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Tonkinese

Tonkinese Advantages and Challenges Tonkinese Physical Characteristics Tonkinese Personality Tonkinese History and General Information Tonkinese Health Tonkinese Community

Tonkinese Advantages and Challenges

Some Advantages

Very people-oriented and sociable
Adaptable to other pets and gentle kids
Intelligent and fun-loving
Requires little grooming

Some Challenges

Very energetic – loves to jump to high places
Full of mischief when feeling bored or ignored
Craves companionship and must not be left alone for long periods
Should be kept indoors or in an enclosed garden for its own safety

Tonkinese Physical Characteristics

Size
Medium

Coat
Short

Colors
Point colors of natural mink, champagne mink, blue mink, and platinum mink

Tonkinese Personality

A man-made cross between the Siamese and Burmese, the Tonkinese combines the best characteristics of these two popular breeds.Known as the Ancient Copper Cat of South-East Asia, the elegant Tonk has the darker coat of the Burmese and the point pattern of the Siamese, but with dramatically darker points.

This beautiful kitty has a colorful personality to match its colorful coat; it’ll happily spend the day inventing games – it’ll play fetch, tag or hide-and-seek with you, or with other Tonks. This cat has been described as part puppy, part monkey (it flies through the air with the greatest of ease!) and part elephant, as it gallops noisily through the house. ‘Cat proofing’ your home, much as you would for a toddler on the loose, is bound to save you some frustration and breakage in the long run. Naturally, this cat delights in helping to manage the household. It needs and expects to be at the center of your universe, so if your schedule keeps you away from home for more than a few hours each day, then your pet would enjoy having a pet of its own – another Tonk will be an acceptable companion,and it will lessen the mischief one bored Tonk can get into.

The Tonk is warm and loving, highly intelligent and very opinionated. This is a strong willed breed - stubborn, even, and requires persistent persuasion in the training process.

Always vocal, your Tonk will chatter happily to you as it follows you around from room to room. Incorrigible curiosity means this cat can often get itself into difficult scrapes, and for this reason should never be allowed to roam outdoors unsupervised.

Tonkinese History and General Information

History and Origin

The first documented Tonkinese was the legendary Wong Mau, a cat brought from the Far East to Americain the 1930's, who was bred with a Siamese male to create the modern Burmese breed. She was the only known cat of her kind in the West. The modern Tonkinese breed was developed in Canadain the 1960's, and was given championship status in 1984.

Grooming requirements

Grooming needs for this short haired beauty are minimal. An occasional bath, a bi-weekly brushing, and your Tonk will remain sleek and beautiful throughout the seasons.

Tonkinese Health

Health Ailments

In general Tonkinese are healthy cats with no known common genetic problems. As a Siamese derivative they do share common distinctive genetic “faults” including a tendency toward crossed eyes and kinked tail, all of which are cosmetic and require no medical treatment. Selecting a qualified breeder or buying from a reputable pet store can help eliminate many of these genetic issues. Maintaining your cat’s proper weight and grooming requirements will also help insure its good health, along with regular checkups at the vet.