The Burmilla has a striking coat delicately covered with a background of silver or gold that is either tipped or shaded in a contrasting color. The tipping gives the coat a beautiful sparkly quality, while the shaded coat will appear a little darker. Either version of the coat is available in a range of colors including: tortoiseshell, red, cream, chocolate, blue, lilac, brown, and black. The breed is available as a shorthaired or semi-longhaired variety – with the semi-longhaired variety often having tufted tips on the ears and a lovely plumed tail.
Burmillas are medium sized cats with a lithe but muscular body and a gently rounded head topped with medium to large ears. They have a pretty face with intelligent green eyes. The subtle features of their face are further enhanced by delicate highlights around the eyes, nose, and lips; as if they have just come back from a visit to the beauty salon.
Burmilla Cat Personality
Burmillas are quite cheeky in their nature and seem unwilling to give up their kitten like qualities even as they advance in years. They seem to have the perfect mix of the impish nature much loved in the Burmese, combined in perfect ratio with the chilled out personality of the Chinchilla Persian. Burmillas love interactive toys and will even learn tricks if it gains them a little extra attention.
Their mischievous but affectionate personality has combined to create a cat that is playful but a little clumsy, so a home with lots of breakable valuables may not be the best place for him. There is no doubt that a Burmilla will be a loyal companion but don’t expect a doting cat constantly demanding your attention. However, they will rarely knock back the offer of a comfy lap should one be made available.
Did You Know?
The Burmilla is another of those accidental but fortunate pairings which occasionally end up in creating a new breed that is entirely adorable. In the Burmilla’s case it was the accidental mating between a Chinchilla Persian male and a Lilac Burmese female. Shortly before the male was to be neutered a cleaner accidentally left his door open, giving him ample opportunity for one last fling with the willing Burmese female.
The resulting litter, born on September 11, 1981, produced four kittens, all of which sported the trademark coat of the Burmilla. These kittens so enamored their owners that they decided to pursue a breeding program.
Despite their adorable nature and their super model good looks the Burmilla breed is still somewhat rare in the United States.
Caring for Your Burmilla Cat
Burmillas don’t require any special treatment other than general cat care. Bathing is hardly ever necessary and grooming their short smooth coat is a fairly easy matter. Longhaired varieties may need grooming two or three times a week.
Other than that keep their ears and teeth clean, trim their nails, and check their eyes regularly – gently removing discharge as necessary.
Burmillas can also learn to walk on a lead which is an excellent way to ensure you are both getting plenty of fresh air and exercise.
Have you ever met a Burmilla cat? Please share your experiences in the comments below.
We’ve got a kitten from a shelter, a very beautiful kitten foster family named King Tut. Later, by accident I learned about burmilla breed and our cat matched almost every description.
He’s very friendly, albeit not quite a lap cat. Playful and little bit mischievous, but not of spiteful kind. Very good with litter box. Great with friends and extremely curious.
Beautiful! We’ve never heard of this breed before, so we really enjoyed your post! 🙂
I may have seen a Burmilla at a cat show once – but you are right, they are not a cat you see very often.