The Tonkinese is a Siamese and Burmese cross established as a breed from the 1960s. It comes in mink, pointed and solid patterns, the mink with aquamarine eyes.
Sociable and playful, it is generally healthy and has been recognised in Britain since 1991.
The Tonkinese is a cross between the Siamese and the Burmese that has become a breed in its own right: a medium-sized, short-haired cat, intermediate between the two in build, colouring and voice.
Cats of this type existed long before the name. Wong Mau, the founding cat of the Burmese, is now understood to have been one. The deliberate breeding of Tonkinese began in Canada and the United States in the 1960s, and the breed was recognised in North America during the 1970s and 1980s and in Britain in 1991.
The Tonkinese is muscular and surprisingly heavy, neither as slender as the Siamese nor as compact as the Burmese, with a gently wedge-shaped head and a silky, close-lying coat. It comes in three coat patterns, which follow from its mixed inheritance:
Two mink cats mated together produce all three patterns. Colours include brown, blue, chocolate and lilac, and in Britain also red, cream, tortoiseshell and tabby.
Tonkinese are sociable, playful and affectionate, with the curiosity of the Siamese and the confidence of the Burmese. They talk, though less loudly than Siamese, and need company; many are kept in pairs.
The coat needs little grooming. The breed is generally healthy and long-lived. Gum disease is common, and conditions known in the parent breeds occasionally appear.
The Tonkinese is recognised by the Governing Council of the Cat Fancy and the international registries. About 140 kittens a year are registered in Britain.