Did You Know?
The Burmilla breed is purely accidental. Even a grown-up and mature kitty may continue to exhibit kitten-like characteristics.
Size
Burmilla is a medium-sized cat, weighing 6-12 pounds
Coat
Short to long, sparkling silky smooth
Color
Silver white shaded or tipped with blue, with other colors ranging from lilac to black, brown, cream, blue, red, chocolate, or tortoiseshell
Life Span
13-16 years
Burmilla, the man-made cat breed, is a quiet, easygoing feline, who is devoted to her owner and very easy to live with. The kitty is best suited for a cat-loving family with children and feline-friendly pets. The kittens may be frightened by children and other pets new to them. Introduce them to new members in a controlled setting. Teach kids to pet the kitty nicely, and they will love their company.
Physical Characteristics of The Burmilla Cat
With a muscular yet elegant body and sweet expression, the Burmilla is a medium-sized cat breed with a rounded top head, medium broad muzzle, medium-to-large ears with rounded tips, round nose, neat oval paws with slender legs, and well-developed chin. Her tail tapers to a rounded tip.
Beautiful walnut-shaped eyes in shades of green or greenish gold are a characteristic of the mature Burmilla kitty, while a young feline of the breed has yellowish eyes.
Her greenish golden eyes, fine silver coat, and contrast of eye and nose liner are her distinguishing characteristics. The color and features make the cat breed a chosen one.
Her distinctive sparkling silver silky coat is a highly attractive feature, with a silver-white background color, which comes in two lengths – short and semi-long – and feathers to the bib, britches, plume, and underside. The coat may be either shaded or tipped in contrasting colors.
Another distinguishing feature is the intense dark outline that contrasts beautifully with their eyes, lips, and nose.
Personality and Temperament of Burmilla Cat
The kitty brings together key characteristics of both her parent breeds into one sweet, affectionate package.
With the mischievous, loving, and playful qualities of the Burmese cat, the Burmilla shows resemblance to the easygoing and laidback Chinchilla. Less energetic than Burmese but more active than Chinchilla, the Burmillas are perfect family cats for pet owners that love to spend time with their kitties and give them some downtime when the felines need them.
Developed over the last 30 years from the Burmese and the Chinchilla, the Burmilla has inherited personality and temperament traits from both breeds but with a distinct character of its own. Unlike both breeds, it has a more muscular look and feel.
The sweet-natured feline is affectionate, fun loving, and gentle, with an intelligent inquisitive nature. The people-oriented kitty loves curling up with her human parents between sheets and on their cozy laps. She enjoys playing with kids and toys and simply walks away when she feels tired.
An obedient feline, the Burmilla is not a chatty cat and exhibits a quiet, attentive nature, always paying heed to the advice of her owners. They love their pet parents but aren’t too demanding. But if you offer her a lap, she would unhesitatingly jump in.
Though a laid-back, undemanding kitty, she can be very energetic at times, who is an avid climber but not as careful as other felines. They are highly intelligent, who can figure things out and learn new tricks. Don’t be surprised to see them opening a door! It’s a good idea to keep away breakables when the adventurous kitty is around. An adult, grown-up Burmilla is as playful as her younger self.
Health and Care of Burmilla Cat
With a lifespan of 13-15 years, Burmilla cats do not suffer from specific health issues, though they are vulnerable to allergies. Like other cat breeds, the Burmilla may be prone to kidney disease. One such example is the Polycystic Kidney Disease, which causes cyst formation in kidneys, resulting in renal failure in the feline community.
Her beautiful silky smooth coat does not require intensive grooming, though weekly brushing will help remove dead hair and move the oil, preventing hair from sticking together. Your kitty will look as beautiful as ever with her bright, soft coat.
History and Background
The Burmilla breed is a wonderful inter progeny of two breeds. We came to know the cat breed as a result of unplanned mating between a male Chinchilla Persian and a female Burmese. The story goes like this that Faberge, a female Burmese, was awaiting her mate when Sanquist, a male Silver Chinchilla, became interested in her and mated.
The kitty gave birth to four beautiful black-shaded kittens with short, thick, and shiny coats, who were different from the Burmese.
Cat lovers found the new breed beautiful and thus came the Burmilla breed from repeat crossbreeding between the Burmese and Chinchilla. The Burmilla takes her name from both her parent cat breeds – “Bur” from Burmese and “illa” from Chinchilla.