A Siamese-Burmese hybrid in a mink coat

This new breed initially called the Golden Siamese was created in North America and Canada in the 1930s by crossing the Siamese and the Burmese. At first, it was not popular at all, note that at the time, the Siamese was larger and stockier, and the Burmese was less round than today.

Not until 1960 was this cat, renamed the Tonkinese, and finally appreciated. It was recognized in 1974 by the Canadian Cat Association and in 1978 by the C.F.A.

Popular in the United States, the Tonkinese remains rare in Europe.

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Characteristics

Always on the alert, the Tonkinese is active and playful. As an athlete, he needs space, but he tends to run away.
Very sociable with other cats, gentle and affectionate toward his owner, the Tonkinese is less exclusive than the Siamese. Still, he requires lots of attention and despises solitude.
In terms of grooming, he requires weekly brushing.
While a Siamese-Burmese cross produces only Tonkinese kittens, it must be noted that mating two Tonkinese statistically produces 50% Tonkinese, 25% Burmese, and 25% Siamese kittens, which explains why European cat associations do not consider the Tonkinese to be a true breed.