Asian Semi-longhair
The Asian Semi-longhair, or Tiffanie, is a 1980s UK breed blending Burmese and Persian traits, featuring a slender build and semi-long coat in specific silver or golden shades.
The Asian Semi-longhair, officially known as the Tiffanie, is a cat breed developed in the 1980s in the United Kingdom by crossing a Persian Chinchilla with a Burmese. This results in a cat that retains the slender, muscular build and temperament of the Burmese but possesses a medium-to-long semi-long coat, distinct from the short-haired Asian Shorthair.
The name "Tiffanie" is the primary registration title in the UK, though the breed is also recognized as the Asian Semi-longhair or Asian Longhair in various registries. Confusion often arises with the now-extinct Chantilly-Tiffany or the unrelated Tiffany of New Zealand, but the Asian Semi-longhair is a distinct lineage with specific genetic origins and standards.
Origin and the 1980s crossbreeding
The breed was not the result of a deliberate plan to create a new look, but rather an accidental development starting in 1981. A mismating between a chinchilla Persian stud named Jamari Sanquist and a lilac European Burmese queen called Bambino Lilac Faberge produced a litter of four kittens. Breeders, led by Baroness Miranda von Kirchberg, recognized the potential in these kittens to form a new breed that combined the Burmese body type with a wider variety of coat colours.
By the late 1980s, the breed was established in the UK. While the Australian Tiffanie shares the same foundational cross of chinchilla Persian and Burmese, it was developed separately in the late 1990s by breeding European Tiffanies back to chinchilla Persians. Consequently, the Australian version contains more than three-quarters chinchilla Persian genetics, resulting in a cat that looks and behaves more like an Old-Fashioned chinchilla Persian, whereas the UK Tiffanie remains closer to the Burmese phenotype.
Breed standards and physical type
The Asian Semi-longhair is essentially identical in body type to the Burmese, but with a longer coat. Males typically weigh between 5 and 7 kg (11–15 lbs), while females are slightly smaller at 3.5 to 5.5 kg (8–12 lbs). The body should not be cobby; instead, it is slender and muscular, with hind legs that are longer than the front legs. The head forms a short, wide wedge that is well-balanced, featuring a distinct nose break and a firm chin.
The coat is the defining feature. It is semi-long, lying close to the body, and is described as fine, satiny, and glossy. For the Tiffanie, tufts of fur in the ears are a desirable trait. The eyes are large and spread apart, ranging in colour from green to yellow and amber. The tail is medium to long with a rounded tip, complementing the overall elegant silhouette.
Colouration and the silver restriction
Unlike the Burmese, which is restricted to a few colours, the Asian group comes in a wide range of patterns. However, the Tiffanie has specific restrictions depending on the registry. In many registries, the colouration is limited to silver or golden tipped or shaded varieties. In these cases, the breed may be registered as the Burmilla Longhair or Australian Tiffanie.
The Asian group includes Asian Self (solid and tortoiseshell), Asian Smoke, Asian Tabby, and Asian Shaded (Burmilla). The Asian Smoke, for instance, is a non-agouti cat with a white undercoat that creates a moire-like effect, a look that was once popular but is now considered undesirable. The Asian Tabby features lighter tabby markings due to reduced melanin concentration. While the breed can theoretically appear in many colours, the semi-longhair variety is most commonly associated with the silver and golden tipped shades in formal breeding programs.
Recognition and registry status
The breed has achieved full recognition in major European registries including the GCCF (Governing Council of the Cat Fancy), LOOF, and SACC. It holds preliminary status with the WCF and registration-only status with The International Cat Association. In Australia, the WNCA (now ANCATS) recognizes the Australian Tiffanie, while the ACF recognizes the Burmilla longhair. These Australian distinctions are separate from the European Tiffanie, reflecting the different genetic emphasis on chinchilla Persian traits in the Australian population.
Health and genetic testing
While the ancestral breeds of the Asian carry risks for Polycystic Kidney Disease and Progressive retinal atrophy, the specific condition identified in the Asian group is Burmese Hypokalaemia. This is a metabolic disorder affecting potassium levels. As of 2018, all registered breeders with the Asian Cat Association are required to test for hypokalaemia in all Asian group cats intended for breeding. This proactive approach has helped manage the health of the breed, ensuring that the genetic risks are monitored rather than ignored.
The Asian Semi-longhair remains a relatively rare breed. In 2023, only 160 kittens of the entire Asian group were pedigreed with the GCCF. This scarcity, combined with the specific genetic requirements for the semi-longhair variety, ensures that the breed retains its unique identity as a distinct, elegant cat with a history rooted in a single accidental litter over forty years ago.