- History of the Tiffanie
The Tiffanie first made an appearance in the mid-1980s and is a bi product of the Burmilla
breeding programme, which, initially, was the result of a chance mating between a
Chinchilla and a Burmese.
Since the Burmilla carries a recessive long-haired gene from the Chinchilla Persian
ancestry, some of the resulting kittens from time to time were semi-longhaired with silky
medium length coats. It was decided to make these a new breed, the desired type to
be the same as the Burmese cat. They have become part of the Asian group of cats and are
the only semi-longhaired member.
Tiffanies are an endearing blend of the two original breeds. At first, these kittens
were not taken seriously as they did not characterise the main aim of breeding silver
shaded Shorthairs. However, a small group of breeders were determined to achieve
recognition for these attractive cats and the Tiffanies slowly gained more admirers
despite a much slower progress in comparison with the Burmilla and other Asian Shorthairs.
The Tiffanie was finally given Preliminary GCCF recognition in 1991, and moved to
Provisional status in June 1999. I am pleased to say that in June 2003 they obtained
full Championship status with the G.C.C.F.
Character and Temperament
The most outstanding feature of the Tiffanie is its wonderful temperament; they have a
lovely nature and are a little quieter than the Burmese. Tiffanies are outgoing,
gentle, loving, beautiful cats that make excellent pets. They are extremely devoted to
their owners and most are real lap cats, they love attention and need to be part of the
family.
Tiffanies are also extremely playful and intelligent; toys and a scratching post should be
provided for amusement as well as quality time set aside for play with their owners. They
easily learn to fetch and play other games and quickly take over the hearts and homes of
their besotted owners. They also adapt very well to other pet animals.
Their curiosity and friendliness can lead them to stray into visitor's cars or delivery
vans and they may be best confined to the house or a secure garden. They usually settle
quite happily to this arrangement, as above all they do love their home comforts. They can
be very sensitive to their owner's feelings and this makes them excellent companions. An
ideal family pet, they are generally good with children and when fed up with the rough and
tumble of play with children will stalk off until peace resumes.
Grooming
The Tiffanie does require some attention but not as much the full longhaired coats of the
Persians. A comb and soft brush will keep the coat in good order and if showing a
Tiffanie, a bath may be necessary.
General Physical Description
The Tiffanie is medium size and foreign type; the overall type should be the same as the
Burmese cat. The coat should be medium long, except over the shoulders where a shorter
length is permitted, fine and silky in texture, without a woolly undercoat. The coat
should appear dense, but lie flat along the spine and display a glossy shine; the coat
should lengthen down the body to form fringes or “frills” along the lower edges
of the body and under-parts. The tail should be plume-like. A ruff is
desirable in the mature cat.
The body is slender and of medium length and size. The head forms a short balanced
wedge with width at the cheekbones tapering to a blunt muzzle and showing good width at
the jaw-hinge. The top of the head should be gently rounded. Ears, medium to
large size, broad at the base with rounded tips and set well a part. In profile the
ears should have a slight forward tilt. The furnishings from inside the ears should form
streamers and tufts at the tips of the ears are preferable. The chin should be firm
and of good depth, and the bite level and even. The eyes are large and lustrous and
set well apart and are neither almond-shaped nor round. The eyes may be any colour from
yellow through to green. The legs should be slender, elegant and in proportion to
the body, paws neat and oval in shape.
Tiffanies may be bred in any of the recognised Asian or Burmese colours and patterns.
They are not to be confused with the American Tiffany, which is a different breed
entirely.
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