Tonkinese

By Franny Syufy, About.com Guide

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Nutmeg, a female Tonkinese

Photo Credit: © Keith Kelly

Background of the Tonkinese:

Nothing quite matches the enthusiasm of Tonkinese admirers for this cat, which has a colorful personality to match its colorful coat. Developed from a cross of the Burmese and Siamese cats, the Tonkinese glorifies the best of both breeds.

Personality of the Tonkinese:

Tonks are ideal companions, highly intelligent and curious. They will dream up dozens of games you can play with them, and love to retrieve and play "hide 'n seek," either with a human or another Tonk. Give your Tonk plenty of activity toys, and work out with them regularly to keep them from being bored. A bored Tonk can be a mischievous Tonk, so if you are gone long hours, you might want to consider two of these splendid cats.

Breed Brief:

Size: Medium sized, dense and muscular, neither cobby nor svelte. Legs and feet are fairly slim, proportionate to the body, with hind legs slightly longer than the front.
Coat: Medium short, fine, soft and silky, close-lying to the body, with a lustrous sheen, in point colors of natural mink, champagne mink, blue mink, and platinum mink.

Registry Standards and Profiles:

Tonkinese Groups:

CFA Tonkinese Breed Council
Tonkinese Breed Association
An international CFA-affiliated club for breeders, owners, and fans of the Tonkinese.
Tonks West
A CFA-affiliated club for western states in the U.S.

Photo Credit:

A female Tonkinese born December, 1993, and raised in Lafayette, LA, Nutmeg has 3 sisters: Little Girl, Fenix, and Mocha. Nutmeg weighs in at a sturdy 14 pounds. She has blue eyes. As the breed contends, the part Siamese has her being quite active... mostly just chasing her sisters around the house. Nutmeg is the only Tonkinese in the family, as she is accompanied by a Persian and 2 American Shorthairs.
_{Photo Credit: © Keith Kelly}