Felis catus
Tonkinese
Featured phototonkinese.jpgThe Tonkinese is a hybrid breed developed in Canada from crosses between Siamese and Burmese cats in the 1960s. The breed was developed by Margaret Conroy and Jane Barletta to produce a cat with an intermediate type between the two parent breeds. CFA granted championship status in 1984; GCCF recognized the breed in 1991; FIFe in 1994; and TICA at its 1979 founding. The standard describes a medium-sized, muscular cat with point colouration modified by the Burmese colour gene.
Quick facts
- Origin country
- Canada
- Origin period
- 1960s hybrid (Siamese × Burmese; Margaret Conroy and Jane Barletta); CFA championship 1984
- Coat type
- Short
- Coat colors
- Natural (warm brown with medium brown points), Champagne (buff-cream with light brown points), Blue (blue-grey with slate-blue points), Platinum (pale silver-grey with pewter points), Each in mink, pointed, or solid pattern division
- Size category
- Medium
- Average lifespan
- 15-18 years
- Recognition
- CFA 1984 · TICA 1979 · GCCF 1991 · FIFe 1994
Origin
Wong Mau, the Burmese breed's foundation cat imported in 1930, was genetically a Siamese-Burmese hybrid carrying both the Burmese (cb) and Siamese (cs) colour alleles. Canadian breeders Margaret Conroy and Jane Barletta deliberately recreated the Siamese x Burmese cross in the 1960s, aiming for a breed with intermediate type. The original name 'Golden Siamese' was changed to Tonkinese in later documentation to avoid confusion with colour-point Siamese and to give the breed a distinct identity.
Recognition
The International Cat Association recognized the Tonkinese at its 1979 founding. CFA granted full championship status in 1984. The Governing Council of the Cat Fancy recognized the breed in 1991 in the United Kingdom. The Fédération Internationale Féline published its standard in 1994. All four major international registries maintain current Tonkinese standards.
Standard
The CFA standard describes a medium-sized, well-muscled cat of moderate foreign type — longer and more elegant than the Burmese but less extreme than the modern Siamese. The coat is short, fine, and close-lying with a distinctive aqua (blue-green) eye colour in the mink coat pattern — one of the breed's defining characteristics. Four base colours are recognized: natural (brown), champagne (beige), blue (blue-grey), and platinum (pale grey). Each colour may be shown in three pattern divisions: pointed (cs/cs), mink (cb/cs — the preferred show pattern with aqua eyes), or solid (cb/cb). The mink pattern's aqua eyes are unique to the Tonkinese among all recognized breeds.
Sources & further reading (3)
- registry-breed-profile — accessed 2026-04-30
- encyclopedia — accessed 2026-04-30
- gccf-registry — accessed 2026-04-30
Frequently asked questions
What makes the Tonkinese eye colour unique?
Tonkinese cats in the mink coat pattern (cb/cs genotype) display aqua (blue-green) eyes — a colour not found in any other recognized pedigreed breed. Tonkinese in the pointed pattern have blue eyes (like the Siamese) and those in the solid pattern have gold or green eyes (like the Burmese). The aqua mink eye colour is regarded as the breed's signature characteristic and the preferred show pattern.
When was the Tonkinese recognized?
TICA recognized the Tonkinese at its 1979 founding. CFA granted championship status in 1984. GCCF recognized the breed in 1991. FIFe published its standard in 1994.
How does the Tonkinese differ from the Siamese and Burmese?
The Tonkinese has a moderate type intermediate between the two parent breeds. Its body is longer and more foreign than the Burmese but less extreme than the modern CFA Siamese. The coat carries point colouration modified by the Burmese colour gene, producing the distinctive mink pattern with reduced contrast between body and points and the characteristic aqua eye colour.
