Burmilla

The Burmilla is a shaded silver cat from the United Kingdom that exists because of an unlocked door — an accidental mating whose kittens were good enough to build a breed on.

History

In 1981 a Chinchilla Persian and a lilac Burmese were housed together and met unplanned; the resulting shorthaired silver kittens were striking enough that breeders developed them deliberately. The breed keeps the Burmese build under a tipped or shaded silver coat.

Temperament

The breed is known for being sociable and even-tempered — quieter and less insistent than a Burmese, more outgoing than a Persian, which is roughly what its parentage would suggest.

Care

The short coat needs little; the semi-long-haired variant asks for regular brushing. It is a companionable cat that dislikes long spells alone and settles well with other animals.

Health

Its Persian ancestry brings polycystic kidney disease into the picture, which reputable breeders screen for, and its Burmese ancestry brings that breed's known tendencies. These are known patterns for the breed and a matter for a breeder and a vet; the measured facts and trait ratings are in the panels.