Videos Tonkinese Breed Information
Common nickname -
Tonk
Country of origin -
Canada
Breed standards -
AACE, CFA, ACFA, TICA, CCA,
ACF
Tonkinese are a medium-sized short-volosed
cat breed
distinguished by points as
with Siamese and Himalayans. They are lively, but are
happy apartment cats if they have some exercise opportunity. They
are commonly referred to as 'Tonks'. As with many cat
breeds, the exact history of the Tonkinese varies to some degree
depending on the historian.
Tonkinese cats are a recent cross between the Siamese and Burmese cat breeds, although some
assert that Tonkinese-like cats have existed since at least the
early 1800s, and the founding cat of the Burmese breed was probably
a mink hybrid-colored cat named "Wong Mau." Some claim
that the appearance of the breed is closer to the original
appearance of the Siamese, before Siamese breeders developed
today's triangular head and very leggy body. The name is not
related to the Tonkin region of Indochina.
When the breed was first established in Canada, the breed name was
actually spelled "Tonkanese," which was a reference to
the island in the musical South Pacific where
"half-breeds" suffered no discrimination. The mistaken
idea that the name was a geographical reference paralleling the
Siamese and Burmese breed names resulted in a gradual switch to the
current spelling, under which the breed was recognized by the US
registering associations.
Tonkinese cats are commonly trim and muscular cats. They are
typically heavier than they appear to be, due to their very
muscular bodies. They have a distinctive oval-shaped paw, and a
modified wedge-shaped head, with large ears set towards the outside
of their head. They are unusually intelligent, curious,
affectionate with people, and interested in them. Tonks are playful
cats, but not hyperactive, although they can be mischievous if they
become lonesome or bored. Some interesting toys and a cat tree, or,
better yet, another Tonkinese, will keep them occupied when
you're not around. Unlike most breeds of cat, they are reported
to sometimes, or even often, engage in fetching, and they can often
be found perched on the highest object in the house. Do not be
alarmed if your tonkinese jumps on your shoulders, as the breed is
known for it's love of heights.
They are more like Burmese in temperament than Siamese, that is,
less high-strung and demanding. Their voices are also less piercing
(or raucous, depending on taste) in most cases than the Siamese,
but most Tonks do like a good chat. Most observers feel they
combine the more attractive features of both ancestor breeds.
Tonks exhibit a wide variety of coat colors and patterns. The three
main patterns are mink, solid and pointed. The mink variety is
considered most desirable for the show ring in cat fancier
associations. The most commonly accepted colors are: platinum,
champagne, blue, and natural. Typically, solid Tonkinese cats have
gold or green eyes, cats with the pointed pattern are blue-eyed,
and the mink cats have a shade of aquamarine. A great deal of subtle variation
exists in colors and patterns, and Tonkinese body color darkens
with age to some degree in all patterns. Cats kept in colder
climates will typically be darker in their mink or point shading,
like their Siamese cousins.
Breeding two mink Tonkinese cats does not usually yield a full
litter of mink pattern Tonkinese kittens, as the mink pattern is
the result of having one gene for the Burmese solid pattern and one
for the Siamese pointed pattern. The most likely frequency pattern
will be in such a mating one solid kitten, one pointed kitten, and
two mink kittens.
Those kittens not fitting the breed standards perfectly are
termed 'pet quality' and are usually sold as companion
pets, and for less money, since they can't be exhibited. They
still have the same Tonkinese charm and personality. The genetics
of the coat coloring and its interaction with eye coloring is
complex and fascinating, though perhaps not the main attraction for
Tonk fans.
Tonkinese registered in associations with closed breed books may
produce smaller litters of three or four kittens on average as a
result of increasing inbreeding, but those registered where new
blood can still be added to the breed tend to the traditional
larger litters that come with hybrid
vigor, usually having five or six kittens and sometimes more.
Kittens from closed breed book litters will also tend to be smaller
in size. Colors and patterns in any litter depend both on
statistical chance and the color genetics and patterns of the
parents. Breeding between two mink patterned cats will, on average,
produce half mink kittens and one quarter each pointed and solid
kittens. A pointed and a solid bred together will always produce
all mink patterned kittens. A pointed bred to a mink will produce
half pointed and half mink kittens, and a solid bred to a mink will
produce half solid and half mink kittens.
Copyright (c) 2008 Kitt Killion Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.2 or any later version published by the Free Software Foundation; with no Invariant Sections, no Front-Cover Texts, and no Back-Cover Texts. A copy of the license is included in the section entitled "GNU Free Documentation License".
Taken or modified, in whole or part, from Wikipedia.org
