- The Burmilla is a breed of domestic cat which originated in the United Kingdom in 1981. It is a cross between the Silver Chinchilla and a Lilac Burmese
Coat Colours and Length
Three variants of coat length;
- short hair - similar in appearance to the Burmese but a softer, silkier feel
- long hair - semi-longhair coat lying close to the skin, with a soft, silky feel and a large plumed tail.
- plush- plush kittens have much denser fur which does not lie closely against the skin.
There are five coat colours; black, brown, blue, chocolate and lilac
- Red, cream and tortoiseshell(calico) have been bred but not yet recognised by most judging bodies.
- the coat can be tipped, shaded or Smoke
- can have a silver or Golden undercoat, depending on the colour in the Persian heritage
- Tipped Burmillas have at least 3/4 of their fur in the underlying colour of silver or golden and the remainder is a light dusting of colour over the top.
- Shaded Burmillas have 1/4 - 1/2 as their colour and Smoke have almost all colour with only a faint pale base to each hair.
- kittens at birth can be either very dark with distinct tabby markings which disappear very quickly on the body, or white, in which the colour starts developing within a few days.
- can be short or semi long haired depending on which genes are inherited from their parents-Burmese/shorthair or Chinchilla/longhair
Characteristics
- curious and affectionate
- an excellent indoor breed
- outgoing, playful, friendly, affectionate and sociable
- intelligent, gentle and sweet-tempered
- not as noisy or demanding as the Burmese
- more adventurous and inquisitive than the Chinchilla
- beautiful with an extremely good nature
- great with children and would make a wonderful family pet
- an independent cat who is loyal to its owner
- displays many kitten-like characteristics even in adulthood (as does the Burmese breed)
- an ideal lap cat
- has very fine fur which moults like other breeds, but being white tends to be more conspicuous
- can be talkative but not as vocal as the Siamese
- slightly more laid back than the Burmese
- can be taught to fetch
- it has the playful nature of the Burmese without being overly active, and the quiet laidback nature of the Chinchilla-the best traits of both breeds.
- their love of play necessitates a collection of toys and scratching posts
- require daily attention from their owners- they love being part of the family
Description
- medium sized cat- similar in size to the Burmese
- gently rounded head
- ears are medium to large
- eyes are large and expressive and are luminous green in colour which is a key feature of the breed
- dark pencilling on the lids looks like eyeliner
- coat does not matt and require only a weekly comb
- should be a distinctive M mark on the forehead
- striking contrast between coloured Shading/Tipping and Silver undercoat with delicate tracings of Tabby markings on the head, legs and tail.
- nose leather is red to pink with a dark outline- smoke cats have black nose leather
- Shaded cats have more colour on the individual hair shafts than the tipped variety which have the colour coming a short way down the shafts from the tips.
- elegant, with a muscular body
- long sturdy legs and a moderately thick, long tail
- paw pads correspond to coat colouring- black cats have black paw pads, Brown cats have brown, Blue and Chocolate have pink, Lilac has very pale paw pads.
Health
- Polycystic Kidney Disease (PKD)- check that there is no PKD in the breeding lines when purchasing a Burmilla