Tonkinese Cat Behavior, Facts and Characteristics

For many years, the Siamese and the Burmese were breed in an unofficial capacity. It was not until the nineteen sixties that the Tonkinese was officially created by crossing a Siamese with a Burmese.

Generally, cat breeds are created for reasons of wanting a specific color or coat trait. However, the Tonkinese was created to combine the best traits from both of these beautiful and elegant breeds. These traits include the body, character and coat that blended both the Burmese and the Siamese.

Appearance
The distinctive characteristics of a Tonkinese includes a wedge shaped head, muscular body, slightly slanted eyes and a long graceful tail. This breed of cat is more of a medium sized breed and typically weighs in at around six to twelve pounds. This breed comes in Brown, Chocolate, Red, Blue, Lilac, Cream, Cinnamon, and Fawn colors, with Tortoiseshell Mink, Self, and Tabby patterns also being available.

The Cat Fancier’s Association only recognizes the Mink pattern for entrance in a show and the cat must have brilliant blue eyes. All other colors and patterns of this breed can have either blue or green eyes.

Behavior and Characteristics
In keeping with the character traits, the Tonkinese is a loving, sociable and playful breed of cat. These traits make it a perfect addition to family homes as well as homes with multiple cats. The Tonkinese is a people and animal friendly cat breed as it is quite tolerant of dogs and other pets.

The playful nature of the Tonkinese allows it to be a willing participant in children’s light-hearted game play such as dress up and tea parties. The affectionate side of the Tonkinese comes in the form of curling up on your shoulder or lap and snuggling with you under the covers for a restful nights sleep.

The Tonkinese requires plenty of playtime and play toys to keep him happy. This breed is also known for having its own favorite games to play including hide and go seek as well as plotting, planning and executing a playful sneak attack on unsuspecting friends and family members.

With its loving and outgoing personality, the Tonkinese does not work well for someone whose career keeps them away from home for long periods of time. If you still desire a Tonkinese, you may want to consider adding another Tonkinese, or some other extremely playful breed to the home to keep your cat company.

The Tonkinese is another highly intelligent breed of cat. This breed can be easily trained to come when he is called, fetch toys and even walk on a leash.

Anyone looking for a playful nature and loving personality, combined with the elegant look of a Burmese and a Siamese are sure to be interested in the magnificent Tonkinese.

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