About Gazzella Cats

Hi I'm Barbara Gazzaniga and Gazzella is my breeding prefix.  I have been showing and breeding cats for more than 26 years and my first love was the semi-longhairs, Birmans and Turkish Vans. But in 1981 I saw an article in 'Cat World' about 4 spectacular kittens from an unplanned mating between a burmese queen and a chinchilla male (just 6mths old) by the late Miranda von Kirshberg ( see ' Celebrating the BURMILLA').  They were short haired and of burmese type with a fantastic 'Silver coat'.  Like many people I instantly fell in love with these delightful kittens and wanted one.  Three years later I saw an advertisement by Charles and Thérèse Clarke for 'Burmilla' (as these cats were called) kittens, I instantly got in touch and arranged to see the kittens.  This was the beginning of a life long friendship with Charlie and Thérèse with whom I started the 'Burmilla Cat Club.  At this time I  was also a founder member of the Cat Association of Great Britain (CA), which later became the British member of the Fifé and my first kitten Kartush Amretea was also the first Burmilla to be shown.  I have been breeding Burmillas ever since with a short break when pressure of work forced me to give up breeding until I retired.