Tonkinese are beautiful, medium-sized cats with a firm, muscular body and a lovely face set with lustrous almond shaped eyes. The short, soft, close-lying fur is perfect for stroking. They are often heavier than they look, especially the males.
These cats have a uniquely complex history. Records show that they were first accepted as a breed in the 1880s, and known as the ‘Chocolate’. After 1930 the breed seemed to disappear, but in the 1960s, thanks to a better understanding of feline genetics, it enjoyed a revival and was given its present name – Tonkinese.
General Information about Tonkinese
There is a wealth of information online about the Tonkinese Breed – here are some great places to find out more:
- About Tonkinese – Tonkinese Breed Club
- About the Tonkinese Breed – Tonkinese Cat Club
- Tonkinese Breed Profile – GCCF
- Tonkinese Cat – Wikipedia
Tonkinese Coat Patterns, Colours, and Colour Patterns
The Tonkinese has three coat-patterns:
- Burmese Colour restriction (BCR / solid), with eyes of any shade of gold to green
- Tonkinese Colour Restriction (TCR / mink), with eyes of green/blue or blue/green
- Colourpointed Pattern (CPP / pointed), with eyes of any shade of clear blue
Breeding Tonkinese results in a coat-pattern behaviour that is unique in cat breeds. When the BCR and CPP patterned Tonkinese are bred together they only produce the TCR pattern, but when two TCR patterned Tonkinese are bred together they can produce all three coat-patterns.
In each of the above coat patterns you will see a beautiful range of colours: brown, chocolate, cinnamon, blue, lilac, caramel, fawn, red, cream and apricot. As well as the variations in coat patterns and colour, Tonkinese can also be one of three colour patterns: self-coloured, tabby-patterned or tortoiseshell.
These characteristics are described very clearly here: About Tonkinese and here Coat Colour and Pattern with some very clear pictures explaining the varieties available. The second link is from the American Tonkinese Breed Association – so read on for naming conventions!
International Names for Colours and Coat Patterns
Outside of the UK, there are differences in how colours and coat patterns are described:
| UK | International |
|---|---|
| Tonkinese TCR Coat Pattern | Typically referred to as “Mink” |
| Colour: Brown | Seal or Natural (US) |
| Colour: Lilac | Platinum (US) |
| Colour: Chocolate | Champagne (US) |
| Colour: Cinnamon | Honey (US) |
Personality and Temperament
Tonks are renowned for their intelligence, strong will and affectionate character. They are highly sociable and like to share themselves with the whole family, in all activities. They tend to get on well with other pets and are happiest with another Tonkinese for company. They are energetic and curious, love to play and highly communicative. It’s essential to understand and appreciate that Tonkinese are truly people cats. They crave our company, they are unhappy if we are not there to be with them, they miss us when we are away. You must be able to provide them with a great deal of interaction and should expect them to demand this from you.
Tonkinese are in no way a low-maintenance cat, prepared to come and go about its business treating its humans with disdain. Instead they are wonderfully intelligent and loyal creatures, who can read your mood and will depend on you for an emotional and very direct relationship. Such interactions are not exclusive to Tonkinese, of course, but they are an extremely strong aspect of the breed and perhaps its most significant attraction.