Felis catus
Tonkinese Longhair
The Tonkinese Longhair is the longhaired division of the Tonkinese, a hybrid breed developed from crossing Burmese and Siamese cats. The Canadian Cat Association, TICA, and GCCF recognize the breed; CFA recognizes only the shorthair. The standard describes a medium-sized, muscular cat with a distinctive mink coat pattern and a semi-long, silky coat.
Quick facts
- Origin country
- Canada / United States
- Origin period
- Developed from Burmese × Siamese crosses; CCA recognition 1965; TICA championship 1979; GCCF recognition 1991
- Coat type
- Long
- Coat colors
- Natural mink, Champagne mink, Blue mink, Platinum mink, All mink-pattern colours; also solid and colourpoint expressions
- Size category
- Medium
- Average lifespan
- 12–16 years
- Recognition
- TICA 1979 · GCCF 1991
Origin
The Tonkinese is a hybrid of the Burmese and the Siamese. Early development is attributed to Canadian and American breeders in the 1950s–1960s. The breed produces three genotype expressions: the mink pattern (one Burmese gene + one Siamese gene, the breed's signature), the solid Burmese expression, and the colourpoint Siamese expression. The CCA recognized the breed in 1965; TICA at its 1979 founding; the GCCF in 1991. CFA recognized the shorthair in 1990 but not the longhair. The longhair division is the same breed with a semi-long, silky coat.
Standard
The TICA standard describes a medium-sized, well-muscled, rounded cat intermediate in type between the Burmese and Siamese — neither as foreign nor as cobby as the parent breeds. The coat is short in the standard form; the longhair division has a silky, semi-long coat with minimal undercoat and a plumed tail. The defining pattern is the mink: a warm base colour with darker points that blend gradually into the body, producing an effect intermediate between the solid Burmese and the sharp-pointed Siamese. All four primary mink colours (natural, champagne, blue, platinum) are recognized.
Three Genetic Expressions
The Tonkinese breeds three distinct coat expressions depending on the genotype combination: mink (Burmese gene + Siamese gene, heterozygous), solid Burmese type (homozygous Burmese gene), and colourpoint Siamese type (homozygous Siamese gene). Breeding mink × mink produces approximately 50% mink, 25% solid, and 25% colourpoint offspring. All three expressions are accepted in TICA championship but only the mink pattern is accepted by CFA in the shorthair. The longhair division includes all three expression types.
Sources & further reading (3)
- encyclopedia — accessed 2026-05-27
- registry-breed-profile — accessed 2026-05-27
- gccf-registry — accessed 2026-05-27
Frequently asked questions
What is the 'mink' pattern?
The mink pattern occurs in cats that carry one copy of the Burmese colour gene (cb) and one copy of the Siamese colourpoint gene (cs). This heterozygous combination produces a pattern intermediate between the Burmese solid and the Siamese colourpoint: the body colour is warm and mid-tone, and the points are darker but not sharply defined. The mink pattern is exclusive to Tonkinese-type breeding.
Is the Tonkinese Longhair recognized by CFA?
CFA recognizes only the Tonkinese shorthair. The longhair division is recognized by TICA, GCCF, and the Canadian Cat Association (CCA).
Are solid and colourpoint Tonkinese accepted in TICA championship?
Yes. TICA's Tonkinese standard accepts all three genetic expressions — mink, solid, and colourpoint — in both shorthair and longhair coat-length classes. CFA's Tonkinese (shorthair only) accepts only the mink pattern. GCCF accepts mink and colourpoint. The three expressions are genetically inseparable in a breeding programme because mink × mink crosses always produce some solid and colourpoint offspring.
