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| Breed Profile
: Over time, the Burmese breeders have selected for the dark, almost solid coat pattern and moved the Burmese conformation away from the Siamese. As the Siamese and Burmese conformations diverged, some breeders experimented with a Siamese-to-Burmese cross
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Temperament: As pretty as
Tonkinese are, their personality is even better. A whole
book could be written on the Tonkinese personality.
Tonks are sociable, fun loving, involved cats. They are
dog cats in that they are people oriented like a dog
with the convenience of a cat.
They have the intelligence and curiosity
of a Siamese with a more laid back personality of a
Burmese. If you want a couch potato cat known for its
independence this is not the cat for you. They do have a
strong personality and can be stubborn, but they are so
lovable it's hard to get angry with them. Although
active and muscular they are not high strung and are
very happy cats.
They are very social. They like people, other cats,
children, and dogs. They do not like living alone
without attention. Frequently people have two so they
can entertain each other if you work. They bond easily
so they adjust well to new owners. They adjust well to
living inside as they love people. If left to roam
outside, they may be stolen or contract a health
problem.
They usually play fetch and will jump to your shoulder.
The shoulder trick is fun early in the morning while you
are getting dressed for work! A cat tree is a good way
to help exercise them. They love being high and running
up and down the tree helps use some of their excess
energy. They hate closed doors and want to know
everything that goes on.
History: Documents exist which indicate the
Chocolate Siamese of the 1800s were actual Tonkinese,
but the first known Tonkinese was Wong Mau in the 1930's
who was the ancestress of the Burmese. She was bred with
a Siamese and was the only known cat of her kind. Over
the years the Burmese and Siamese breeders carefully
bred out the Tonkinese characteristics which resulted in
the two breeds of today.
From the 1950's to 1970's some breeders
started to cross breed Siamese and Burmese forming the
Tonkinese of today. There was a lot of controversy
though as Burmese and Siamese breeders were trying to
eliminate the characteristics that made up the
Tonkinese. They were first accepted as a recognized cat
breed by the Canadian Cat Association (CCA) and then by
the Cat Fanciers Association (CFA) in 1984. Some people
still feel there is no need for this breed but try
telling that to a Tonkinese owner.
Grooming: The short thick coat does not require
much maintenance. Their coat is sleek and soft and you
may want to occasionally give it a bath. They should
brushed and usually enjoy it as part of their human
interaction.
Special Medical Concerns: In general Tonkinese
are healthy cats with no known common genetic problems.
As a Siamese derivative they share in common health
issues. They are prone to gingivitis and brushing with a
child's toothbrush is useful. Care should also be taken
by your vet when anesthesia is used. As kittens they
sometimes get upper respritory infections (colds), but
these are not usually serious.
Body: The ideal Tonkinese is intermediate in
type, being neither cobby nor svelte. It should give the
impression of an alert, active cat with good muscular
development. The cat should be surprisingly heavy. While
the breed is to be considered medium in size, balance
and proportion are of greater importance. Females
usually run 6-8 pounds and males 8-12. They are very
muscular so appear lighter than they are.
Head : The head is a modified wedge, the muzzle
is blunt with a slight whisker break.
Eyes: Tonkinese are the only pedigree cats with
aqua eyes. Eye color varies from blue to green/gold. The
eyes are an open almond shape.
Coat: Coat Patterns The coat
itself is short and lies very close to the body. It is
very silky and has a wonderful feel.
Coat pattern refers to the color of the coat in
relationship to the color of the points (extremities).
Both Siamese and Burmese are called pointed cats because
their points are a different color than their body. In
Siamese there is a lot of contrast between coat and
points. In the Burmese this difference can be so small
as to not be noticeable and most people do not consider
them a pointed cat. It is most noticable in the dilute
colors and as kittens, whereas the adult Sable color
appears to be solid.
Tonkinese have three coat patterns: pointed, mink, and
solid. The three kittens in the illustration have the
same color Natural (look at the ears), but each have a
different coat pattern. From left to right they are:
natural point, natural mink, and natural solid. Natural
is a color name described in the next section.
Pointed - a Siamese coat pattern - It has a strong
contrast between the points and body. Mink - unique to
the Tonkinese - It is a medium contrast between the
Siamese and Burmese. The contrast between body and legs
is less abrupt than with Siamese. Solid - a Burmese coat
pattern - This is not a true solid cat but one of weak
contrast.
Only the Mink can be shown as it is the
most different from the two parent breeds, but all three
coat patterns are registered cats. Because of genetics,
all three coat patterns will continue to exist and
cannot be eliminated from the breed.
Coat Colors Tonkinese, Siamese, and Burmese share the
same four colors although they call them different
names. The colors refer to the point color (face, ears,
legs, and tail). The difference between the three breeds
is the color of their bodies not the color of their
points.
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