Burmilla

1 Burmilla Breed Overview

Burmilla (details)

The Burmilla, also called the Pommila cat, has the Latin name Burmilla. This breed was born in Britain in 1981 and successfully exhibited two years later, immediately drawing wide attention. In fact, the Burmilla’s birth came from a beautiful union, an ‘out-of-wedlock’ kitten between a lilac Burmese and a silver Chinchilla Longhair, and that kitten was the first Burmilla.

The first Burmilla was bred by Baroness Miranda von Kirchberg in Britain. To give the Burmilla better quality, Charles and Therese Clark crossed another beautifully marked cat with the first Burmilla, eventually evolving into today’s Burmilla. The Burmilla’s ancestors are the Chinchilla and the Burmese, so it combines the advantages of both, for instance the Chinchilla’s beauty and the Burmese’s friendliness; thus many grow fond of it after contact.

Looking around, you may find no one keeps this cat, because although the Burmilla attracts attention abroad, it has not become popular domestically. So if you are interested, you will need effort to see one in person.

2 Burmilla Physical Characteristics

Burmilla (details)

The Burmilla is a hybrid, descended from the Chinchilla and the Burmese, in both long-haired and short-haired varieties. As a hybrid, it inherits some ancestral traits, but through selective breeding it has formed its own features over time, elegant in form, gentle in temperament, and beautiful in markings. Although born only in 1981, within a little over a decade it reached the championship podium.

Detailed physical description of the Burmilla

Build: Medium-sized, elegant yet all muscle; weight 3 to 6 kg; the base is almost all white with lilac fur tips.

Head: Wedge-shaped, short head.

Ears: Medium spacing.

Nose: A distinct concave bridge, with a reddish-brown nose.

Eyes: Green in color.

Coat color: A few darker markings are visible on the head, legs, and tail. The breed has many coat colors, including black, blue, brown, and chocolate. Red and cream cats are not yet recognized in Australia.

Tail: Not very thick, tapering to a fine tip.

Coat type: Both long-haired and short-haired, with soft, close-lying fur that feels comfortable.

3 Burmilla Personality Traits

Burmilla (details)

Even if the Burmilla stands before you, you may not know its breed, but its elegant temperament and friendly personality will not repel you. When the owner is away, they show high independence, yet once the owner appears they may act like a kitten and coquettishly bond, and this trait does not change even when adult.

The Burmilla is sociable; for example, it knows how to play with the owner. When the owner is happy, it asks for more petting or snacks; when the owner is upset and low, it first lets the owner be alone for a while, then comes to keep company later. If the owner has time, play with the Burmilla daily; if busy with work, prepare toys in advance.

The Burmilla’s social skill also shows in getting along with children and other animals. Many cats cannot live peacefully with children or other animals, but the Burmilla excels here, so if you have children or other animals, you need not worry it will hurt them or fight endlessly.

The Burmilla is also lively; unlike the Persian, it will not sit quietly in one place for long. It likes the owner to play with it, and if alone at home it finds its own fun, in short never idling too long.

4 Burmilla Care Tips

Burmilla (details)

The Burmilla is easygoing, lively, and clever, so with the right technique training it is not especially hard. Before training, the owner must prepare mentally; training cannot be done overnight. Sometimes the cat may not understand your command, or simply not want to obey. When facing these difficulties, guide patiently; never lose patience and scold, or the cat will only resist training more and grow fearful of you.

After mental preparation, the owner must learn the cat’s temperament to train better, knowing what it likes and dislikes. Generally, training before meals is best; use food as a stimulus to complete commands, and even a reluctant cat will comply for food. But pre-meal training should not be too long, usually up to 15 minutes. Too long may lose the cat’s interest, and training a hungry cat too long is also bad for its body.

Besides pre-meal training, the owner can insert some training during play, for example teaching it during games that some places are off-limits, or it gets a nose tap or water spray. Some owners use snacks during play to train; under the snack stimulus the cat can learn many tricks, but never over-supply snacks, or the cat may become obese and develop secondary diseases, and also develop an ever-bigger appetite, so snacks alone may no longer interest it in training.

During training the Burmilla may slack or pretend not to hear commands; these are its true feelings, and the owner need not force it, but can train again next time. If the cat has learned a skill, the owner should repeat and consolidate training, or some cats will forget. Cats have great potential that owners often fail to develop, so during care keep exploring the cat’s potential for more training.

5 Burmilla Feeding Guidelines

Burmilla (details)

The Burmilla has no special food requirements. Abroad, many suggest feeding raw meat, but this sparked wide debate, focused on raw meat’s safety for cats. Supporters say raw feeding better interests cats and reduces dental problems, body odor, exposure to bad chemical additives, and makes cats stronger. Opponents say raw meat may cause a series of problems, with parasites, diarrhea, and vomiting among the most common.

Most cat owners still feed cat food, whose nutrients are enough for the cat’s needs, so the owner need not worry about deficiency even feeding only cat food. With many flavors on the market, owners have wide choice, winning much favor. But as pets rise in people’s hearts, owners treat cats as family and want more than cat food, also preparing snacks, mainly two kinds, bought and homemade.

Do not think bought snacks are tailored for cats and feed them freely; too many snacks long-term may make the cat extremely picky, and clinically many cats end up refusing even staple food. For homemade-snack owners, you must know which foods are safe and which are not, because accidental ingestion causes accidents. Also be careful with seasonings; never judge a cat’s taste by your own.

Finally, never feed the cat your table food. Table food mainly harms the cat: 1. burdens the body, with urinary disease most common; 2. makes the cat picky, abandoning cat food once it finds suitable table food; 3. some cats, after tasting table food, rummage the trash for the same smell when in the kitchen, and may eat moldy food and land in the hospital.