The Tonkinese cat, Tonkinese or Tonkinese is a mixture of Siamese and Burmese, a beautiful golden Siamese with Canadian roots. This feline is famous worldwide for all its benefits, but why is this breed of cat becoming so popular? Do you want to know why it is such an appreciated breed? In this article on our site we share the characteristics of the Tonkinese cat so that you can get to know him, discover all his care and much more.
Origin of the Tonkinese cat
The Tonkinese are descendants of the Siamese and the Burmese, since it was through feline crosses of these two species that the first specimens of the Tonkinese cat originated. At first they were known as golden Siamese, which makes it difficult to date the exact moment of the appearance of the breed. Many say that Tonkinese cats already existed in 1930, while others support that it was not until 1960 when the first litter that would be recognized as such was born.
Regardless of the date of origin of the Tonkinese cat, the truth is that in 1971 the breed was recognized by the Canadian Cat Association and by the Cat Fanciers Association in 1984. In contrast, the breed standard has not yet been established by the fife.
Physical characteristics of the Tonkinese cat
Tonkinese cats are characterized by having a balanced body, neither too big nor too small, with an average weight between 2, 5 and 5 kilograms, being medium-sized cats.
Continuing with the physical characteristics of the Tonkinese cat, we can say that its tail is quite long and thin. Its head is rounded in silhouette and modified wedge-shaped, longer than wide and with a blunt snout. His face highlights his eyes with a penetrating gaze and almond-shaped, large and always sky blue or bluish greenHis ears are medium, rounded and wide based.
Tonkinese Cat Colors
The Tonkinese's coat is short, soft and shiny. The following colors and patterns would be accepted: natural, champagne, blue, platinum and honey (although the latter is not accepted by the CFA).
Tonkinese cat character
Tonkinese are sweet-natured cats, very affectionate and love to spend time with their family and other animals, which It is a great point in favor if we want our Tonkinese to live with children or other animals. For this reason, they do not tolerate spending a lot of time alone well, as they need the company of their own to be happy.
We will have to consider that this race is extremely active and restless, so they must have enough space for their games and power exercise, otherwise they will be excessively nervous and may have destructive or disruptive tendencies such as excessive meowing.
Since they are so playful, we can prepare a playground for them with scratchers of different heights, toys bought or made by ourselves.
Tonkinese cat care
These felines are also very appreciative when it comes to care, for example, their fur will only require a weekly brushing to keep clean and in an enviable state. Of course, we have to take care that their diet is balanced and he althy, not giving them too many snacks and providing them with quality feed that allows them to have an optimal state of he alth and weight. We can also choose to prepare a homemade diet, such as the BARF diet, following the advice of a veterinarian specialized in nutrition.
Since the Tonkinese cat is a breed that is characterized by being very active, it is good that we play with it daily and offer it a adequate environmental enrichment, with scratchers of various heights, assorted toys, etc. If we have children it will be easy for both of them to spend time together and have fun in that mutual company.
Tonkinese cat he alth
Tonkinese are fairly he althy cats, although they seem to suffer more easily from a visual anomaly called strabismus, which causes the eyes to show a lack of coordination, having a look that for many is not very aesthetic. They share this with the Siamese, since they have inherited it from them, but it does not imply more problems than mere aesthetics, and there are even cases in which it corrects itself.
In any case, it is important to go to the vet periodically to check that he is in perfect he alth, administer the relevant vaccines and carry out a correct deworming. If we offer all the care, the life expectancy of the Tonkinese cat is between 10 and 17 years.
