Birman Breed Information

Birmans adore being around people and will happily follow you round the house to see what you are doing. They aren’t overly active but do like to play with toys.

They chirrup softly and if you respond they will often become quite talkative. They will happily sit on your lap and seem to prefer to be on the floor rather than climbing or jumping.

Breed-related health problems:

Owners are, understandably, upset when their cat develops a health problem linked to its breed. Often they wish they’d known what problems the breed was prone to have. The potential health problems that Birmans are prone to include:

• Kidney disease – one of the most common conditions affecting older cats, evidence of impaired kidney function has shown up on blood tests of some young Birman cats.

We’d recommend discussing the medical history of your potential kitten’s parents and grandparents, and think very carefully before taking on a cat with any of the health conditions listed above evident in the family line.

Coat care:

Despite having a long coat, it has a silky texture that does not matt easily. Generally, twice weekly combing is sufficient but when they shed their winter coat in the spring, daily combing is required to remove the loose hair.

Estimated cost over lifetime:

These costs are based on essential items such as:

• A bed, litter and tray
• Grooming items
• Food and bowl
• Preventive treatment such as flea, worming, vaccinations and neutering
• Toys
• Cat carrier
• Pet insurance

This does not include initial purchase cost, non-essential items (such as holiday care) or potential veterinary treatment of which an excess needs to be paid before your pet may be covered by pet insurance.

Insure your Birman Cat with PDSA:

1 in 3 pets need vet treatment each year and vet bills can come to hundreds of pounds. PDSA Pet Insurance can give you peace of mind when your pet is poorly, especially for breeds like Birman Cats that are prone to certain conditions. PDSA Pet Insurance offers:

1. Dog and cat insurance policies from 8 weeks of age.
2. 24/7 veterinary advice online or over the phone with Petcall.
3. Manage your policy online with the PDSA Insure Hub.
4. Monthly payment at no extra cost.

By insuring your Birman Cat with PDSA Pet Insurance you’ll also be helping to provide vet care to some of the UK’s neediest pets.

For more information on taking care of your cat please visit our kitten and cat section.

Rehoming from a reputable source:

Where you get a cat from can have a big effect on how healthy and happy it is for the rest of its life. Find out where our PDSA vet experts recommend you get your cat from.

Not sure if the Birman is the right pet for you?