What Are The Characteristics Of Tonkinese Cats?

Photo by: Catfacts.Org
Story by: George Adams

In case you are still undecided which cat to keep, Siamese or Burmese, you might as well go for the wonderful cross breed of these two – the Tonkinese. This beautiful breed was developed in the 1960’s in North America by cross breeding a Burmese cat with a Siamese cat. Unofficially however this cross breeding was being done many years before.

Usually cross breeds are created to follow a particular color or trait. But Tonkinese breed was created to get the best of both of the mother breeds – namely body, character and coat.

Because this breed has taken the best of both mother breeds, a Tonkinese cat is extremely friendly and pleasant in its personality. It is an excellent family pet or homes with many cats. They tolerate children and their pranks too. They are friendly with dogs and even other pets.

If you do not like cats that cuddle up, this breed is not meant for you, since they are extremely people friendly. Starting from being present at a children’s party to positioning itself on your lap to getting inside your cover while you are planning to go to bed.


Photo by: World4pets

The Tonkinese cat has a very playful nature. They would love to play hide and seek or even launch an unannounced leap on a family member quite suddenly. Keep a lot of toys in the house to keep the cat playful and occupied. This is a good pet for people who spend a lot of time outdoors. If you work for long hours and remain out door, keep another Tonkinese cat to make a pair.

These cats can be trained very easily. You can train them to fetch, come to you when called or go for a walk on a leash. Cats with intelligence.

These cats come in brown, chocolate, red, blue, lilac, cream, cinnamon or fawn colors. You can have tortoiseshell, mink, self or tabby patterns on their bodies. They weigh six to twelve pounds. Their head is wedge-shaped and the eyes are slanted. They have a strong muscular body with a long and bushy tail. Only mink patterned cats participate in cat shows. These cats have attractive blue eyes whereas others have coat color or green eyes.

If you find Siamese cats too noisy and the Burmese too reticent, the Tonkinese cat is perhaps the right choice of feline.

About The Author
George Adams is a staff writer at http://www.pets-digest.com and is an occasional contributor to several other websites, including http://www.theaquariumexpert.com.