Complete fact sheet on Burmilla Longhair: everything you need to know about this longhair cat breed, originated from the cross between Persian and Burmese.
The Burmilla Longhair is a cat with a thick and silky coat, which enchants thanks to its magnetic gaze and its sweet and affable character. If you are considering adopting one, don't miss this article. Here, in fact, you will find all the information you absolutely must know, from the history of the breed and the ideal lifestyle, to advice for the care of the cat and the most suitable diet.
General information about the breed
Let's get to know the Burmilla Longhair through a roundup of general information about it.
Origin: Great Britain
Average life: 14-15 years
Size: medium
Weight: 4-6 kg
Hypoallergenic: no
Tendency to flee: no
Tendency to gain weight: yes
Tendency to meow: yes
Tendency to suffer from loneliness: yes
Climate: tends to suffer from low temperatures
Compatible with children: yes
Compatible with other animals: yes
How much does a Burmilla Longhair cost
Do you want to welcome a Burmilla Longhair into your home and heart? The cost of a specimen of this feline breed is between 1000 and 1500 euros .
Such a high figure depends on a number of factors, such as the breeding target, age and sex of the cat, but not only.
In fact, given their recent and particular origins, these cats are still very rare and not very common in Europe today.
The maintenance costs of the Burmilla Longhair amount to around 30 euros per month.
Ideal habitat and lifestyle
Being a little independent cat, which tends to suffer from loneliness, its adoption is not recommended for those who spend little time at home.
On the contrary, green light for families with children and other four-legged friends. The Burmilla Longhair, being an energetic cat and predisposed to obesity , needs to exercise regularly.
For this, it is necessary to provide him with an area in which to run, climb and jump. On beautiful sunny days it can stay in the garden, as long as it is properly recited and placed safely.
Alternatively, also thanks to the fact that it tends to suffer from the cold, it will be necessary to set up a space dedicated to play inside the house.
The essential accessories? Scratching posts, raised paths, tunnels, shelves and toys.
Origins and history of the breed
The stages that have characterized the history of Burmilla Longhair are decidedly peculiar: let's discover them together.
The origin of this cat was completely coincidental. In fact, a specimen of Persian Chinchilla and a Burmese cat, both owned by Baroness Miranda Von Kirchberg, inadvertently mated.
Thus, in 1981 four wonderful puppies were born, which thanks to their tender and particular appearance won the heart of the Baroness.
The woman fell in love with it to the point of giving rise to the breeding of a new feline breed , which took the name of Burmilla.
Appearance and physical characteristics
Given the ancestors of the breed, Persian Chinchilla and Burmese, the appearance of this furry dog can only be fascinating: that's all you need to know about it.
Body
The body of the Burmilla Longhair is robust and muscular, of medium size and size. The chest is rounded and the back straight.
The weight of the specimens of this breed is between 4 and 6 kg , for a maximum length of 35 cm.
Head
The head of the Burmilla Longhair is rounded at the top and sharp at the bottom. This gives it a triangular shape.
The ears are broad and rounded on the tip. The eyes, large and wide apart, are green in color and appear incredibly expressive and bright.
Mantle
The Burmilla Longhair features a thick, silky and soft coat. The hair is longer and more consistent around the legs, as well as on the tail and ruff.
The coat can take on various colors , such as blue, black, chocolate and cinnamon. Allowed by the standard but less frequent are the cream, red and tortoiseshell colors.
The silvery and sparkling reflections are typical of the fur of the cats of this breed.
Legs
The legs of the Burmilla Longhair are thin but sturdy, well proportioned to the rest of the body.
The hind limbs are slightly longer than the front ones. The feet appear small and oval in shape.
Character of the Burmilla Longhair
Before adopting a new four-legged friend, it is essential to know his nature, to find out if he can be compatible with us and with our lifestyle.
The character of Burmilla Longhair synthesizes the best qualities of Burmese and Persian. On the one hand, this cat is active, playful and energetic. On the other hand, however, it retains a calm and relaxed temperament.
Specimens of this breed are incredibly devoted and affectionate towards their family. This leads them to suffer loneliness in the absence of their reference human.
Thanks to its patient and affectionate nature, this four-legged is particularly predisposed to pet therapy.
Compatibility with children and other animals
Naturally, by virtue of the advantages listed in the previous paragraph, the adoption of Burmilla Longhair can only be highly recommended for families with children.
This cat, in fact, is a perfect playmate for the little ones . Moreover, thanks to its sociability, it is also suitable for coexistence with other furry pets, be they dogs or cats.
Health and care of the Burmilla Longhair
What is there to know about the health of Burmilla Longhair? It is a basically healthy and robust cat.
The average lifespan of the specimens of this breed is between 12 and 15 years. Among the common diseases that can arise in the cat, whether hereditary or not, are:
- Obesity;
- Polycystic kidney disease;
- Kidney stones.
How to take care of the Burmilla Longhair? Since this is a long-haired cat, it is advisable to brush it once a day to avoid the formation of knots and hairballs.
Not only that: doing so will eliminate the layer of dead hair and you will have the opportunity to regularly inspect the skin of the cat, detecting the presence of any skin disorders or parasites.
Ideal nutrition
What to feed the Burmilla Longhair, to keep this cat strong and healthy?
Being an obligate carnivore, the diet of this four-legged must be mainly based on meat. Ideal foods are chicken, beef, turkey and rabbit.
Green light also to fish, a source of protein and omega 3, albeit less frequently.
Finally, pay attention to the quantities. The Burmilla Longhair is a cat predisposed to obesity and very greedy.
For this, it is necessary to ration his meals with the help of the veterinarian, who will take into account a series of factors such as the cat's age, health and lifestyle.
Reproduction and puppies
Would you like to breed your Burmilla Longhair, to give birth to some beautiful kittens? Here's what to know on the subject.
The standard admits the union between specimens of the same breed, both in the shorthair and in the longhair variant.
Generally, the pregnancy of the cats lasts between 63 and 68 days. The number of kittens for each litter varies between two and four.
In the first months of life, the young have a color of the eyes and of the hair different from that admitted by the standard, which tends to change progressively over time.
Names for your Burmilla Longhair
If you have decided to adopt a Burmilla Longhair, among the most important decisions you have to make is that of the name to give your new furry dog.
How to juggle multiple proposals, each with its own charm? The first advice is to choose a name that reflects a peculiarity of your four-legged friend .
Is it a particularly talkative cat? You could go for a name that focuses on this trait, like Miao.
Furthermore, it would be good to avoid excessively long names, which do not favor the memorization of the cat. If you are looking for ideas and suggestions, check out this article, where you will find over 6500 female and male cat names .
Among the most popular names for the Burmilla Longhair are:
- Females: Lola and Sandy;
- Males: Thor and Freddy.
Curiosities about Burmilla Longhair
Finally, we close our complete sheet on this wonderful cat breed with a series of unmissable curiosities about the Burmilla Longhair.
The Burmilla exists in two variants: a short-haired and a longhair. The latter is very rare and not very widespread. The reason? It is the result of a recessive Persian gene;
The same breed is little known and widespread in the world, also by virtue of its particular and recent origins. Furthermore, it is not officially recognized by all the feline associations;
There is only one Burmilla cat breeding in Italy.