluest eyes I’d ever seen on any creature, feline or human.

The cat let out a soft little mew, I put my hand up to scratch her ears, and Pumpkin and I were friends for life. That’s actually about all it takes with a Birman thanks to their lovely, people-oriented dispositions.

Pumpkin’s native curiosity soon compelled her down from her perch, and when Julie came in the kitchen, I was receiving a great deal of help wrapping glassware in newspaper.

Over the next three years while we finished our master’s degrees, Pumpkin provided even more of her particularly insightful guidance on everything from research papers to final exams.

Julie and I were assigned to grade tests for the same professor, and nothing delighted Pumpkin more than the long evenings we spent sitting on the floor surrounded by blue exam books and an inviting litter of red pens.

I have no idea how many of those pens wound up under the furniture courtesy of her white-gloved paws, but we always seemed to be running to the office supply place for more.

Pumpkin helped us write and proofread our respective theses, and Julie, in a waggish bit of feline devotion, included the cleverly misspelled name P.C. Berman in her acknowledgements for Pumpkin Cat Birman.

Eleven years after we received our degrees, I got a call from Julie telling me of Pumpkin’s passing at the venerable age of 16 years. I was genuinely saddened by the news, and still think of that gorgeous cat with real affection.

I have known many Birmans since, but Pumpkin was the first, and an absolute banner representative of her breed in every way. These hardy, healthy cats are not just physically beautifully; they’re also incredibly personable. A Birman in the house is, simply put, a presence like no other.

There are certainly things to consider before you adopt a semi-longhaired cat like a Birman. These are social cats, and although they are adaptable to your schedule, they don’t like to be left alone for long periods of time.

For this reason, Birmans are not necessarily well suited to be only children, and often thrive best with people who work from home or who have other pets.

They do require a grooming commitment, and are a long-lived breed, surviving 12-16 years. In exchange, you are afforded the opportunity to share your life with a highly intelligent, soft-voiced cat whose companionship will be constant and loving. Among the oriental breeds, the Birman is definitely my favorite.

In the following pages, I will introduce you to the Birman, and explain its needs in terms of daily and veterinary care. If you have never owned a cat before, the Birman is an excellent breed with which to begin if you are willing to put in the time to keep its coat in good shape.

The great news on that front is that a Birman’s coat doesn’t tangle like other longhaired cats because these animals have no undercoat. That allows you to enjoy the plushness of their silky fur without the potential headache of dealing with mats.

Birmans are definitely not outdoor cats – as I will explain, no cats belong outdoors in my opinion – but Birmans in particular are house pets. Beyond the need to keep their coats in good shape, their dispositions are too peaceful and trusting to be turned loose in a world filled with dangers.

If, however, you are looking for a beautiful, devoted, healthy, and long-lived feline companion to share your home, you may well have found the perfect match in the blue-eyed, white-gloved Birman.

Acknowledgments

I would like to thank and dedicate this book to my dear friend Julie and in memory of all those wonderful years in college together. The joy and fun we had is so vividly etched in my mind with so many experiences good and bad being shared with Pumpkin who was always there when we needed her most.

To my wonderful husband Nick, thank you again for all your help and assistance and for undertaking the dreaded proof reading. His observations and comments are as always invaluable and without his encouragement I don’t think I’d have ever started this enjoyable journey.

Just a note to say that I have written this book using American spelling as that is what I’m used to. I have given measurements in