Tonkinese Features

Tonkinese is a cross between Burmese and Siamese cats, two breeds held in high regard on an international scale. Both of the parent cats are found in the same region which was the initial discovery of spontaneous Tonkinese litters, repeated success had not been observed before. During the early 50s, constructed breeding programmes were attempted in an effort to realise the Tonkinese. After initial success, the breeding world would then take on the baton to continue the breeding programme. Over time, various organisations would come to understand the key characteristics of the Tonkinese which were a compound of both Burmese and Siamese without leaning towards either breed.

There are a number of preferential characteristics to look for in the Tonkinese breed. For instance, the balance between looking like a Siamese and Burmese should be maintained and there should not be any bias to make the cat look like either. The unique breed will feature aqua blue eyes that are almost almond like. This is very characteristic of Asian cats with a slight slant in their form. Colouring was also emphasis of breeding attempts of these cats. The Tonkinese is a fusion of brighter and darker pointing and its resulting coat is hugely contrasting as a result of this. The coat is expected to show off a light undercoat that shades into darker areas around its ears, tail and ears. There are many colour variations in both Siamese and Burmese cats and this of course extends to the Tonkinese. With a plethora of patterning and colours to explore, this type of cat offers much to the speculative owner in terms of choice and breeding possibilities. While some cats may be solid in colour, there exists Tabby, Tortoiseshell and even a cross between the two (Tortie Tabby). Across these patterns shades of brown, blues and lilacs are typical. There are however offshoot colours too that have been recognised over the years including various shades of Mink.

Generally, the Tonkinese will feature a lighter undercoat on its lower body with darker pointing. This is a defining factor for this type of cat and any deviation from this would be a defect in the opinion of show cat connoisseurs. The eye colours of the Tonkinese is neutral in tone and features greens, blues and other cooler shades. Owners will enjoy seeing how this cat develops over time as it has a slow maturation rate that leaves its final physical features to be seen after a few years.