|
History
of the Burmilla Cat:
The
Burmilla came about as the result of an accidental mating
between a Lilac Burmese female (Bambino Lilac Faberge) & a
Silver Chinchilla male (Jemari Sanquist). In 1981 Miranda
Bickford-Smith (Astahazy Cattery) had purchased a Silver
Chinchilla (Sanquist) as a pet for her husband. Faberge came
into season & was isolated but a cleaner accidentally left
Faberge's door open & she was able to escape & pay a
visit to Sanquist. The result of this mating produced 4 female
kittens, all short haired & Black Shaded Silver in colour.
These
stunning kittens had a spectacular temperament & there was
much interest in the cat world in them. It wad
decided to begin a controlled breeding programme. In
1984 a Burmilla standard was agreed & the breed received
official recognition in 1997. Appearance
of the Burmilla Cat: The
Burmilla is a medium sized cat, with a physique similar to
that of a Burmese. It has a short, dense & silky coat. A
stunning feature of the Burmilla is the dark pencilling around
it's beautiful green eyes which makes it look as though it's
wearing eyeliner. Due
to having Chinchilla in their lines, Burmillas can carry the
longhaired gene. This means that it is possible for longhaired
kittens to be born to shorthaired parents. Longhaired
Burmillas are their own breed.
Burmilla
Cat Temperament: The
Burmilla has the best features of both the Burmese & the
Chinchilla. They have the playful nature of the Burmese
without being overly active, and the quiet, laid back nature
of the Chinchilla. Burmillas love to play, and access to toys
& scratching posts are important, as is daily attention
from their owners as they are an affectionate cat & enjoy
being a part of the family. Words
used to describe the Burmilla include: intelligent, playful,
affectionate, gentle, sweet-tempered. Burmilla
Colours: The
Burmilla comes in 5 colours of either shaded or tipped:
Black, Blue, Brown Chocolate & Lilac. Special
Requirements: The
Burmilla has no special requirements. A weekly groom will help
remove dead hairs from the coat. Suitable
For:
With their
medium energy level & laid back nature Burmillas are ideal
for singles, families & the elderly.
Famous
Burmilla Owners:
Dr Katrina Warren, Matthew Newton (son of Bert Newton). Special
thanks to: Jann
of Tristone Cattery,
Peter, Isabella Wong
Leung Photography/Aaralyn
Cattery & Leonie for allowing me to use their
beautiful Burmilla photos.
|
