History of the Tonkinese

Emmel Tonkinese

(Emmel Gillian)

The Tonkinese breed has been "recreated" by crossing the Siamese and the Burmese, but many believe that the Tonkinese have occurred naturally in S.E. Asia for hundreds, if not thousands, of years.

Over 100 years ago, Siamese were shown in England for the first time. Two types were on display: The Chocolate Siamese (dark brown coat with blue/green eyes) and the Royal Siamese (cream body with brown points and blue eyes). The Royal Siamese (what we call Siamese today) proved more popular, and continued to be bred and exhibited, but the Chocolate Siamese (the Tonkinese) did not.

It is interesting to note that all Burmese can trace their pedigrees back to a Tonkinese called Wong Mau. Her owner imported her into the U.S. and bred her to the closest looking type of cat, the Siamese. The kittens in that litter were either brown with dark points (like their mother) or cream with dark points (like their father). Dr Thompson bred Wong Mau to one of her darker coated sons, and in various litters, 3 coat types appeared - the third being an almost uniform brown. These matings of Wong Mau to her sons, producing the 3 coat types, genetically proves that Wong Mau was a Tonkinese. Thompson continued to breed with this uniform brown cat with yellow eyes, and thus the Burmese breed was created.

In the 60's and 70's, the breed was revived in Canada and then the U.S. by crossing the Siamese with the Burmese. Of course, there was opposition from Siamese breeders who saw them as "bad Siamese", and from Burmese breeders, who were trying to breed out many of the characteristics of the Siamese, intent on creating their own distinct breed. The reintroduction of the Tonkinese was not a welcome move.

However, due to the tenacity of a number of breeders, the Tonkinese have survived, and are now found in countries such as Canada, America, England, The Netherlands, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand.

The Tonkinese were recognised by the Australian Cat Federation (ACF) in 1997 and are now bred in Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria and Tasmania. Queensland has the largest number of breeders, and kittens from the Tonks and All...Breeds Cat Club have been flown Australia wide, as well as being exported to South Africa and the Netherlands.