Burmilla | breed profile

Introduction

When Sanquist the Chinchilla Persian and Fabergé the Burmese had a chance encounter due to an accidentally open door, the resulting kittens were so pretty that breeders repeated the cross and created the Burmilla. This happened in the early 1980’s, making the Burmilla relatively new breed.

Appearance and Personality

They have inherited the muscular physique of the Burmese and are overall a medium sized cat weighing up to 6kgs. The coat colours include brown, black, and lilac are “misted” with a silver undercoat which makes the colour appear diluted.

Burmillas come in  short and medium coat varieties. For the short coat, minimal grooming is required, but it is still a good idea to get them used to being gently brushed from an early age. Brushing helps to remove loose fur. A cat grooming glove could be a good option for grooming a short coated Burmilla. The medium coat variety needs more frequent brushing to help remove tangles from the coat.

Burmilla cats are known for having a great mix of the best qualities of both the Burmese and the Persian. They are affectionate and friendly like the Burmese but a little easier going which comes from the Persian who are said to be very laid-back. This makes the Burmilla a popular choice for families. They are also known for being playful and moderately active so having plenty of toys and cat trees is essential to keep their mind and body healthy. Because they enjoy companionship, they can become lonely if left for long periods of time. They may therefore be better suited to a household where someone is home to keep them company, or perhaps adopting two could be a way to ensure they have suitable company if you are out a lot. They are well suited to apartment living. Keeping your Burmilla indoors or in a cat friendly enclosure helps keep them safe from roads, other cats, snakes as well as helps to keep wildlife safe from your cat.

Common Health Concerns

Feeding premium diets that are formulated for optimal urinary health may be helpful in preventing one of the top five reasons that Burmilla’s visited the vet in 2020 – urinary tract disease. Diabetes and cancers such as squamous cell carcinoma also featured in the top reasons Burmilla’s went to the vet in 2020.

According to PetSure data from 2020, the five most common reasons for a Burmilla cat to visit the vet (excluding for routine visits like vaccinations) are as follows:

Disclaimer: Reimbursement for these claims would be subject to limits, such as annual benefit limits or sub-limits, benefit percentage, applicable waiting periods and any applicable excess. Cover is subject to the policy terms and conditions. You should consider the relevant Product Disclosure Statement or policy wording available from the relevant provider.

For the same period (2020 calendar year), the top five highest single vet treatments (or highest pet insurance claims) for Burmilla from PetSure data were:

Disclaimer: Reimbursement for these claims would be subject to limits, such as annual benefit limits or sub-limits, benefit percentage, applicable waiting periods and any applicable excess. Cover is subject to the policy terms and conditions. You should consider the relevant Product Disclosure Statement or policy wording available from the relevant provider.

Most popular Burmilla names from PetSure 2018-2020 data:

Most popular names:

1. Lola
2. Albie
3. Bessie
4. Buddy
5. Charlie
6. Coco
7. Diego
8. Elsie
9. Felix
10. Frankie

Most popular female names:

1. Lola
2. Bessie
3. Coco
4. Elsie
5. Freya
6. Luna
7. Mabel
8. Mitzi
9. Nelly
10. Polly

Most popular male names:

1. Albie
2. Buddy
3. Charlie
4. Diego
5. Felix
6. Frankie
7. Jasper
8. Kimba
9. Oscar
10. Rigby

Did you know?

Burmilla cats were recognised formally as a breed in 2011 and are fairly uncommon today.

References

1. Cat Fanciers Association, The Burmilla, accessed on 22/02/2021, available at: https://cfa.org/burmilla/
2. Wikipedia, Burmilla, accessed on 22/02/2021, available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burmilla