Cats are also not spared by the effects of fashion. there are two beautiful recognized breeds, and a third that is recently discovered:
1. Birman
The Birman, also called the “Sacred Cat of Burma”, is a domestic cat breed. The Birman is a long-haired, colour-pointed cat distinguished by a silky coat, deep blue eyes, and contrasting white “gloves” or “socks” on each paw.
The breed name is derived from Birmanie, the French form of Burma.
No clear record of the breed’s origin exists. They are most often claimed to have originated as the companions of temple priests in northern Burma in the Mount of Lugh. Many stories exist of how the cats first came to France, including pairs of cats being given as a reward for helping defend a temple, or being smuggled out of Burma by a Vanderbilt. Another pair of Birmans was said to have been stolen and later imported to France by Thadde Haddisch. The first traces of historical Birmans go back to a Mme Leotardi in Nice, France.
Many believe, as legend will tell, that later believed the felines came to Europe, namely France, from somewhere in Asia, which has been spread from other legends and stories passed around as well. Regardless of the numerous stories and folklore that go around, there is a positivity that the Birman cat breed was found in France as early as the 1920s.
Birmans were almost wiped out as a breed during World War II. 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. The foundation of the breed in postwar France were offspring of this pair. They had to be heavily outcrossed with long-hair breeds such as Persian and Siamese to rebuild the Birman breed. By the early 1950s, pure Birman litters were again being produced.
The first Birman cats were seal point. The blue point colour was introduced in 1959 using blue Persian lines. New colours were later added by English breeders including chocolate, red. Birmans have also been used in the development of new breeds such as the Ragdoll.
2. Chartreux
The Chartreux is a rare breed of cat from France, the Chartreux is large and muscular with relatively short, fine-boned limbs, and very fast reflexes. They are known for their blue (silver-grey) water-resistant short hair double coats which are often slightly thick in texture and orange- or copper-coloured eyes. Chartreux cats are also known for their “smile;” due to the structure of their heads and their tapered muzzles, they often appear to be smiling. Chartreux are exceptional hunters and are highly prized by farmers.
There is a legend that the Chartreux are descended from cats brought to France by Carthusian monks to live in the order’s head monastery, the Grande Chartreuse, located in the Chartreuse Mountains north of the city of Grenoble. But in 1972, the Prior of the Grande Chartreuse denied that the monastery’s archives held any records of the monks’ use of any breed of cat resembling the Chartreux.
Legend also has it that the Chartreux’s ancestors were feral mountain cats from what is now Syria, brought back to France by returning Crusaders in the 13th century, many of whom entered the Carthusian monastic order.
The first documented mention of the breed was by the French naturalist Buffon in the 18th century. The breed was greatly diminished during the first World War and wild populations were not seen after World War II. A concerted effort by European breeders kept the breed from extinction.
3. Serrade Petit
The Serrade Petit is a breed of cat that originated in France, Serrade Petits are a fairly recently developed breed, and have not yet been recognised by any cat breed associations.
The Serrade Petit is a small cat, weighing only about 6–9 pounds. The coat is soft and short and can be tan, orange or white. Serrade Petits have a lifespan of 11-15 years.