Introducing the Asian Group
Introducing the Asian Group (or Burmilla Group)
The Asian Group was developed from matings between the Burmese and Chinhilla breeds. The history of the group’s development can be found on the ‘History’ page. In appearance, the group is essentially identical to the Burmese, but in other colours and patterns and, in the case of the Asian Semi-Longhair, also known as the Tiffanie, longer fur. It encompasses the Asian Semi-Longhair (Tiffanie), the Asian Shaded (Burmilla), the Asian Smoke, the Asian Tabby and the Asian Self/Tortie (in the UK this includes the ‘Bombay’, the Black Asian Self).
All of the Asian Group Cats combine the best qualities of their two parent breeds, having inherited the mischievous, playful character of the Burmese, tempered by the easy-going nature of the Chinchillas. They are intelligent, active and extremely affectionate. While many breeds of cats bond to only one person, Asian Group cats tend to form very strong bonds with their whole ‘family’, whether human or furry. These strong bonds make them exceptionally loyal and devoted companions. Living with an Asian is not like living with most other cats.
They are remarkably sensitive to the feelings of those around them, and can reliably be expected to turn up at your side if you are ill or upset. They have a natural gift for understanding whether you need them to play the clown and make you laugh or come up quietly, ‘creaking’ gently at you and following up with a soft paw to let you know they’re there. They are generally not a noisy breed but often enjoy a conversation, and will generally answer back if spoken to.
They love to play, either with each other, with you, or just by themselves. They seem to have amazing imaginations, and if left to their own devices appear to make up games involving imaginary toys, mice or who-knows-what. If you are prepared to devote time to playing with them, they will reward you with the most hilarious antics and then, once you are all worn out, will usually come to you for a cuddle. If you’re busy with something, you can expect your Asian to be watching from close-by. They will seldom get in the way, however, preferring instead to keep to one side, where they can get a good view of what you’re doing.
Although they can be quite demanding of attention, they tend to make their demands in a quiet voice, and with gentle head-rubs and paw-batting with claws withdrawn. They will very seldom put out a claw when near people and, if they do catch you with one, they tend to react with horror and come up to you with big eyes as if to apologise.
Asian Semi-Longhair (Tiffanie)
The Tiffanie shouldn't be confused with the American Chantilly Tiffany, which is a completely different (and now extinct) breed. Asian Tiffanies are sometimes referred to as 'Burmese with frills', and should have a silky, flowing coat with a slight neck ruff, bloomers and a plumed tail. They should not, however, have a thick or woolly coat - they are a Burmese with a longer coat, not a modified Chinchilla!
Asian Shaded (Burmilla)
The Burmilla was the first member of the Asian Group. The breed's founder wanted to call these 'Silver Burmese' but this didn't go down well with the Burmese breeders of the time, and so the name 'Burmilla' was coined, as a contraction of Burm-ese and Chinch-illa. Shading causes the pigment to be restricted to the ends of the hair shaft, with either a standard ('golden') or silver base coat.
Asian Smoke
The Asian Smoke is the result of the non-agouti ('self') and silver genes coming together. It should look identical to an Asian Self/Tortie or Burmese, except that when you part the coat, it should be a sparkling silver (white) underneath. This is most striking on the blacks and browns, where the contrast between dark top coat and white undercoat makes people say "wow!" the first time they see one.
Asian Tabby
The Asian Tabby is essentially a Burmese cat (or Asian Self/Tortie) with a tabby pattern. All known tabby patterns are possible: ticked (each individual hair is striped instead of there being an overall pattern on the coat, but there are usually stripes on the head and legs), spotted, mackerel (thin vertical stripes) and classic (swirled/blotched/marbled). These can all be either standard ('golden') or silver.
Asian Self/Tortie
The Asian Self/Tortie is a non-agouti cat, meaning that it has no tabby markings, and also has no silver gene (else it would be a Smoke). The black Asian Self is the most popular of these, and is known as the 'Bombay', bearing a resemblance to a little black panther. 'Self' cats that also have the Burmese gene should be indestinguishable from an equivalent-colour Burmese.
If the descriptions above sound like the ‘perfect’ pet cat, that’s because they are, if you’re looking for a cuddly, playful companion animal. If the descriptions sound too tame, and you’d prefer something with even more energy, then you may want to consider a breed like the Ocicat or Abyssinian, and if they sound too active and inquisitive then you may want to consider a more sedate breed like the British Shorthair or Exotic.