The Burmilla is a breed within the Asian Group that originated in the United Kingdom some 15 years ago as the result of an accidental mating between a Chinchilla Persian male and a Platinum/Lilac Burmese female. The resulting offspring were so impressive in type and vigour that it was decided to proceed with a breeding program using this hybrid with Burmese cats. The Chinchilla is only used once for the foundation breeding of a new line. The Burmilla is  recognised for Championship by the GCCF and FIFE , having passed through experimental and provisional statuses . South Africa, Australia, Holland Switzerland and Denmark are some of the other countries where breeding programs are taking place. The Asian Group is the name used, in the above programs, for cats of Foreign Burmese type, with non-Foreign Burmese coat colour, pattern or length. "Asian" cats bear the same relationship to the Foreign Burmese as the "Orientals" do to the Siamese.

The breeds within the Asian Group are:

• Burmilla:- The shaded or tipped variety of the Asian cat.
• Asian Smoke:- The Smoke variety of the Asian cat (non-agouti).
• Asian Tabby:- The Ticked, Spotted, Mackerel or Classic Tabby varieties of the Asian cat.
• Bombay:- The Self Black variey of the Asian cat.
• Tiffanie:- The Semi-long haired variety of the Asian.

In December 1995, Strathkirk and Horizons imported two long haired Burmillas, (Tiffanies), from England. They were Moonspinners Mercury and Meerani, who were then shown Experimental Status in the Canadian Cat Association. They were bred subsequently to a variety of Foreign and Traditional Burmese. Some 80 of their offspring, (short haired Burmillas carrying the long haired gene), followed. Twenty of these Burmillas were kept for further breeding. We now breed Burmilla to Burmilla and have begun to produce Tiffanies in approximately 25% of the breedings. All Burmillas were granted New Breed Staus in November 1997. Our Burmillas began showing in the Spring of 1998 and  gained Championship Status by 1999. A limited number of these kittens have been for sale and are proving to be very popular.

In order to simplify acceptance of this breed in Canada and to facilitate the subsequent registration and judging processes, these cats are identified as Short or Long Haired Burmillas and are further described by their pattern (ie. self, smoke, shaded, Tipped, Tabby, etc). This simplification also avoids confusion with hte commonly use discriptor "Asian" (ie the cat is of asian type)and  the American breed of Chantily / Tiffany already recognised by some associations. Thus all Canadian cats from this breed pool are Burmilla(s), the term Asian is not used.

In December 1996, we imported a Chinchilla Persian , Chico's Christian from England. He was selected for his natural head shape and carriage of the golden gene. Christian was subsequently bred to selected Foreign and Traditional Burmese Queens to produce F1 Burmillas. This was done to produce a completely different line of Burmillas, thus increasing the gene pool. This part of the program takes about 3 years.

The process of producing a full Burmilla (or Asian using the English terminology) from a foundation breeding is complex, not for the faint hearted, and is as follows.

Step 1: Burmese x Chinchilla This gives 1st generation, (F1), Burmillas. This results in Shaded or Tipped varieties or occasionally Ticked Tabbies if the Chinchilla carries Golden.

Step 2: F1 Burmilla back again to Burmese This gives 2nd generation, (F2), Burmillas. At this stage you can expect to get Tabbies, Selfs and Smokes as well as Shaded or Tipped varieties.

Step 3: F2 Burmilla to an unrelated Burmilla (any variety) This gives 3rd generation, (F3), Burmillas. Again any variety is possible, including longhaired Burmillas, (Tiffanies), if the F2 cats both carry the longhair gene.

Step 4: F3 Burmilla should be mated back to Burmese This gives the 4th generation, (F4), or full Burmillas.

As a protocol, in our tracking nomonclature, we hold a cat at F3 status until it has gone back to a Burmese. We find that it is sometimes useful to repeat breedings F3 to F3 to hold a recessive ie long hair. We also note in the pedigrees that not many English Breeders have held to this complete program.
After F4 is accomplished, matings should mainly be Burmilla to Burmilla but can at any time, go back to the Burmese, which is an allowable out-cross to the full Burmilla.
In simple terms the objective of the Burmilla breeding program is to import the Long hair, Black colour, and Silver undercoat genetics, from the Chinchilla Persian while keeping the sleek, no undercoat, fur and the outgoing interactive personality of the Burmese.

The following pages show some of the breeding lines as they have developed.

• go to Mercury page.
• go to Meerani's Page

go to Christian's's Page

Ms. Naomi Johnson, Secretary of the Asian Group Cat Society, (a cat club in England), is also quoted therein as saying "they (Asians) are basically Burmese with different colors, patterns and coat lengths…"  Ms Johnson is also quoted in the Nov. 2000 issue of Your Cat, an English publication, as saying a Tiffanie is "A cross between Burmese and longhair Chinchillas".

Our comments follow:
Our views on "European" Vs "North American Burmese" (there is no such thing as an American Burmese) are well stated on our Burmese page.  As to our cats being different, we refer you to the history of the English Burmese in the book "The Burmese Cat". This book is a publication of the Burmese Cat Club in England in 1994, edited by Robine Pocock published by Unwin Brothers Ltd. for the Burmese Cat Club Benevolent Fund. The reader should know in reviewing page 16 of that text that Halton Ridge, home of Halton Ridge Alfie, a British founding cat, is within less than a 1 hr. drive from Toronto. Halton Ridge Alfie was a Silkwood cat base in Missauga Ont, a suburb of Toronto.The Wai-ling cats are is Shy boys pedigree  For those who don't have access to that book, the point I am making here is that Canadian cats and specifically our cats forbearers were used in the founding of European Burmese. In fact, a review of the posted 12 generation pedigree of our European boy, Maple Leaf, illustrates just how much Alphie is the European cat. Ms Ghorbrial does not know her pedigrees.

The 4 generation breeding protocol described above on this page, is a quote from an e-mail sent to us by Ms. Johnson in the Winter of 1996.  The documentation that she provided with it was the basis for the breeding standards and registration requirements accepted by the Canadian Cat Association.
Ms. Ghorbrial is a known C.F.A. European Burmese breeder. In her public e-mails,  she described an accidental breeding in 1998, between her European Burmese and an Abyssinian.  We were surprised that she received support from Ms. Johnson, who suggested that the offspring be called Asians.
Most countries who recognize cats from the Asian Group, like us, have followed the G.C.C.F. standards and have begun their breeding programs with English Asians.  Apparently, unknown to us, and a number of other breeders, both in England and elsewhere, the G.C.C.F.  Registration Policy had been significantly changed in 1996 and again in 2000.
Copies of the Registration Policies dating back to 1993, which we have just received from G.C.C.F., are attached/linked.

It is our understanding that the 1996 breed policy change was instituted in order to open the gene pool to accommodate some long ago past breedings and a allow very few breeders who would bring in specific genes such as the "spotted tabby". We have experienced the spotted tabby, all things come in time, shortcuts create problems.

The new 1996/2000 breed policy document enables breeding of Asians to "anything" and is, in our opinion, a recipe for a "moggie" and a shortcut to a new breed, that the UFO have jumped upon.  The Burmese and Chinchilla are no longer required.  The current 4 generation protocol now requires that the offspring of an Asian X "anything" (with a few minor exceptions), must go back to an Asian OR (and we underline or) Burmese 3 times prior to being a full registered Asian.  We certainly question the ability of Ms. Ghorbrial and other U.F.O. breeders, to breed a cat that is anything like our Burmillas or the international Asian.   If they follow the revised standard, as they claim they will, they may now breed to "anything", thus providing the public with a very different cat . One wonders what Ms. Ghorbrial et. al. would think of an Asian to  -- say a --- Maine Coon or Pixie Bob, next door.;-)!!!

In 1981 the original Chinchilla / Burmese cross of Baroness Miranda Von Kirchberg required "new breed " status by G.C.C.F. and took some 15 years to accomplish.   How is it now, that an Asian to "anything" (with a few minor exceptions), does not require the same?

We suspect that the G.C.C.F.’s Executive committee overlooked the implications of what they were ratifying in 96/2000.

It is our intention to breed Burmillas (Asians) from the original Burmese / Chinchilla ancestry.  We will continue with the breeding protocol wherein the Chinchilla is used only once in the foundation of a line. The Canadian Cat Association breed standard is attached/linked. The allowable outbreed section is at the end of the document.

Ms. Ghorbrial’s comments re: "serious efforts are underway to have the new breed recognized by the C.F.A."  would seem highly unlikely to us!  Most, very conservative North American breed associations, particularly the C.F.A., will take even longer to recognize the Asian with this new 2000 non-uniform "catch all" registration policy.
The waters have become very muddy  for the Burmilla's future. For instance, we note that it has taken the "Red" Burmese 25 years to be accepted in North America.  We still endure the "Barn Cat" epitaph.

We think that the U.F.O. should call these cats, as lovely as they may be, something other than "Asians"; however, we understand that new breed status is a long and difficult process.

We do not understand why Ms. Johnson, in her public statements, continues to say that the Asian comes from a Burmese / Chinchilla cross.  Sadly, this is no longer the truth.  We continue to hope that the Asian Group Cat Society will rectify the situation.

end
Update July 2002
It is our understanding that FIFE and various European cat registries have rejected the 1996/2000 Asian definition and continue to require that the Burmilla/Tiffanie gene pool be exclusivly Burmese and Chinchilla as was the original GCCF policy.
 Comment re Polycystic kidney disease (PKD) in Persians and Asians of Persian ancestry. This raises 2 points.
1) Our original imported Tiffanies, Meerani, and Mercury, DOB Oct. 95 ,  both still live with us and have never been sick - of anything. Christian , DOB April '96, our imported Chinchilla Persian, lives with a close friend, also in a multi cat household, and is likewise. Vet. texts suggest PKD in the inherited form has a 3-10 year window, and is autosomal dominant (Feline Husbandry N.C. Pedersen). There are no reports in these cats lines, proir or post, that we are aware of. We don't have it.
2) The 'Burmilla,' which is the cat that most people are looking for, looks like a Singapura (if one follows the GCCF definition). That is genetically  (in laymans terms) a ticked, silver tipped cat, and is of Burmese temperament. It is possibly also a super wideband cat, being tipped.
...Strathkirk Iolanthe is a good example.
Breeding an Abyssinian or Somali to a Burmese, (as does Ms Ghobrial and the UFO group) can not genetically deliver that colour, coat, or pattern. Conventional genetics has it that wide band and silver can only come from the Chinchilla. Thus, any of the UFO group who deliver 'Burmillas' have it wrong, or have Persian ancestry, unless of course they got these genetics elsewhere, which would remove them further from the original gene pool.

end
Update May 2003
Ms Ghobrial contacted CCA and requested they register her "Burmillas".   The breed policy and protocol was explained to her. Cats of other than Burmese /Persian ancestry  do not qualify.

 The concerns are threefold as follows:

1) Is is our understanding that as party to this action of the Asian, the Asian Application was withdrawn in the summer of 2005  (approximately 6  months prior to the 2006 board meeting). Therefore, any discussion of a "Standard" was, in and of itself "Out of Order". We do not  understand how this piece of information could have escaped the chair of this meeting.
2)"Identical" , "Mimics" and "WIAB"
 Below are some "Asians". They are neither identical nor mimic the European Burmese phenotypically or genotypically.



  WIAB

  A search of CFA's web site contains one obscure reference to this term. Therefore, how can WIAB be "in effect".  Breeds are defined by  their standard, as much as some would have it otherwise.  Some European Burmese breeders may, for their own personal reasons, object  to the application of the Asian/Burmilla,(various associations have different names), but the Breed Council must be extremely careful as to  how they allow that to be done. Whatever the criteria used to differentiate the European Burmese from the Burmese, that same criteria can  apply to the differentiation of the Asian/Burmilla from the European Burmese. To use the WIAB argument in this situation is a two edged  sword that may well do more harm than good especially when seen in the light of the present disputes concerning the current movement  of the Judging process towards the traditional cobby North American Burmese type. There are many in the cat world who believe "a  Burmese is a Burmese".

Further, granted there is much in the Burmilla/Asian that does mimic the Burmese.   That is and always was, intentional.  It is not the same  however.  The program is considerably more but no less than the program that originally introduced the red gene to the European  Burmese that you all prize so highly.  The only difference is that it was separated out under another breed name in order that there be  order, not confusion as has occurred in New Zealand.

3)The Asian Breed is out of order.
This is ridiculous.  It is the kind of comment one would expect to find pointed out and highlighted in the humour section on the NY times.A Cat or a breed can not be out of Order.  I know we love our cats but they do not have standing at meetings.

Solutions and Request:

It is my opinion that CFA has engaged in inappropriate process  (a "faux pas") --- "Punchy" notwithstanding. This comment has great potential embarrassment for CFA and the European Breed Council in the future. This paragraph should be stricken from the record.

I respectfully request that David, on behalf of the breed council:
1.  Approach the CFA chair and ask that the above noted paragraph be removed.
2.  Report back to Council, the results.

If this is not accomplished, then I would like David to take forward the motion:

"That the minutes of the Board Meeting of 2006 which contained the Asian discussion be amended to strike the above mentioned paragraph".

Best Regards,
Ivan

 If the reader is interested in the genetics that arrises out of this breeding progrem please go to the genetics1 page