This snow-white beauty is able to charm even those people who are completely indifferent to feline representatives. Oddly enough, but this breed appeared completely by accident in 1981.
Breed history
The British Baroness von Kirchberg had a wonderful Persian chinchilla cat , whose name was Sankvist, and a luxurious Burmese cat Faberge. The servants were ordered to closely monitor the animals to prevent crosses of different breeds. And the baroness, meanwhile, was trying to find couples for her favorites.
However, the call of nature overcame all obstacles, and this couple still met. As a result, kittens-hybrids were born. They inherited a silver color from their father, and from their mother a magnificent, delicate fur coat. The kids were so charming that the Baroness decided that they would become the founders of the new breed. Immediately, the name for the breed, the burmilla, was invented. The long-haired cat got its name from a combination of two words that make up the names of the breeds - “burmese” and “chinchilla”.
For the development of the breed, the Sankwist cat was delivered a harem of Burmese cats, from which the founders of the breed began to be born. Today burmilla is recognized in different countries. She participates in exhibitions and championships of the Canadian SSA, is recognized in Britain, but there she is called tiffany, and together with the short-haired varieties she forms a single breed, called Asian.
Three years after the appearance of the first offspring, a club of breed lovers was organized, and in 1989, snow-white beauties were recognized by the GCCF. Longhair burmilla was a huge success at exhibitions. Nobody could resist her beauty. Indifferent to this breed did not remain in Australia. Famous amateur breeders Colin Walters and Tina Tisdale started breeding these cats. They gave birth to kittens, outwardly very reminiscent of Persian. And they became the founders of the Australian Tiffany breed.
Cats of the Burmilla Longhair breed: description
These animals are very proportionately folded, have a strong and muscular body. Burmilla is a medium-sized cat, her body is small, her chest is wide, her short neck is well developed, her weight can be from four (cats) to seven (cats) kilograms.
The legs are muscular, but quite thin. The hind legs are noticeably longer than the front. The hips and shoulders are almost equal in width. Paw pads are rounded, the standard allows any color.
Head
The long-haired burmilla has a large oval-shaped head, tapering to the nose. The structure of the skull of these cats has its own characteristics. It is quite wide at the level of the eyebrows, and tapers closer to the jaw. The muzzle is distinguished by rounded and soft features. Sometimes a bump is clearly visible on the nose of the burmilla, but this factor is undesirable, as it can cause disqualification of the animal. Ears rather wide apart relative to the head and slightly inclined forward. Animals inherited this feature from a Burmese cat. The ears are medium sized with triangular tips, but are also slightly rounded.
Eyes
Burmilla is a cat with large, wide-set eyes that have the shape of a crescent. They have an unusual, characteristic for orientals section of the eyes, which seems slanted, and the eyes are let down by a makeup artist. As a rule, they are painted in various shades of green, amber or tortoise. The most valuable is a bright green color. But it depends on the color of the animal. For example, in red and cream individuals they are most often amber. Up to two years old, the eyes of these cats have a yellow tint.
Wool
Burmilla longhair has a luxurious fur coat. This is her main pride. The coat is thin and shiny, almost weightless to the touch. It is of medium length, but slightly longer than that of Burmese cats. The longest hair covers the tail, forming a kind of train. There is a small undercoat.
The preferred colors are considered delicate shades of silver. The ends of the hair can be colored red, chocolate, cream, purple or blue. On the abdomen, hair is usually lighter than on other parts of the body.
Character
Light and cheerful disposition has long-haired burmilla. The nature of this beauty allows her to feel quite comfortable next door to other animals. Cats quickly get used to the owners, but they are not intrusive, like their Burmese relatives. In addition, they are not distinguished by the independence of chinchillas.
These are intelligent and tactful creatures that subtly feel the mood of the owner: when you can disturb him, and when it's better not to do this. Owners should consider that burmills are too hard to tolerate loneliness. Burmilla longhair - a very sociable creature. Cats listen very carefully to the owner, not taking their amazing eyes from him. Therefore, many consider them pleasant interlocutors.
Psychologists are sure that cats are able to relieve stress in humans, and burmills have this ability to a greater extent than other breeds.
Maintenance and care
Longhair burmilla needs standard care, which is required by all representatives of long-haired breeds. True, there is one clear advantage - the long wool of burmill does not have to be combed out daily. Such procedures are usually carried out twice a week. During molting, dead hair should be removed in a timely manner, combing with a wide comb in the evening and in the morning. In addition, you need to monitor the condition of the ears, teeth and eyes of your pets. You can bathe these animals once a season or when the animal is contaminated.
Feeding
Longhair burmilla needs a balanced diet. Moreover, it can be both natural food and high-quality prepared feed from well-known manufacturers. But you should know that these animals are prone to overweight.
Burmilla (cat): price
The cost of representatives of this breed starts from thirty thousand rubles. Cats cost significantly more than cats. In addition, your pet's show career affects the value of the animal. If it is included in your plans, then get ready for a price above fifty thousand rubles. Burmilla is a fairly rare breed. Even in Moscow and St. Petersburg there are practically no nurseries. You can buy an animal only from breeders.
Owner reviews
This beautiful animal, according to the owners, is an ideal companion with a magnificent, calm and cheerful disposition. Burmilla is a cat (reviews confirm this), which communicates well with other pets, gets along great with children. The only drawback of this amazing animal owners call too high a price.