The breed has it's beginning in England, it came about
as the result of an accidental mating between a Lilac Burmese female (Bambino Lilac Faberge) & a Silver Chinchilla male (Jemari Sanquist). In 1981 Miranda Bickford-Smith (Astahazy Cattery) had purchased a Silver Chinchilla (Sanquist) as a pet for her husband. Faberge came into season & was isolated but a cleaner accidentally left Faberge's door open & she was able to escape & pay a visit to Sanquist. The result of this mating produced 4 female kittens, all short haired & Black Shaded Silver in color.
These stunning kittens had a spectacular temperament & there was much interest in the cat world in them. It wad decided to begin a controlled breeding program.
In 1984 a Burmilla standard was agreed & the breed received official recognition in 1997.
Appearance of the Burmilla Cat:
The Burmilla is a medium sized cat, with a physique similar to that of a Burmese. It has a short, dense & silky coat. 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.
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.
