Everything you need to know about Tonkin cats

Tonkin cats or Tonkinesis are wonderful animals with harmonious proportions. They are more and more often bought by Russian cat lovers.

The Tonkinesis cat could be heard from the old Siamese Book of Poems about the Cat. In this book there was a description of the Tonkin cat. The animals got their name "tonkinesis" from the region of Tonkin, which was located in the north of present-day Vietnam. The history of the Tonkin breed itself began in the 30s of the XX century, simultaneously with the Tonkinesis, the history of the Burmese breed also started. These breeds have a common ancestor - the Wong Mau cat.

To improve the breed appearance, breeders crossed Burmese pets with breeding Siamese ones. The kittens were born were graceful, had a beautiful color and bluish-turquoise shades of eyes. The outward signs of Tonkin's pets were manifested if the kitten received various genes from its parents. For the Tonkin color to appear, one gene must be from a Siamese pet, whose body has a sharp contrast, and the other must belong to the Burmese breed. But not all kittens were able to be born with Tonkinesis, and not all received breed characteristics.

Jane Barletta from America and breeder Margaret Conroy from Canada worked on the breed in the 1960s. In Canada, in the 70s, the Tonkin type was able to gain recognition. The Feline Association of the United States of America was TISA, and it was able to admit representatives of Tonkin pets to participate in the 1979 championship.Another felinological association was CFA, it was able to recognize Tonkin animals in 1984. Today, Tonkin cats are recognized by the whole planet.

Tonkin cats are compact, sturdy and well proportioned. They do not have large sizes, but at the same time their body weight is quite large. Animals have a muscular physique, they are active and emotional.

The body is not squat, does not have unnecessary harmony, there is good, well-developed muscles. The forelegs are graceful, in proportion to the body, and the hind legs are slightly long, small and oval. The tail is of medium length, pointed at the end.

The head is wedge-shaped, but round in shape, the cheekbones are long, not sharp, with clear contours. The chin and nose are in line, the forehead is convex. The ears are of medium size, at the ends they are rounded and high, set widely apart. The eyes are wide open, in proportion to the rest of the muzzle. The tone of the eyes is deep and clear. The eyes themselves range in color from aquamarine to deep blue. The coat is close to the body, it is short, graceful and shiny. Pleasant and silky to the touch.

Tonkin kittens are docile and friendly, but they are too playful. They do not get irritated, do not get nervous, do not show vindictiveness. Although the animals are sociable, they will not be overly intrusive. They have a gentle disposition, do not get bored.

Such pets have a huge level of intelligence, they have increased intuition and adaptability. Possessing telepathic properties, they can predict the behavior and actions of their owner. These animals are interested in studying the whole family of their owner, they do not want to conflict, they are friendly, they treat people well. In addition, Tonkinesis are good with other pets living in the house.

Many esotericists have put forward the opinion that Tonkin cats have an energy field., with which you can protect the owners from the negative influence of the outside world. In the United States of America and Canada, Tonkin's pets are used for pet therapy. Many experts recommend that people communicate with Tonkin cats, as these pets have an extremely beneficial effect on humans.

Kittens and adult animals play happily with children, they are sociable animals, love the attention of their owners and are kind to the caress of a person. Animals like them, they show friendliness to them, sniff, fondle. Tonkin cats are very gentle by nature. They can become very attached to a person. Animals show love to their master, such pets easily go into their arms, and at night they will want to sleep with their master.

Tonkin cats cannot sit alone; there must always be someone in the house. If no one is around, the pet will be sad and his mood will deteriorate. Therefore, you will have to provide your pet with toys so that he does not get bored. Tonkin cats listen to the words of the owner, by the intonation and voice of a person, cats can understand whether the owner is upset or not. If the animals feel tension in the house, they will try to defuse the situation.

Neither kittens nor adult animals should be left alone on the street, because cats are friendly and can get into an unpleasant situation. Many pets can associate a person with a car. Because of this, cats fall under the wheels of cars.

There are several coat colors for tonkinesis. Among these colors, you need to highlight natural, platinum, blue, champagne, they can all be divided into color patterns:

• solid has a weak contrast, this color is similar to Burmese sepia, while the cat has green or yellow-green eyes;
• mink (mink) - there is a medium blurred contrast, blue or aqua eyes;
• point is a clear contrast and color that is similar to the shade of Siamese pets, the eyes of animals are bluish.

Now let's look at the features of the basic colors.

• Natural is a fawn, cream, dark brown tone. The pads are pinkish. At the same time, the solid color pattern implies the color of the coat "brown sable", and the mink - medium brown.
• With a platinum shade, the cat's coat is gray-blue. The cat's nose has a lavender-pink or lavender-gray tint, the paw pads are pinkish. Platinum mink - pale gray and cream coat, point - pearl white.
• The blue color is a bluish gray coat. The nose is blue-gray, the paw pads are bluish-gray, but there are also pink colors.
• In champagne, the coat has ivory tints and pale brown markings. The nose is brown, the paw pads are brownish pink or dark brown. Champagne mink are light cream or beige tones. Solid presents golden brown and light brown shades.

Tonkin pets do not need special care, you just need to follow certain rules that will help create normal conditions for the animal. First of all, you need to buy a tray that is suitable for the animal in size and weight. For example, for kittens it is necessary to purchase a tray with low sides. An adult tonkinesis will need to choose a larger tray. You need to install a scratching post in the house, but if you plan to trim your nails, purchase special tweezers in advance.

Cats are very fond of all kinds of beds. They should be placed in a warm place where there are no drafts. Tonkin cats are playful, so they will need a lot of toys. And if you buy a multi-level bed with scratching posts, then the animal will be very happy with such a device.

There are a few more care guidelines that you need to adhere to.

• Once every 7 days, you need to brush the cat with a special glove-brush.
• It is necessary to bathe the animal only if the pet gets dirty.
• If tonkinesis is kept at home, then you need to pull the mesh over the open windows, otherwise the pet can crawl out.
• Tonkin cats are very curious, so there is no need to put wires, sharp and prickly things next to them.
• The litter box and all utensils for food and liquids should be thoroughly cleaned as cats are very clean.
• Cats can be walked on the grass, but before that you need to make sure that there are no roadways or dogs nearby.
• Tonkinesis cats almost never shed. If the fur begins to fall out, then this is a sign that the pet is sick.
• The eyes and ears of the animal should be examined, and if dark accumulations appear in them, they should be carefully cleaned. You need to clean the dirt with a cotton swab, which is pre-soaked in hot liquid.
• The oral cavity should be checked by a veterinarian. If you clean your teeth yourself, you can accidentally harm your pet.

Tonkinesis do not require special feeding, therefore, already known truths can be repeated.

Pets can be fed natural foods such as meat, dairy products, eggs. The animal can be fed with lean beef. It is also recommended to add lamb, rabbit, chicken and turkey meat to the diet. The eggs contain all the necessary trace elements, but this product should be given to the pet only once every 7 days. Eggs can be added to porridge or finely chopped.

In many adult cats, milk cannot be absorbed by digestion. They are advised to give fermented milk products that contain little fat: kefir, fermented baked milk, yogurt, cottage cheese, cheese.Such products can be given to adult Tonkin cats 2 times a week.

If you do not have time to compose a diet for your pet, the best option would be to use ready-made feeds. Let's consider the most popular and high-quality solutions.

• Royal Canin. It comes in dry and wet form. In dry form, the protein is 43%, the composition includes dyes and flavors. The food can be given to kittens, adults and elderly pets, sick animals. Wet food contains preservatives, linoleic acid, protein.
• Hill`s. Dry food contains antioxidants, salt, yeast, protein (10%), in wet food protein is 32.7%. Suitable for cats with sensitive digestive systems.
• Brit. The feed contains brewer's yeast and protein. This food is suitable for pedigree cats and pets that are prone to overweight, for spayed animals.
• Pro Plan. The feed of this brand contains yeast, antioxidants, preservatives, protein. It comes in dry form, suitable for everyday meals.
• Sheba. The feed contains a lot of protein and useful meat components. Can be given to pedigree cats every day.
• IAMS. Dry food is suitable for adults and small pets, pregnant and lactating females. Wet should be given to kittens and older cats.
• Gourmet. The composition of wet food contains dyes and protein - 14.3%. Can be given every day to cats that are 1 year old.

Tonkin cats are prohibited from giving foods such as:

• mushrooms;
• sweet products;
• fatty and fried foods;
• River fish;
• canned food;
• ground liver;
• soybean oil;
• potato.

It is important for animals that a bowl of clean water is always present. Many owners note that, even with a rather large mass (about 6 kilograms), Tonkin pets do not show much appetite. For this reason, you can safely pour dry food into the bowl, and not worry that the pet will eat the entire portion and ask for supplements.

If the owner wants to give his pet fresh food, he needs to take into account the fact that the matured animal needs to be fed only 2 times a day, and kittens under 6 months old need to be fed 3 times. Be sure to develop a food intake regime so that the animal has time to get hungry.

Some are breeding Tonkin cats for sale. To breed the breed, it is necessary to organize a nursery in advance, where all conditions for the life of pets will be created. Then you need to buy a cat that has the appropriate standards and find a partner for her.

There are some criteria for selecting a mate for a female: health, pedigree or confirmation of the purity of the breed, the ability to sign a document with the owner in which all rights to future kittens will be written. For breeding Tonkin cats, animals whose eye tone differs from aquamarine are not allowed. These pets must be kept as pets only. It is also impossible to happen a Tonkin cat with a pet that has a different breed.

According to many owners, only then do Tonkin cats become caring mothers for their cubs. Cats for mating can be given when they are about 15 months old.

Regular mating can last up to days. During this time, the animals should not be disturbed. It is necessary to supply food and water to pets in advance. It is the cat that needs to be brought to the cat, because it is a male, and he feels confident only on his territory. If the cat is confident, then the mating will be successful. Owners need not be surprised if within 20 days there are no signs of successful mating of the Tonkin cat. Signs can only be felt after 3 weeks.

If the female develops detachment, her appetite has increased, vomiting appears, then all these are signs of pregnancy. At this time, the cat should not get sick, because its immunity becomes weakened. Drafts should not be allowed, and it is undesirable to walk the cat in the cold season.

Vitamins need to be added to the food of the Tonkin cat, calcium and protein remain important for the female. The place where the birth will take place should be prepared in advance. It so happens that in about 14 days, the Tonkin cat itself begins to look for a place to give birth. The place should be warm, and there should be soft filler in it. The owners need to morally support the pet, calm the cat, talk to it, and pet it. If the birth is for the first time, then the cat is under stress, you need to be with her all the time.

There are characteristic signs that indicate the approach of childbirth: the vulva is enlarged due to edema, mucus is released from the vagina. Also, depressions are formed, which are located on the sides behind the ribs, the stomach sinks, the body temperature drops by 1-1.5 degrees, the mammary glands increase, and colostrum secretion may begin.

Before giving birth, the female is worried, cannot find a place for herself, walks in corners, makes pitiful sounds, runs after her master, looking for support. At this time, the owner of the Tonkin cat should be near and control the birth. Usually childbirth has three phases: preparatory, birth or excretion of the fetus, postpartum. The first phase takes 4.5 to 7.5 hours. The second phase with normal childbirth lasts 1.5-6.5 hours. If on the first day the cat was unable to lamb, it should be taken to the veterinarian. The last phase is not too traumatic.

If the pet is in a calm atmosphere, then the birth will go well, and the owner does not need to actively intervene in this process. The owner is forbidden to remove the kitten in advance and forcibly. You need to follow some guidelines:

1. wait for contractions;
2. when the baby appears, gently take it with your fingers through the napkin;
3. shake the kitten lightly to start breathing.

If a Tonkin cat gives birth for the first time and she is young, then about 3 kittens will be born, but maybe one. The next time she gives birth, the number of kittens will increase, and there will be about 3-8 cubs.

For more information on Tonkin cats, see the video below.