Tonkinese Origins &
A Brief History © Linda Vousden |
Where can I read more about the Tonkinese? |
Anyone who knows anything about Tonkinese must know about Wong Mau - but did you know that the Tonkinese is actually among the oldest acknowledged cat breeds in the Western Cat Fancy? Today’s Tonkinese is a regeneration of the acknowledged cat breed first recorded in the 1880’s as the 'Chocolate Siamese'.
Burmese and Siamese cats are sometimes referred to as the ‘parent’ breeds of the modern Tonkinese; but the origins of these three glamorous cat breeds is not so simple. The three breeds are genetic cousins, the differences between them are the colour of the eyes and how the colour appears on the coat, they were even similar in shape until the 1970s. The Tonkinese is unique because although it has three coat-patterns there isn't actually a specific gene for it's mink coat-pattern; it is created by the combination of the 'solid' coat-pattern (aka Burmese colour restriction) and the 'colourpointed' coat-pattern. Tonkinese kittens with the solid or pointed coat-patterns are not Burmese or Siamese, as so many authors incorrectly claim, they are Tonkinese - they have two Tonkinese parents! |
The Tonkinese has been bred in the West for over a hundred years now. In 1889, cat fancier Harrison Weir wrote about a cat belonging to Hurbert Young, which had come from Singapore, he described it as a "chocolate variety of the royal Siamese cat", and said that it was very beautiful and scarce. In her Book of the Cat (1903), Frances Simpson mentions both the Chocolate and the Royal Siamese. The Royal is described as "cream coloured in body with sharply defined seal brown markings on head, ears, legs, feet and tail; eyes a decided blue"; the Chocolate is described as "deep brown in colour showing hardly any markings and have blue eyes". There are certainly plenty of references to the Chocolates by early cat fanciers who described it as having less contrast between point and body colour than the Royal Siamese and having eye colour of varying shades of blue.
Wong Mau (pictured above), was imported to the USA in 1930 and was described as a brown hybrid with darker points on her face, legs, feet and tail. Her owner, Dr Joseph C Thompson was interested in her genetically and proved that her coat-pattern was was the combination of two different genetic types. From Wong Mau, Thompson developed a breeding program that eventually resulted in the Burmese breed. Contrary to some opinion, the Tonkinese is not a hybrid - numerous cat breeds today been developed from the crossing of two different cat breeds, the term 'hybrid' has just stuck to Tonks because Wong Mau was the first cat to be genetically proven to have characteristics from two different types of cat.
Selective breeding for the solid or pointed coat-patterns ensured that Burmese and Siamese emerged as distinct breeds, but it cannot be doubted that they were bred from many cats that were actually Tonkinese. The Chocolates (aka Tonkinese) kept appearing over the years in Burmese and Siamese litters of kittens. One of the UK's most famous Burmese, Mrs Lillian France's Casa Gatos Da Foong (imported from the USA in 1949), had a pedigree that was a complex mixture of cats with Burmese, Siamese and Tonkinese coat-patterns.
Wong Mau (pictured above), was imported to the USA in 1930 and was described as a brown hybrid with darker points on her face, legs, feet and tail. Her owner, Dr Joseph C Thompson was interested in her genetically and proved that her coat-pattern was was the combination of two different genetic types. From Wong Mau, Thompson developed a breeding program that eventually resulted in the Burmese breed. Contrary to some opinion, the Tonkinese is not a hybrid - numerous cat breeds today been developed from the crossing of two different cat breeds, the term 'hybrid' has just stuck to Tonks because Wong Mau was the first cat to be genetically proven to have characteristics from two different types of cat.
Selective breeding for the solid or pointed coat-patterns ensured that Burmese and Siamese emerged as distinct breeds, but it cannot be doubted that they were bred from many cats that were actually Tonkinese. The Chocolates (aka Tonkinese) kept appearing over the years in Burmese and Siamese litters of kittens. One of the UK's most famous Burmese, Mrs Lillian France's Casa Gatos Da Foong (imported from the USA in 1949), had a pedigree that was a complex mixture of cats with Burmese, Siamese and Tonkinese coat-patterns.
The first Burmese/Siamese cross registered in the UK was Chira Tan Tockseng, imported from the USA in 1958 by Mrs RJ Grove-White to use as a foundation for her Burmese breeding programme.
In the mid-1950’s a New York pet shop owner, Milan Greer, bred Siamese with Burmese to produce the cats with the intermediate coat-pattern. He called them 'Golden Siamese', but gave up his project to breed other cats for competition. Then in the mid-1960's, Jane Barletta in New Jersey, and Margaret Conroy in Ontario, independently began to breed the Burmese with Siamese. Each breeder produced a line of brown cats, with darker brown points and aquamarine-coloured eyes. Jane's work led to her contact with Margaret Conroy and with Mary Swanson in California; and so the first breed standard for the Tonkinese was written.
The breed was accepted for registration by Canadian Cat Association (CCA) in 1965, and granted championship status in 1971, officially named 'Tonkinese'. By 1978, the Tonkinese had been accepted for registration in the USA by the Independent Cat Federation, the Cat Fanciers Federation and the Cat Fanciers Association. The Tonkinese Breed Club (USA) was founded, marking the beginning of the Tonkinese community to advance the breed and to achieve show status in all associations.
In the UK in 1990, a group of breeders formed the Tonkinese Breed Club (UK). The Tonkinese were recognised by the GCCF in 1991. After 10 years of hard work and much success in competition with other cat breeds, the GCCF finally granted Championship status to the mink coated Tonkinese (June 19th 2002). There are now many UK titled Tonkinese. The Tonkinese Breed Club was the first Tonkinese club in the world to hold show for only Tonkinese. The UK Tonkinese is now represented by both the Tonkinese Breed Club and the Tonkinese Cat Club, who work together to promote the breed. Finally, in June 2013, the GCCF accepted the solid (Burmese Colour Restriction) and pointed (Colourpointed Pattern) Tonks in Preliminary competition and by October 2015 both coat-patterns had been promoted to GCCF Championship status!
With the exception of FIFe, Tonks are now recognised by all major pedigree cat organisations.
There is a great deal more to know about the unique and fascinating history of this beautiful breed of cats - you'll find it all, along with a wealth of historical and current photos, in my book - 'Tonkinese Cats - A History'
In the mid-1950’s a New York pet shop owner, Milan Greer, bred Siamese with Burmese to produce the cats with the intermediate coat-pattern. He called them 'Golden Siamese', but gave up his project to breed other cats for competition. Then in the mid-1960's, Jane Barletta in New Jersey, and Margaret Conroy in Ontario, independently began to breed the Burmese with Siamese. Each breeder produced a line of brown cats, with darker brown points and aquamarine-coloured eyes. Jane's work led to her contact with Margaret Conroy and with Mary Swanson in California; and so the first breed standard for the Tonkinese was written.
The breed was accepted for registration by Canadian Cat Association (CCA) in 1965, and granted championship status in 1971, officially named 'Tonkinese'. By 1978, the Tonkinese had been accepted for registration in the USA by the Independent Cat Federation, the Cat Fanciers Federation and the Cat Fanciers Association. The Tonkinese Breed Club (USA) was founded, marking the beginning of the Tonkinese community to advance the breed and to achieve show status in all associations.
In the UK in 1990, a group of breeders formed the Tonkinese Breed Club (UK). The Tonkinese were recognised by the GCCF in 1991. After 10 years of hard work and much success in competition with other cat breeds, the GCCF finally granted Championship status to the mink coated Tonkinese (June 19th 2002). There are now many UK titled Tonkinese. The Tonkinese Breed Club was the first Tonkinese club in the world to hold show for only Tonkinese. The UK Tonkinese is now represented by both the Tonkinese Breed Club and the Tonkinese Cat Club, who work together to promote the breed. Finally, in June 2013, the GCCF accepted the solid (Burmese Colour Restriction) and pointed (Colourpointed Pattern) Tonks in Preliminary competition and by October 2015 both coat-patterns had been promoted to GCCF Championship status!
With the exception of FIFe, Tonks are now recognised by all major pedigree cat organisations.
There is a great deal more to know about the unique and fascinating history of this beautiful breed of cats - you'll find it all, along with a wealth of historical and current photos, in my book - 'Tonkinese Cats - A History'