Burmilla: cat features, keeping conditions and breeding

The flexible and incredibly graceful burmilla cat looks very impressive - you can fall in love with it at first sight and for the rest of your life. Usually cats of rare breeds are acquired for a variety of purposes - someone wants to get a small wad of joy of happiness in the house, someone needs regalia and victories at exhibitions, and still others dream of a friend who will brighten up lonely evenings. Burmilla meets each of these requirements.

Each thoroughbred cat has its own history of origin. Of all the representatives of the cat family, the bourmilla cat, an animal with aristocratic roots and a rather entertaining story, which dates back to 1981, deserves special attention of breeders. At that time in the UK in the house of Baroness Bickford Smith there lived a beautiful kitten of a Burmese breed, who was waiting for mating with a single-breed male.

At the same time, her friend, another cat lover, came to visit the Baroness, and he came not only alone, but with his pet - a Persian cat. It so happened that the maid forgot to lock the door and a cute kitty ran out into the corridor, where she met a handsome Persian. This meeting ended in the pregnancy of the pet, which almost led to the dismissal of the housemaid.

But after three months, kittens of amazing beauty were born, after some time the baroness noticed that these babies possess an unusually flexible mild character, so unusual for the Persians.

Burmilla is considered one of the most elegant cats with exquisite manners. Her torso and limbs are perfectly proportional, her face is very neat, and her eyes are tender and a bit naive. According to current breed standards, burmilla has the following physical characteristics:

• medium-sized body;
• developed muscles;
• the weight of an adult cat is 4-7 kg, the weight of males and females is approximately the same;
• tail is long, narrowed towards the end;
• limbs strong, rounded pads, black;
• small, round head, slightly protruding cheeks;
• the nose is small, pink;
• expressive crescent-shaped eyes, black stroke;
• between the eyes in the forehead a dark M-shaped spot is visible;
• eyes may be amber, blue, green, or tortie; rarely, but there are cats with reddish irises;
• the coat is soft, quite pleasant to the touch.

Depending on the breed, the coat can be long or short. It is worth considering in more detail.

• Shorthair cat It is distinguished by a glossy, almost silk-to-touch wool, as well as a large undercoat that visually raises the main cover. Usually it is silver, but a light golden hue is allowed. The wool itself is most often lilac, blue, chocolate or cream - pigmented below, and on top differs by a more pronounced coloring.
• In long-haired varieties burmillas have Australian roots. Outwardly, such an animal resembles the Persians, who are their first ancestors, but there are quite significant differences. So, the burmilla has a more fluffy tail, the muzzle narrows from the temporal region towards the jaw, and the ears are upturned with an inconspicuous bend forward.

Breeders claim that the nature of burmilla is truly angelic. Little kittens conquer children and adults always with a benevolent mood, cheerful disposition, endless love of life. They love active games, eagerly looking for the owners' affection - in response to care they are ready to present their large and small owners with endless love and affection.

Burmillas are extremely inquisitive, it is important for them to constantly be in the spotlight, while they devote very little time to sleep. These pets cannot stand loneliness, adore communication and quite quickly establish contact not only with all family members, but also with other pets. The main character traits of burmill can be called tact and friendliness.

These cats will never cause harm to humans, unless defending themselves in response to aggression. For kids, she can become a playmate and at the same time a nanny - these animals can be left without fear even with the smallest children, without fear that they will pounce and scratch. Burmills are very brave, while energetic cats, fear is alien to them - they easily climb onto the highest fences and trees, and then jump down with excitement.

It is proved that cats of this breed able to understand the commands of their breeder. At the same time, they are delicate and unobtrusive, however, they experience “attacks of love,” during which they can tire their owner with an excessive manifestation of love and tenderness.

Burmills tend to sleep on the owner’s bed. In general, these are good-natured cats with a gentle character.Like all other representatives of the cat family, burmillas are literally interested in everything, so you can walk them exclusively on a leash and only in the presence of the owner. Otherwise, the thirst for discovery can take your pet quite far from home. These cats are often called psychologists, because they, like no other pet, they feel the mood of their master and in a moment of sadness can cheer up, support him.

Burmillas have a fairly wide color palette, the colors and colors of animals of this breed are more than enough, but therefore they are all alike - there is a feeling that an ordinary gray cat has put on a little darker cloak. The variety of wraps includes the following:

• Bombay
• chocolate;
• ginger;
• tortoiseshell;
• speckled blue;
• lilac;
• brindle;
• smoky;
• speckled black.

Another undoubted advantage of burmill - they do not require too painstaking care. All that is required of the owner is the regular conduct of such standard procedures as:

• combing wool - usually this is done no more than once a day, cats of these breeds have rather high-quality coat, so there is no need for daily combing;
• ear cleaning - it is advisable to teach your pet to such a procedure from early childhood;
• claw cutting - probably there is no such cat that loves this procedure and burmilla will not be an exception, it is easiest to carry out such manipulations with a special claw-tip;
• eye cleaning - usually in the mornings in the eyes of the burmill you can notice the accumulation of contaminants, it is easy to get rid of them, you just need to hold a cotton pad soaked in tea leaves;
• walking - the pet should walk, at least every two days, but preferably daily.

Compliance with these simple rules for the care of burmilla will allow animals to fully grow and develop. However, you should know that burmillas are susceptible to such a serious illness as polycysticosis, with untimely treatment, it often leads to renal failure.

Symptoms such as loss of appetite, lethargy, and rapid weight loss can tell about the onset of the disease. In addition, the pet begins to walk into the tray quite often. If you notice any of the symptoms described, you should immediately contact your veterinarian. In the clinic, the cat will take blood for analysis and take an X-ray, after which they will make the final diagnosis and prescribe therapy.

Burmilla can be fed with both natural feed and industrial formulations. The main thing is that the nutrition be balanced and provide the pet with the necessary vitamins, micro and macro elements. Their shortage can lead to serious malfunctions in the work of internal organs, but at the same time, one should not allow an excess of nutrients, especially minerals and carbohydrates, which often causes cardiovascular pathologies in a pet. When using ready-made feeds, it is best to pay attention to the formulations low in fat. If you feed your pet straight, then you should definitely introduce vitamin and mineral supplements.

It is better to start feeding small kittens with ready-made formulations, but you need to choose only the highest quality ones, otherwise the animal’s unformed digestive system will be damaged. If you plan to convert it to natural food in the future, then it is best to start complementary foods with milk porridges and low-fat cottage cheese, as well as boiled chicken yolk.

The final transfer of a kitten to adult food is possible only in two months - earlier it is possible to injure the animal, at this time in its diet should include products such as:

• meat - preference is best given to low-fat foods such as chicken, beef, turkey or rabbit; these foods should be at least 2⁄3 of the total diet of cats;
• offal - cats fit the liver, heart or udder; such products give no more than twice a week;
• fish all cats love, but you can not abuse it, because it has a lot of phosphorus - its excess causes urolithiasis; the product is introduced into the menu once a week, while using marine fish of low-fat varieties;
• porridge - cats like oat, wheat, semolina and corn grits, it is best to boil them in water without adding salt, sugar and oil; you can make porridge with meat - such a dish is likely to please your pet;
• vegetables - contrary to popular belief, the Burmills really like juicy vegetables and young herbs; it is best to add chopped carrots, cabbage, zucchini, cauliflower, and also sprouted cereals to the main feed from time to time.

If you prefer professional feeds, then the choice is better to make in favor of expensive products of the highest quality, since they include essential macronutrients, vitamins, and also contain additives that contribute to the prevention of urolithiasis. In expensive premium foods, only natural meat ingredients are used, and additives are also included in the feed that help to remove hairballs from the digestive tract.

Products are especially popular among breeders. Hill, Acana, and Pronature. The ideal composition is different feed Royal Canin, because they are fully absorbed, contain various herbs, berries, fruits, as well as all the necessary vitamins.

Let us dwell in more detail on products prohibited for burmill.

• Milk. Many believe that all representatives of the cat family love to feast on milk. However, the body of this animal assimilates the product only at a very young age - when the kitten reaches two months of age, the production of the enzyme responsible for the digestion of milk stops, so it is undesirable to include it on the menu. But fermented baked milk, sugar-free yogurt, cottage cheese and other fermented milk products will bring your pet many benefits and improve the digestion process.
• It is strictly forbidden to feed burmill exclusively with fish. Boiled product can be given no more than once a week.
• Any preservatives, sweets for them are toxic: stew, sprats, sprats in tomato, canned vegetables, as well as chocolate, biscuits and cakes should not be given to cats. Even a small number of them can cause serious health problems in pets.

Breeding cats of this breed is not the easiest task. The fact is that this is one of the rarest and most expensive breeds, breeding of which in our country began to be dealt with only a few years ago. Therefore, if you want to buy a furry pet, it makes sense to contact foreign nurseries. Prices for burmill start from 30 thousand rubles. If the kitten is sold without a pedigree and the buyer does not intend to participate in exhibitions and competitions, then the cost may be lower.

The final price also depends on the characteristics of the animal itself, in particular gender - females are always valued more than males. The final cost may also be affected by type, color purity, class, availability of paperwork, and potential transportation difficulties. Since the breed is still little known, it is best to buy a kitten in trustworthy nurseries with a solid reputation.

About the features of this breed of cats, see the next video.