The Burmilla ( Australian Tiffanie ) is a breed of domestic cat which originated in the United Kingdom in 1981. It is a cross between the Chinchilla Persian and Burmese breeds.

In GCCF (Governing Council of the Cat Fancy), the Burmilla is considered part of the Asian cat breed. It is accepted in FIFe as the Burmilla. Some governing bodies have used the name Australian Tiffanie, however, there is not international acceptance and standardisation for this breed.

The Burmilla is featured in the online text-based game Legend of the Green Dragon - Crazy Audrey's kittens are all Burmillas.

Burmilla cat Origin

The Burmilla was originally created accidentally in the United Kingdom. Two cats, a Chinchilla Persian named Sanquist, and a lilac Burmese named Faberge made a history. In 1981 Miranda Bickford-Smith (Astahazy Cattery) had purchased a Silver Chinchilla (Sanquist) as a pet for her husband. Faberge came into season and was isolated but a cleaner accidentally left Faberge's door open and she was able to escape and pay a visit to Sanquist.  Four females, all Black Shaded Silver, were born on the 11th of September. The combined quality of their type, their spectacular look, and their superb temperament prompted a controlled breeding program to establish a new breed.

Standards were produced in 1984 and the breed gained championship status in the United Kingdom in the 1990s.

Burmilla cat Appearence

The Burmilla is a beautiful cat of medium foreign  type, showing striking contrast between coloured Shading/Tipping and Silver undercoat with delicate tracings of Tabby markings on the head, legs and tail.  There should be a distinctive M mark on the forehead.

Burmillas have muscular bodies, round faces, short muzzles and tend to weigh between 8-10 lb. A burmilla's eye color is usually green, although some cat societies accept blue (and yellow eyes are permitted in kittens). 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. The shape of their eyes are almond-shaped. It has a short, dense and silky coat.

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 Colors and Coats

The Burmilla come in 5 colours Chocolate, Brown, Blue, Lilac and Black The coat is either shaded or tipped and all have a silver white undercoat. Coat length comes in three variants: The most common (standard) coat is the short-hair. This is a short, close-lying coat similar in appearance to the Burmese but with a softer, silkier feel. In addition there is a recessive longhair gene producing the Longhair Burmilla. A third variant has been identified recently, that of the Plush. It is not professionally recognised as being separate from shorthair in judging, however plush kittens have much denser fur which does not lie closely against the skin. How the plush coat variant is inherited is not known.

The Burmilla can have a variety of coat colours, including Black; Blue; Chocolate; Lilac; red; Caramel; Apricot; Cream; Black Tortie; Blue Tortie; Chocolate Tortie; Lilac Tortie; Caramel Tortie. In addition the undercoat is either Silver or Golden, depending on the colour in the Persian heritage.

The Burmilla's shading comes in three major coat patterns which relate to the depth of colour. These are Tipped, Shaded and Smoke. The ideal Shaded cat has even colour distribution with no tabby markings on the body, although a few vestigial markings may still be apparent on legs, head and tail. The cats have nose leather which is red to pink (smoke cats have solid colour corresponding to their coat). In addition their paw pads correspond to the coat colouring: Black cats have black paw pads, Chocolate have brown-black, Brown cats have brown, both Blue and Lilac have pink.

 

The Burmilla Temperament

The Burmilla has the best features of both the Burmese & the Chinchilla. The Burmilla is quite an irreverent and independent cat who adores its owner and displays many kitten-like characteristics even into adulthood. They have the playful nature of the Burmese without being overly active, and the quiet, laid back nature of the Chinchilla.

In temperament they are sociable, playful, and affectionate, and get along well with children and other animals. Burmillas love to play, and access to toys and scratching posts are important, as is daily attention from their owners as they are an affectionate cat and enjoy being a part of the family. 

With their medium energy level and laid back nature Burmillas are ideal for singles, families and the elderly.