Burmilla — questions to ask before paying a deposit
A responsible breeder will have these readily available. Deflection is a red flag.
Polycystic kidney disease (PKD1)can shorten life or cause chronic pain
An autosomal dominant mutation causes fluid-filled cysts in the kidneys that enlarge over time and can progress to kidney failure. The Burmilla descends partly from Chinchilla Persians. In an Australian ultrasound study published in 2001, before the PKD1 DNA test existed, 2 of 14 Burmillas had kidney cysts; a 2022 screen of over 11,000 cats found the PKD1 mutation in none of 31 Burmillas, so how common it is now is not known.
Ask to see: PKD1 DNA test result for both parents (UC Davis VGL or an equivalent laboratory), or a normal renal ultrasound from a veterinary specialist
PKD1 DNA test -- breed list includes Burmilla, UC Davis Veterinary Genetics Laboratory (https://vgl.ucdavis.edu/test/pkd1-cat) · Barrs et al. 2001, Australian Veterinary Journal (https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1751-0813.2001.tb11977.x) · Anderson et al. 2022, PLOS Genetics (S4 Table, Burmilla row) (https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pgen.1009804) · OMIA — Polycystic kidney disease (cat) (https://omia.org/OMIA000807/9685/)