Tonkinois

The Tonkinese cat has existed for centuries since it results from the marriage of two races that were once very close and often intermingled: the Siamese and the Burmese. In its country of origin, Thailand, it therefore already existed for a long time but without really having a name. It seems that the cat originating from the current lineages of Burmese and Tonkinese was named Wong Mau, that it was mink and that it arrived in the United States in 1930. The Americans wishing to develop the Burmese were then only interested in the sepia babies. But the one called at the time the 'golden Siamese' seemed to have inherited the qualities of its two parent breeds without apparently taking their faults: it then strongly interested the Canadians who officially recognized it in 1965 under the name of Tonkinese. It was recognized in 1974 by the Canadian Cat Association (CCA), then in 1978 by the CFA. The morphologies of the two original breeds diverged so much that breeders had great difficulty stabilizing the breed's physique. This is why it was agreed to breed Tonkinese cats among themselves. But since the marriage of two mink cats produces point and sepia babies in addition to mink babies, the standard now also accepts cats with the blue eyes of the Siamese pattern (colorpoint) or amber of the Burmese pattern (sepia).

The Tonkinese is a perfect compromise between the Siamese and the Burmese: it is more active and more present than the Burmese, less exclusive and less talkative than the Siamese. Yet it knows how to make itself understood and shows infinite tenderness. Very sociable, it gets along with its peers, dogs and other animals, and it likes to play with children. It is an active, very intelligent and cuddly cat, but with a great need to expend energy: it is neither calm nor shy and it retains the joyful behavior of a kitten almost throughout its life. This little smarty learns quickly how to open doors, cupboards, drawers... and adapts quickly to any new situation that presents itself. Great curious, it loves to be involved in everything, explore, climb, play with anything that moves and actively participates in family life. Often a big foodie and inveterate spy, it shows ingenuity and great determination to get what interests it. It is always alert, always present. It is a cat with an extroverted but friendly personality, and its eternal good humor makes it irresistibly charming. It is an exceptional cat, but the complexity of its breeding explains why it remains very rare. (Fewer than 10 French Tonkinese breeders in 2014)

The Tonkinese is a medium-sized, muscular and athletic cat, of semi-foreign type. When carried, one can be surprised by its weight. The legs are rather fine but of a length proportionate to the body. The feet are oval and medium-sized. The tail of the Tonkinese is medium-sized with a slightly rounded end. The head forms a triangle when viewed from the front, but the contours are softened. It is however slightly longer than wide. In profile, the forehead is slightly rounded and the nose marked by a discreet stop. The ears are medium-sized, wide at the base and with a rounded tip. The eyes are walnut-shaped and placed slightly sideways. The coat of the Tonkinese is very soft. There are short-haired Tonkinese and, in some countries, a semi-long-haired variety, sometimes called 'Tibetan'. Tonkinese have a coat lying on the body, dense and silky, while Tibetans have almost no undercoat and very fine hair, lying on the body and silky, with sometimes a ruff. The cross between the colorpoint of Siamese and the sepia of Burmese gave rise to the mink coat, a typical pattern of the Tonkinese. Tonkinese can thus have three different patterns: