Everything you need to know about Tonkin cats

Tonkin cats or tonkinesis are beautiful animals that have harmonious proportions. They are increasingly being bought by Russian cat lovers.

You could hear about the cat tonkinesis from the old Siamese “Book of poems about the cat”. In this book was a description of the Tonkin cat. The name "tonkinez" animals received from the region Tonkinwhich was located in the north of present-day Vietnam. The history of the Tonkin breed itself began in the 30s of the 20th century, and the history of the Burman breed started simultaneously with the tonkinesis. These breeds have a common ancestor - a cat Wong Mau.

To improve the species, the breeders crossed the Burmese pets with the Siamese tribal. The born kittens were elegant, had a beautiful color and bluish-turquoise shades of eyes. External signs of Tonkin pets appeared if the kitten received various genes from its parents. In order for the Tonkin color to appear, one gene must be from a Siamese pet, whose body has a sharp contrast, and the second must belong to the Burmese breed. But not all kittens could be born tonkinesis, and not all received pedigree signs.

Jane Barletta from America and breeder Margaret Conroy from Canada worked on the species in the 60s of the XX century. In Canada, in the 70s, the Tonkin type was able to gain recognition. The Felinological Association of the United States was TISA, and it was able to allow representatives of Tonkin pets to participate in the 1979 championship. Another felinological association was CFA, she was able to recognize Tonkin animals in 1984. Currently, Tonkin cats recognized the entire planet.

Tonkin cats are compact, they are strong, proportionally folded. Do not have large sizes, but at the same time body weight is quite large. Animals have a muscular physique, they are active and emotional.

The body is not squat, does not have the extra slimness, there is a good, developed muscles. The front legs are elegant, they are proportional to the body, and the rear legs are slightly long, small and oval. The tail is of medium length, pointed at the end.

The head is wedge-shaped, but rounded, the cheekbones are long, not sharp, with clear contours. Chin and nose are located on the same line, forehead bulging. The ears are of medium size, at the ends they are rounded and high, standing widely apart. Eyes wide open, proportional to other parts of the face. The tone of the eyes is deep and clear. The eyes themselves have colors from aquamarine to dark blue. The hair tightly fits to the body, it is short, elegant and shiny. To the touch pleasant, silky.

Tonkin kittens are docile and friendly, but they are too playful. They are not irritated, not nervous, do not show revenge. Although animals are sociable, they will not be too intrusive. Have a gentle temper, do not bother.

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 host. It is interesting for these animals to study the whole family of their owner, they don’t want to clash, are friendly, treat a person well.In addition, tonkinesis is also good for other pets living in the house.

Many esotericists have suggested 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 and in Canada, Tonkin pets are used for pet therapy. Many experts recommend people to communicate with Tonkin cats, as these pets have a very positive effect on the person.

Kittens and adult animals joyfully play 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, fond. By nature, Tonkin cats are very gentle. They can become strongly attached to a person. Animals show love to their owner, such pets go easy on their hands, and at night they want to sleep with their owner.

Tonkin cats can not sit alone, in the house should always be someone. If no one is around, the pet will be sad and his mood will spoil. Therefore it is necessary to provide your pet toys, so that he does not miss. Tonkin cats listen to the words of the owner, according to the intonation and human voice of the cat can understand, the owner is upset or not. If the animals feel the tension in the house, they will try to defuse the situation.

Neither kittens nor adult animals should not be left alone on the street, because cats are benevolent and can get into an unpleasant situation. Many pets can associate a person with a car. Because of this, cats and fall under the wheels of cars.

There are several colors of tonkiez wool. Among these colors you need to select 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) - here there is a medium diffuse contrast, the eyes are blue or aqua;
• A point is a clear contrast and color that resembles a shade of Siamese pets, the eyes of animals are bluish.

Now consider the features of the base colors.

• Natural is a pale, cream, dark brown color. The pillows are pinkish. At the same time the color pattern implies the color of wool “brown sable”, and the mink - medium brown.
• With a platinum shade, the fur of a cat has a gray-blue tone. The cat's nose is lavender-pink or lavender-gray, the paw pads are pinkish. Platinum Mink - wool pale gray and cream, point - pearl white.
• Blue color is a wool of bluish-gray color. Nose gray-blue, paw pads - bluish-gray, but there are also pink color.
• When painted champagne wool has shades of ivory and pale brown marks. The nose is brown, the paw pads are brownish-pink or dark brown. Champagne Mink is light cream or beige tones. Solid represents golden brown and light brown shades.

Tonkin pets do not need special care, here you just need to follow certain rules that will help create normal conditions for the animal. The first step is to buy a tray that will suit the animal in size and weight. For example, kittens need to purchase a tray that has low sides. An adult tonkinezu will need to choose a larger tray. In the house you need to install a claw stick, but if you plan to cut the claws, in advance acquire special tweezers.

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

There are a few more care guidelines to follow.

• Once every 7 days you need to comb a 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 the open windows need to be tied up with a grid, otherwise the pet may crawl out.
• Cats of the Tonkin breed are very curious, so you should not put wires, sharp and prickly things next to them.
• It is necessary to clean the tray and all the utensils designed for food and liquid, as cats are very clean.
• Cats can be walked on the grass, but before that you need to make sure that there are no roads and dogs nearby.
• Tonkinesis cats almost do not shed. If the hair starts to fall out, then this is a sign that the pet is sick.
• It is necessary to examine the eyes and ears of the animal, and if dark clusters appear in them, they should be carefully cleaned. 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 independently carry out cleaning of the teeth, then you can accidentally harm your pet.

Tonkinesis do not require special feeding, so you can repeat already known truths.

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

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

If you do not have time to prepare a diet for a pet, the best option would be to use ready-made feeds. Consider the most popular and high-quality solutions.

• Royal Canin. It happens in a dry and wet form. In dry form, the protein is 43%, it contains dyes and flavors. Food can be given to kittens, adults and elderly pets, sick animals. In wet food includes preservatives, linoleic acid, protein.
• Hill`s. In the composition of dry food there are antioxidants, salt, yeast, protein (10%), in wet food protein is 32.7%. Suitable for cats with sensitive digestive system.
• Brit. The feed includes brewer's yeast and protein. This food is suitable for purebred cats and pets that are prone to corpulence for sterilized animals.
• Pro Plan. In the feed of this brand there are yeast, antioxidants, preservatives, protein. It happens in a dry form, suitable for everyday food.
• Sheba. As part of the feed a lot of protein and healthy meat components. You can give pedigree cats every day.
• Iams. Dry food is suitable for adults and small pets, pregnant and lactating females. Wet need to be given to kittens and elderly cats.
• Gourmet. The composition of the wet feed includes dyes and protein - 14.3%. You can give every day to cats who are 1 year old.

Tonkin cats are prohibited from giving products such as:

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

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

If the owner wants to give his pet fresh food, he needs to take into account that it is necessary to feed an adult animal only 2 times a day, and kittens younger than 6 months old should be given food 3 times. Be sure to develop a mode of food intake so that the animal has time to get hungry.

Some are breeding Tonkin cats for sale. For breeding 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 it.

There are some criteria for selecting a partner for the female: health, pedigree or confirmation of the purity of the breed, the ability to sign with the owner a document in which all the rights to the future born kittens will be written. For breeding Tonkin cats do not allow animals whose eye tone is different from aquamarine. These pets must be kept only as pets. Another can not be a case of 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.

Plain mating can last up to days. Animals should not be disturbed at this time. Pre-need to put food and water to pets. It is the cat that must be brought to the cat, because it is a male, and he feels confident only on his territory. If the cat is confident, the mating will be prosperous. The owners do not need to be surprised if within 20 days there are no signs of successful Tonkin cat mating. Signs can be felt only after 3 weeks.

If a female has a detachment, her appetite has increased, she has vomiting, then all these are signs of pregnancy. At this time, the cat should not be ill, because its immunity becomes weakened. We must not allow drafts, and walking a cat in the cold season is undesirable.

Vitamins need to be added to the Tonkin cat's food, calcium and protein remain important for the female. In advance, you should prepare a place where childbirth will occur. 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, it should be a soft filler. The owners need to morally support the pet, calm the cat, talk to her, stroke her. If the birth is first, 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 increases due to swelling, mucus from the vagina is secreted. Also formed depressions that are located on the sides behind the ribs, the stomach is lowered, the body temperature decreases by 1-1.5 degrees, the mammary glands increase, the colostrum secretion may begin.

Before giving birth, the female is concerned, cannot find a place for herself, walks in the corners, makes plaintive sounds, runs after her master, seeking support. At this time, the owner of a Tonkino cat should be near and control the birth. Usually childbirth has three phases: preparatory, birth or elimination of the fetus, postpartum. The first phase takes from 4.5 to 7.5 hours. The second phase during normal delivery lasts 1.5-6.5 hours. If on the first day the cat could not lamb the cat, it should be taken to the veterinarian. The latter phase is not too traumatic.

If the pet is in a relaxed atmosphere, the birth will be good, and the owner does not need to actively intervene in this process.The owner is prohibited in advance and forcibly remove the kitten. Some recommendations should be followed:

1. wait for bouts;
2. when the baby appears, gently take it with your fingers through a napkin;
3. shake the kitten lightly so that it starts 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. When she gives birth next time, the number of kittens will increase, and there will be about 3-8 cubs.

See more about Tonkin cats in the video below.