Tonkinese
A Siamese crossed with a Burmese, and it lands between them in every way: the coat is mink and the eyes come out aqua. Talkative, but at a lower volume.
Overview
The Tonkinese is a Burmese crossed with a Siamese, and it sits exactly between them in every respect. The coat is mink, a pattern midway between the Burmese sable and the Siamese point, and the eyes are aqua, which is a colour neither parent breed produces.
Because it is a cross between two point patterns, a Tonkinese litter reliably produces all three coat types: mink, Burmese sepia and Siamese pointed.
Temperament
The middle ground, and it is a good one. Tonkinese have most of the Siamese's sociability and intelligence with rather less of the volume, and most of the Burmese's affection with rather less of the neediness.
They are highly interactive, learn quickly, and are famous for jumping onto shoulders. They are excellent with children and other animals and they do not do well left alone.
Care and grooming
A weekly rub down for the short close coat and nothing else.
Both parent breeds contribute concerns worth asking about: the Burmese WNK4 hypokalaemia variant and craniofacial defect on one side, and the oriental group's progressive retinal atrophy and dental tendency on the other. All of the major ones are testable.
Living and exercise
An involved household with height and company. They are agile, athletic and constantly busy.
They are one of the better all round choices on this shelf for a family that wants an interactive cat, and they are long lived, with fifteen to eighteen years a realistic expectation.
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