Tonkinese
Overview
The Tonkinese is a cat breed of oriental build with a short coat. It traces back to Canada, United States. It originated as a crossbreed between the Burmese and Siamese. Its coat usually shows colorpoint, mink, or solid patterning. Cats commonly live 12–18 years, so this is a long-term commitment.
Is the Tonkinese right for you?
A good match if — you want an independent companion that settles into most homes; you'd rather avoid heavy grooming; you want a cat that enjoys being handled and held; you're a first-time cat owner.
What a Tonkinese needs from you
A Tonkinese needs a moderate amount of space, daily feeding and litter care, and moderate day-to-day upkeep. The short coat needs only occasional brushing. On closeness, this breed is happy to be handled.
A note on this profile
Measured per-breed temperament scores for cats are still being added. The fit notes above are based on coat, build, origin, development and general care needs — not yet on a tested personality profile.
Key facts
- Origin
- Canada, United States
- Development
- Crossbreed between the Burmese and Siamese
- Wild hybrid
- false
- Body type
- Oriental
- Coat
- Short
- Pattern
- Colorpoint, mink, or solid
What it needs from you (at a glance)
| Space needed | |
| Experience needed | |
| Maintenance | |
| Time per day | no data yet |
| Need for company | |
| Handling / closeness | |
| Cost level |
What it costs
Scaled to this breed’s roughly 5 kg and a ~15-year life, keeping a Tonkinese works out at about:
Rough cross-breed averages in USD — a planning guide, not a quote. Break it down by life phase in the Cost Calculator →