The Tonkinese was originally produced by crossing the Burmese and Siamese breeds. The Tonkinese blends the best features of its ancestors into one beautiful, medium-sized cat that is remarkably dense and muscular. Whether appearing in the coat pattern of its Burmese predecessor, with sparkling gold-green eyes, the pointed pattern of its Siamese ancestor, with glittering blue eyes, or the “mink” coat pattern seen in the show ring, with its unique aqua eyes, the Tonkinese is an intelligent, gregarious cat with a sense of humor.

Native Country

United States, Canada

Breed Description

Head: Seen from the front, resembles an equilateral triangle with rounded contours. Medium-sized, slightly longer than it is wide. High cheekbones. Muzzle of medium length, angular with a slight break. Nose with a very slight stop. Slight whisker pinch. Chin neither prominent nor weak.
Eyes: Shaped like a peach pit, well-spaced, and set at a slant. Blue-green or aqua in color.
Neck: Moderately long, muscular.
Body: Neither light nor compact. Semi-foreign type. The croup is slightly higher than the shoulders. Medium-boned. Well-developed muscles.
Paw: Hind legs slightly longer than forelegs. Well-muscled. Oval paws.
Tail: Moderately long, broad at the base but not thick, tapering slightly to the tip.
Coat: hort, fine, silky, lustrous, luxuriant, lying very flat against the body like that of the mink. Colors: characteristic Siamese markings on a darker background close to the original color of the Burmese. These markings blend gradually into the coat with no clear contrast as in the Siamese. The Tonkinese does not attain final coloring before 16 months and tends to darken throughout life, like the Burmese and Siamese. Colors are the same as for the Burmese but slightly more subtle: - natural mink (sable in the Burmese; seal in the Siamese): medium warm brown body and dark chocolate extremities - champagne mink: cream chamois body, light brown extremities - blue mink: soft blue-gray body, medium blue to slate-gray extremities - platinum mink: very pale silver-gray body, darker silver extremities - honey mink: apricot gold to amber body, reddish-brown extremities The C.F.A. does not recognize the honey mink variety.

History

A Siamese-Burmese hybrid in a mink coat This new breed initially called the Golden Siamese was created in North America and Canada in the 1930s by crossing the Siamese and the Burmese. At first, it was not popular at all. Note that at the time, the Siamese was larger and stockier, and the Burmese was less round than today. Not until 1960 was this cat, renamed the Tonkinese, finally appreciated. It was recognized in 1974 by the Canadian Cat Association and in 1978 by the C.F.A. Popular in the United States, the Tonkinese remains rare in Europe.

Behavior

These cats are firmly convinced that humans were put on earth to love them. The colorful personality of the Tonkinese make them ideal companions. They will take possession of your lap and shoulder, and they will supervise your activities. They are warm and loving, highly intelligent, with an incredible memory and senses that are akin to radar. They are strong willed, and their humans are wise to use persistent persuasion in training them. They are naturals at inventing and playing games, using favorite toys to play fetch, and delighting in games of tag with each other. Of course hide ‘n seek is a favorite game, which they play with humans as well as other Tonks. They become your “door greeter” and will happily entertain your guests. They have been described by enthusiastic owners as part puppy (following their owner around the house), part monkey (their “acrobatics” are legend!), and can sound like an elephant running through your house when they choose. In short: they quickly take over and run your house and your life! Their affectionate ways are impossible to ignore, and they quickly endear themselves to family and visitors.