Thursday Thirteen - The Tonkinese

Here are some facts about the Tonkinese Breed.

1. We were originally bred as a cross between the Siamese and the Burmese.


2. We have been described as part puppy because we will come when called and love to follow our people around the house.


3. We are highly intelligent and have long memories - between the two of us, we can open a closed door by one of us working the doorknob and the other at the bottom pulling it open.


4. Because we are so friendly, we are the welcoming committee whenever anyone comes over - for both the 2-legged varieties and 4.


5. We should be indoor only cats, and our house must be cat-proofed much as one would do for a toddler. We can get into anything. Mom had to put baby locks on all of our cupboard doors because we can open them all. We used to open the food cabinet and knock the dog's food onto the floor so the container would open (it was tupperware) and have a feast.


6. We have a variety of the Siamese looking colors that are described as a mink pattern, pointed or solid. I, Tavi, am a 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. I, Tiki, am a Champagne Mink - Body: buff-cream to beige. Reddish highlights acceptable. Points: medium brown. Nose leather: cinnamon-brown. Paw pads: cinnamon-pink to cinnamon-brown. As with all pointed cats, our color darkens with age - Mom will look for pictures of us when we were kittens to show you the difference.


7. Our eye color is either the true blue of a Siamese, green or yellow green, or aqua. The eye color does not determine the coat pattern, although certain colors are associated with the different coat patterns. Tavi has the aqua eyes of the mink pattern, but Tiki does not, even though they are both Minks. Aqua eye color is most easily influenced by differences in environment.


8. Our body, while described as medium, is surprisingly dense and muscular. We should not have short cobby, compact bodies, nor should we have long, lithe, svelte bodies.


9. Our coats are medium short in length, close-lying, fine, soft and silky, with a lustrous sheen. Tavi, in particular has a very dense, extremely soft coat, while Tiki's is shinier.


10. Because we are so very social, and mischievous, working parents should get 2 Tonks to keep each other company (of course 2 can get into 4 times the amount of mischief).


11. All Tonkinese and Burmese can trace our lineage back to one cat - Wong Mau, a small walnut colored cat imported to California by Dr. Joseph Thompson in 1930.


12. Our head should have slight stop at eye level with a gentle rise from the tip of the nose to the stop. Basically this means we have a bump on our nose. (Mom will try to get a close up of Tavi - his is better)


13. Coloration in all pointed cats is determined by heat - they warmest parts of the body have the lightest colors. Because the nose, ears, tail and feet get colder, they are darker.