A Tonkinese cat with big blue eyes

Tonkinese Cat Insurance, Care and Health Advice

Created from Siamese and Burmese cat breeds, the Tonkinese combines the best of both but without the exaggerated features of either. The Tonkinese is a strikingly beautiful cat with a slightly wedge shaped head, but it's the eyes that will get your attention, and it will be love at first sight.

If you're looking to bring one home, and who can blame you, this breed guide has all the information you need on how to care for your Tonkinese cat.

Tonkinese Cat Facts

Cat breed type icon
Type
Domestic
Cat breed lifespan icon
Lifespan
15 - 20 years
Cat breed size icon
Size
Medium
Cat breed weight icon
Weight
4 kg
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Height
20 - 25 cm
Cat breed temperament icon
Temperament
Smart, lively, friendly
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Exercise
30 mins per day
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Grooming
Low maintenance

Is a Tonkinese Right for Me?

Tonkinese cats need to part of a family and don’t like to be left alone. If you’re looking for an independent cat that is happy to snooze all day, this isn’t the cat for you. On the other hand, if you want a strong-willed, lively cat to be your constant companion and share your home with, look no further.

A fluffy Tonkinese kitten with blue eyes

What are Tonkinese Kittens Like?

Tonk kittens are playful and outgoing. They should be kept with their mothers until they’re around 8 weeks old so they can learn socialisation skills during the ‘sensitive period’. This is the time when kittens are most responsive to learning and forming positive associations and bonds with humans or other animals. Socialisation prepares the kitten to cope with being part of a household and to grow up to be a happy and confident adult cat.

A Tonkinese cat stretching on a bed

Life with a Tonkinese

With their mischievous antics, a Tonkinese is always fun to have around. They’re lively, sociable, smart and you’ll soon find that they’re the boss! They’re chatty, love to play, are affectionate and love a cuddle too!

They love company so will fit in well with families and households with other pets. But, if everyone’s out all day, they can become bored and frustrated which can end up with them showing their naughty side... Having another sibling can help to keep them entertained.

The Tonkinese does have a hunting instinct so will go after small prey if allowed outside.

Caring for Your Tonkinese

Your Tonkinese is a medium sized cat and should be fed a cat food that matches their age, size, activity level (they’re typically an active breed) and health conditions (if they have any). If you buy your Tonk kitten from a breeder, use the same food and feed at the same time every day.

If you want to change the food, do it gradually to avoid any tummy upsets. If you’re unsure what to feed your cat or how much food to give, check on the food packaging or ask your vet or vet nurse for advice.

Tonkinese are easy to care for – their coats are short and easily maintained by self-grooming. But they'll still enjoy the attention that comes with grooming so make a weekly brushing part of your routine together. A rubber brush to remove any loose hair and keep their coats gleaming is all they need.

The Tonkinese is an intelligent cat and so you’ll find them easy to train (but treats and lots of praise will help).

Tonks are athletic, active cats and love to play so don’t need any encouragement to exercise. They do need plenty of mental stimulation though to keep them occupied. Interactive toys, scratching posts, cat trees to climb, perches to leap from and puzzle feeders should be provided.

Tonkinese Cat Insurance

Tonks are a great breed of cat for families and thankfully not really known for health problems. But that doesn’t mean they can’t happen, and you can never be too careful. Here at Everypaw, we want our Tonkinese to be well looked after, and our Cat Insurance may be able to help when you need it most.

Our Lifetime policies are available from 8 weeks of age, and all come with unlimited access to RCVS qualified vets and vet nurses through our Petcall helpline.

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Common Tonkinese Health Problems by Vetstream

Tonkinese cats are generally a healthy breed, but there are some conditions that they can be affected by. We've got together with veterinary experts Vetstream to give you an idea of what to keep an eye out for in your Tonkinese.

Tonkinese cats can be affected by feline asthma (also known as allergic bronchitis). Breathing in allergens such as dust, household sprays and cigarette smoke can trigger an attack. A persistent cough along with wheezing or laboured breathing can be signs. Those with moderate or severe signs will need medication to reduce the severity and frequency of attacks.

Hyperthyroidism is a common endocrine disease that is caused by the overproduction of the thyroid hormone. It’s a common condition in middle-aged and older cats and is usually caused by a benign or non-cancerous tumour on the thyroid gland. There are four ways to treat or manage hyperthyroidism - medication, radioiodine, surgery or a special diet. Your vet will discuss the advantages and disadvantages of each treatment and what will work best for your cat.

Dental problems affect many cats. Toothbrushing is the key to prevention so start this from an early age. This will help prevent plaque from forming which can lead to periodontal disease, bad breath, tooth decay, pain, and tooth loss.

It’s a good idea to check your cat’s teeth regularly for any signs of gum disease. If your cat has bad breath or difficulty eating this can also indicate dental problems.

Tonks can also be affected by Diabetes Mellitus. This is a common disease in middle-aged cats, especially overweight ones. Diabetic cats will have high blood sugar levels and will lose glucose in their urine. This results in cats becoming increasingly thirsty and they lose weight despite eating normally.

Regular insulin injections will control their blood sugar levels, but if left untreated, the condition can have serious effects and can be fatal.

Quick Tonkinese Q&A

A Tonkinese is a breed of cat that resulted from the crossing Burmese and Siamese cats. A Canadian breeder created the purrfect combination.

Careful breeding by Margaret Conroy in Canada in the 1960s combined the breeds to create a beautiful, healthy cat with a lively personality in a pointed coat that comes in a variety of colours. Breeding of these two breeds actually dates back to the 14th century when they were known as the chocolate Siamese. It’s interesting to note that Wong Mau, the ancestor of the Burmese cat breed, was in fact Tonkinese.

No, the Tonkinese may have short hair and shed less than other breeds but there no such thing as a hypoallergenic cat. All cats produce the Fel d 1 protein that is the cause of cat allergies.

Yes, but they’re low shedders so it’s less likely that you and your home will be continually covered in cat hair.

The average lifespan of a Tonkinese in 15 years old but it’s quite common for them to live to be 19 or even 20 years old.

Their coats are short and close-lying and come in a wide array of coat colours and patterns. Colours of brown, chocolate, cinnamon, blue, lilac, caramel, fawn, red, cream and apricot along with tabby-patterned or tortoiseshell are seen in the UK.

The Cat Fanciers’ Association (CFA) recognises four base colours – champagne, natural, platinum and blue. They're often known for their aqua blue eyes or green eyes, their eye colour can be associated to their coat colours and patterns.

The different coat patterns that are seen include solid, mink and point. These are known as BCR (Burmese Colour Restriction – solid with eyes any shade of gold to green), TCR (Tonkinese Colour Restriction – mink with eyes of green/blue or blue/green) and CPP (colour-pointed – pointed with eyes of any shade of clear blue). When the BCR and CPP coat patterns are bred together they only produce the TCR pattern, but when two TCR patterns are bred together they can produce all three coat-patterns.

That’s All You Need to Know About Tonkinese Cats

The Tonkinese breed was developed from the Burmese and Siamese breeds and has the best features of both. Smart, lively, friendly and chatty, a Tonk is always fun to have around. Their short, pointed coats are easy to care for but these active cats need company and can get up to mischief, especially if left alone for long. Another sibling or companion cat may be needed to keep them entertained while everyone’s out.

Content provided from Vetstream's Vetlexicon Felis.

Vetlexicon is the world’s largest peer-reviewed online clinical reference source. All our content is written and peer-reviewed by over 1,000 of the world’s leading veterinarians, ensuring relevance, accuracy and quality.

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