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About the Tonkenese:

The Tonkinese cat is a wonderful blend of the two foundation breeds, the Siamese with its intelligent and clown like actions of bouncing off the walls with activity. The Burmese with its powerful body and loving personality. The body structure of the Tonkinese is a medium between both breeds. I think everyone remembers the apple headed Siamese, then you can picture the Tonkinese with its muscular body that has, grace, elegance along with intelligent, curiosity. They used to be called monkey cats.

You can find reference to the Tonkinese cat back as far as the 1358 to 1767 and imported to England in the early 1800. It was known as a chocolate Siamese back then. In the USA, Tonkinese and Burmese can trace their beginnings back to Wong Mau, a small brown colored cat imported to California by Dr Joseph Thompson in 1930.

They are very much a lap cat, wanting to be in your lap or on your shoulders waiting to be loved. They will pester you all day long by bringing their favorite toy over for you to throw if you let them.

Bringing a Tonkinese into your home will change your life forever. You will never do the dishes, brush your teeth or any other activity without your Tonkinese supervising every move you make. They love children because they are always doing things which the Tonkinese can join in. They are very social animals and get along with other cats and dogs. The Tonkinese cat are talker but with softer voices then their Siamese ancestors. They have their own different sounds to tell you what they want your to do.

TONKINESE COLORS General Description - Mink colors: body color in the mink colors should be a rich, even, unmarked color, shading almost imperceptibly to a slightly lighter hue on the underparts. There must be a distinct contrast between body color and points. Eye color: aqua, a definitive characteristic of the mink color pattern.

NATURAL MINK: Body: medium brown. Ruddy highlights acceptable. Points: dark brown. Nose leather: dark brown. Paw pads: medium to dark brown (may have a rosy undertone).

CHAMPAGNE MINK: Body: buff-cream to beige. Reddish highlights acceptable. Points: medium brown. Nose leather: cinnamon-brown. Paw pads: cinnamon-pink to cinnamon-brown.

BLUE MINK: Body: soft, blue-gray with warm overtones. Points: slate blue. Nose leather: blue-gray. Paw pads: blue-gray (may have a rosy undertone).

PLATINUM MINK: Body: pale, silvery gray with warm overtones. Not white or cream. Points: frosty gray. Nose leather: lavender-pink to lavender-gray. Paw pads: lavender-pink.

General description - Solid colors: body color in the solid colors may be a slightly lighter shade of the point color, with very little contrast with points. There will be more contrast between points and body color for the champagne solid and platinum solid than for the natural solid and blue solid. Eye color: green to yellow/green.

NATURAL SOLID: Body: sable brown. Points: dark brown. Nose leather: dark brown. Paw pads: medium to dark brown (may have a rosy undertone).

CHAMPAGNE SOLID: Body: golden tan to light coffeebrown. Points: medium brown. Nose leather: cinnamon brown. Paw pads: cinnamon-pink to cinnamon-brown.

BLUE SOLID: Body: slate blue with warm overtones. Points: slate blue. Nose leather: blue-gray. Paw pads: blue-gray (may have a rosy undertone).

PLATINUM SOLID: Body: dove gray. Points: frosty gray. Nose leather: lavender-pink to lavender-gray. Paw pads: lavender-pink.

General Description - Pointed Colors: body color in the pointed colors should be off-white, any shading relative to the point color; overall body color should be in marked contrast to the points. Eye color: blue.

NATURAL POINT: Body: fawn to cream. Points: dark brown. Nose leather: dark brown. Paw pads: medium to dark brown (may have a rosy undertone).

CHAMPAGNE POINT: Body: ivory with buff-tan shading. Points: medium brown. Nose leather: cinnamon-brown. Paw pads: cinnamon-pink to cinnamon-brown.

BLUE POINT: Body: off-white with warm gray shading. Points: slate blue. Nose leather: blue-gray. Paw pads: blue-gray (may have a rosy undertone).

PLATINUM POINT: Body: pearly white. Points: frosty-gray. Nose leather: lavender-pink to lavender-gray. Paw pads: lavender-pink.

There is a book we recommend. It is called: The Guide to Owning a Tonkinese Cat By: Lorraine Shelton T.F.H. Publications, inc.1 TFH Plaza, Neptune City, NJ, 07753 You can order it at the following site: www.tfh.com