How to List a Birman for Adoption in the United States

Who lists a Birman for adoption, and what should you decide first?

Listings come from shelters and rescues, breeders placing retired adults and owners who can no longer keep a cat. If the cat came from a breeder, contact the breeder first: CFA says responsible breeders take their cats back.

Then decide three things before you write a word: your criteria, your fee and whether the cat will be spayed or neutered before it leaves. It should be, so nobody can breed it and sell kittens on the breed name. That matters for Birmans in particular, because untested breeding can pass on inherited problems such as hypotrichosis, a recessive condition in which kittens are born hairless and, in published cases, did not live beyond 8 months.

How should you describe the breed in your listing?

• Registered with CFA or TICA: say so, and say whether the registration will transfer. Some Birman breeders follow the French tradition, described by CFA, of giving every kitten born in a year a name starting with the same letter, so the registered name may hint at the birth year.
• No papers but the look: describe the blue eyes, the points and the white gloves, and say there are no papers. CFA describes gloves on all four paws, with laces up the back of the hocks.
• White feet but a different build: a large cat with white boots, a white chin and a belly stripe may be a mitted Ragdoll or a mix; describe what you see.
• Pointed but no gloves: list it as a colorpoint longhaired cat. Wisdom Panel notes that a cat can look like a breed that is not in its ancestry.

A breed label without papers sets adopters up for disappointment and can draw people who want a cheap purebred to breed. Honest wording draws people who want this particular cat.

What health information should a Birman adoption listing include?

• Heart: any murmur, any echocardiogram and its date, or a plain statement that the cat was never scanned. CFA notes that Birman breeders test for HCM.
• Kidneys: recent creatinine and SDMA results. A 2018 study found that 40 percent of 50 healthy Birmans had creatinine above the level used to stage kidney disease, so include both values and your vet's reading of them.
• DNA results: PKD and hypotrichosis results if the cat came from a breeder who tested. They matter little once the cat is spayed or neutered, but they show adopters the cat's history.
• Blood smear note: if a lab has reported fine reddish granules in the white blood cells, say so. Clinician's Brief describes this as an inherited Birman trait in which the cells work normally.
• Weight and routine care: weight, diet, vaccines, FeLV/FIV results, microchip number and any medication. Hill's notes the breed can become overweight.

Honesty here protects you as well as the cat. An adopter who knows about a murmur or borderline bloodwork in advance can budget for checks; one who finds out later may feel misled.

What adoption criteria suit a Birman?

How much should a Birman adoption fee be?

Petful's June 2026 price guide puts Birmans from breed-specific rescues at about $75 to $200, Birman mixes at general rescues at $50 to $150 and rehoming through social media groups at $100 to $300. Adopt a Pet says private rehoming fees for cats typically run about $50 to $100. A fee in that range that covers part of your vet costs is fair; the ASPCA estimates spay or neuter at about $150, initial vet care at about $175 and a microchip at about $20.

A papered retired adult from a breeder may carry a higher fee, but say what it covers. A high fee for an unpapered cat on the strength of the breed name puts off careful adopters and draws resellers.

How should you screen applicants?

• Ask for a written application: household, children's ages, other pets, landlord permission, work hours and current vet.
• Call the vet reference.
• Arrange a meeting where the cat lives, and watch how the applicant handles it.
• Ask who will be home during the day, and how they will keep the cat company if they work long hours.
• Ask how they will pay for regular vet care, including the bloodwork and heart checks an older Birman may need.
• Decline applicants who want the cat unneutered, ask mainly about papers or resale, or will not meet.

Keep your phone number out of the ad text. When it is ready, post your Birman adoption listing, and look at current Birman adoption listings to see how others present their cats.

What should the adoption contract cover, and how do you follow up?

• Indoor living, regular vet care and grooming.
• No breeding, no declawing, and no selling or giving the cat away.
• Return to you or your group if the adoption does not work out.
• How papers transfer, if the cat has them.
• Microchip transfer on the day, and copies of all vet and test records.

Check in after a week and after a month, while settling problems can still be solved. Adopters often read how to adopt a Birman. People hoping for a kitten may do better with a breeder; point them to how to post a Birman wanted ad. If someone's wanted ad matches your cat, how to respond to a Birman wanted ad covers that route.