Read in this page:
Burmilla cats ideal weight and nutrition
Burmilla kittens care
Burmilla cats grooming
Hairball treatment
Flea treatment
Ears care
Teeth care
Burmilla cats health and lifespan
Burmilla cats history
Burmilla cats personality
Burmilla cats breed standards
Burmilla cats ideal weight and nutrition
The ideal weight for a Burmilla cats is 8 - 10 lbs (3.5 - 4.5 kg). For the suggested daily intake of dry food, consult the table below:
Table 1.1 - Burmilla cats daily food intake
In order to maintain the lean build of Burmilla cats, as well as their playful nature and muscular build, their nutrition must contain high quality protein and reduced fat, as well as Conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) to produce muscle tissue over fat and L-carnitine to utilize fat reserves as an energy source. Although cat food companies have not yet developed special food formulas for Burmilla cats, you might want to mix meals specially designed for Siamese and Persian cats, meaning the not so far ancestors of the breed.
Burmilla kittens care
When you introduce a kitten to your home let it find its own way out of the basket and allow it to explore one room at a time. Make sure that all doors and windows are shut, to prevent the kitten from escaping.
Kittens are very often frightened by children or other pets that are new to them. Children should therefore be recommended to be quiet and wait for the kitten to adopt to the new environment, while other animals should be introduced later, gradually and one at a time. Remember that adult cats might attack to the baby cat, since they confront it as a competitor and therefore as an enemy.
Talk to your kitten and encourage it to play with a toy but do not overwhelm it with extreme attention.
Kittens need warmth. If there is not some form of heating in the room at all times, you had better buy a heated bed from a pet shop.
During the first month of their life, kittens should be breastfeeding. This is why you shouldn't separate them from their mother before they are one month old.
At the age of one month they can start eating kitten food. In the market you will find a wide range of kitten meals, however we recommend dry kitten food. This comes in small kibbles that encourage kittens to crunch and help them develop stronger gum and teeth.
For the suggested daily intake of kitten dry food, consult the table below:
For the suggested daily intake of kitten dry food, consult the table below:
Table 1.2 - Burmilla kittens daily food intake
Burmilla cats grooming
Burmilla cats generally have smooth fine hair, so grooming and maintaining the coat is not an issue and they do a good job of keeping themselves clean. You will only have to brush them once a week, as this helps them with shedding. Use a comb with metal bristles and an elastic grip and work through her fur from head to tail to remove dead and loose hair. Be extra-gentle near her chest and belly to avoid injuring your Burmilla.
Hairball treatment
When a cat grooms itself by licking its own fur, it will swallow some of its own hair. Most of the hair passes all the way through the digestive tract with no problems. But if some hair stays in the stomach, it can form a hairball.
Flea treatment
Even clean cats can pick up fleas, especially during the summer months. They get fleas through the contact with infested pets or through the contact with fleas in the environment (e.g. from an infected bedding).
Ears care
You should clean their ears once a week to keep them clean and prevent infections. Consult your vet on choosing the proper cat ear cleaning solution and use it to remove the excess of wax, debris and dead tissues.
Teeth care
Their teeth should be checked periodically and brushed with a special wipe to prevent teeth and gum diseases. In the market there are also a lot of cat toys, specially designed to remove food wastes and prevent teeth irritation.
More tips
A litter tray must be available at all times and kept in the same place. Solid matter and wet lumps should be removed from the tray frequently and the litter renewed when necessary. The tray should be washed and disinfected frequently. Rinse thoroughly after disinfecting and allow drying before use. Cats are very fussy and will not use a dirty tray.
Never give a cat any drugs that have not been prescribed for it; many human drugs are poisonous to cats. Seek veterinary advice immediately if you suspect any form of poisoning.
Make sure that toys or parts of them cannot be swallowed. Plastic bags and rubber bands can be extremely dangerous, since they do not show up on an X-ray.
Burmilla cats health and lifespan
Burmilla cats usually live up to 13 years of age, but with the proper care and nutrition they can live up to 15 years of age.
They do not have particular health issues, although it is possible for some of them to suffer from allergies. Furthermore, there are few records of Polycystic Kidney Disease (PKD), a disease that causes kidney failure and derives from their Persian ancestors. PKD symptoms include excessive drinking and urination, reduced appetite, weight loss and depression.
Burmilla cats history
The Burmilla breed was originally created accidentally in the United Kingdom. Early in 1981, Miranda Bickford-Smith bought a male Chinchilla for her husband. Shortly before he was due to be neutered, Jemari Sanquist met Bambino Lilac Fabergé, a lilac female Burmese, who had escaped from purdah. It soon became evident that kittens were on the way and on September 11th, four Black Shaded Silver females were born.
Soon after, the four kittens' spectacular look and superb temperament prompted their owners to try and establish a new breed. A mating between Sanquist and another of Burmese queen was arranged forthwith, which resulted in a single male kitten.
The cross-mating between Burmese and Chinchilla cats kept on to create a new breed that was officially registered in 1984 and gained championship status in the United Kingdom in the 1990s.
A name had to be found for the new breed. There were two options:
· CHIN(illa-burm)ESE was obviously most inappropriate
· BURM(ese-chinch)ILLA!
Burmilla cats personality
The Burmilla cats possess the best features of both their ancestor breeds. They bear the demanding and mischievous character of the Burmese mixed with the easy-going, relaxed nature of the Chinchilla. Impish and fearless when young, the Burmilla cats mature into intelligent and extremely affectionate adult cats.
They are outgoing, friendly and sociable cats. They are not as noisy nor demanding as the Burmese, nonetheless more adventurous and inquisitive than the Chinchilla.
They are playful without being overly active, however quiet, with a laid back nature. Dribbling ping pong balls and retrieving pom poms are their favorite activities, which can suddenly come to a stop and your Burmilla can come to rest in your arms with a deep throated purr and a contented grin, not to mention an angelic look into its eyes, which is so much in character. They enjoy being a part of the family, actually they are great with children. This, combined with their low maintenance and wonderful disposition make them ideal family pets.
Due to this unique personality, extremely good nature and gorgeous looks, Burmilla cats are becoming increasingly more popular.
Burmilla cats breed standards
According to the Fédération Internationale Féline, the Burmilla cats are elegant cats of foreign type.
Their head is gently rounded on top and has a medium width between the ears. It is rather wide at the eyebrow level with wide cheekbones tapering to a short, blunt wedge.
Their nose shows a gentle nose break when viewed in profile, however a bump nose is considered a fault. The chin should be firm with good depth, while the tip of the nose and the chin should be in line.
The Burmilla cats possess medium to large ears, broad at base with slightly rounded tips. They are set with a slight forward tilt when viewed in profile. When viewed from the front, their outer line continues that of the face. Nonetheless, this may not be so visible in mature males that develop fuller cheeks.
Their eyes are large and expressive, placed well apart in a slightly oblique setting. The upper lid forms a broken line angled towards the nose while the lower lid is fuller and rounder. Any shade of green is allowed, but clear green is by far preferred. In addition a yellow tinge is acceptable in kittens and young cats less than 2 years of age. Moreover in red, cream and tortie varieties amber is allowed.
Their body is medium sized, with a rounded chest of medium width and a straight back. The bone structure is very good and though covered with firm muscles gives an impression of great elegance. The legs are strong and slender, with the hind ones being slightly longer than the forelegs. They end up to neat and oval paws.
The typical Burmilla tail medium to long, with a medium thickness at its base, tapering slightly to a rounded tip. The coat finally is short, dense, with a silky and smooth texture. It also bears sufficient undercoat to give it a slight lift. All recognized Burmilla cats are silver shaded or silver shell and can possess one of the following colors and patterns:
· Black
· Seal/Blue/Chocolate/Lilac/Cinnamon/Fawn
· Red/Cream/Tortie
· Seal/Blue/Chocolate/Lilac/Cinnamon/Fawn
· Red/Cream/Tortie
