ADVICE ON BUYING A TONKINESE IN THE UK

When buying a pedigree kitten, of any breed, there are potential pitfalls.

I've written this short guide especially to help first-time pedigree kitten owners

Will a deposit be required?

Some breeder's take a deposit, some don't - this is entirely up to the breeder and there is no standard amount. However, once you have confirmed with the breeder that you do want one of their kittens it is reasonable for the breeder to request a proportion of the kitten price in order to hold the kitten for you (the deposit should be subtracted from the overall kitten price). A breeder whose primary concern is the correct home for their kitten (rather than the kitten price) will normally refund your deposit if either you, or they, decide that the kitten is not suitable for you. Bear in mind that if you change your mind about having the kitten after some time, then it is reasonable for the breeder to retain part of the deposit to help with the re-advertising of the kitten - all of this should be discussed before you leave any deposit.

Be sure that you are buying a kitten from a registered breeder (with the GCCF or other recognised cat fancy authority) and that the kitten's breeding complies with the recommendations of the Tonkinese Breeding Policy. I strongly recommend that you buy your kitten from a breeder who is a member of a recognised Tonkinese club, such as the Tonkinese Breed Club (if in doubt, you can check with the club’s Chairman or Secretary whether the breeder is a member or not). There are good reasons for this:

Although many breeders have their own prefix (cattery name) e.g. mine is Mymystic, it is not necessary to buy a kitten from a breeder with a prefix. Some breeders choose not to purchase their own prefix, when they register their kittens with the GCCF the kittens names will be preceded by a GCCF administration prefix beginning with 'Ad'.

You should be guided by your own impressions of the breeder, the way they relate to their cats and the condition of the kittens. Please note that when you go to see the kittens the mother may well look very scrawny, don't necessarily be put off by this as the kittens take a lot out of a queen no matter how well the breeder cares for her.  If you are unhappy with the conditions don't commit yourself until you've had time to consider and perhaps view other breeder's kittens. However, bear in mind that the breeder does have the right to sell their kittens to whomsoever they choose and is not bound to keep a kitten for you while you make up your mind. Don't be tempted to buy a kitten in order to 'rescue' it from what you see as an unhappy situation - if the kitten is really in poor conditions it will not necessarily make a good pet; but bear in mind that you may  have merely mis-judged the situation.

Tonkinese colouring may take many months to mature, so don't be surprised if a Tonkinese breeder says that they are not quite sure what coat-pattern or eye-colour their young kittens have. Ask as many questions as you wish, a good breeder will be happy to ensure that you have all the information you need to care for one of their kittens - and should expect the breeder to ask you many questions too. The breeder has a duty to clearly advise you whether or not a kitten is suitable to be bred from or shown - then your choice of kitten is your responsibility.

There is a lot of rubbish spouted about kittens not being proper Tonkinese unless they are at least third generation-if you are told this then the person who has told you is not a proper Tonkinese breeder and you should look elsewhere! 

• If your kitten/cat is born after 1st January 2007, and has only one Tonkinese parent then it is not a Tonkinese.

• If your kitten/cat is born after 1st January, and has one Burmese and one Siamese parent then it is a Tonkinese but cannot be shown (nor its progeny for up to 3 generations) and you should be clearly advised of this by the breeder .

• Providing your Tonkinese kitten has Tonkinese parents it doesn’t matter what generation it is. If you intend to breed Tonkinese there is no advantage in restricting yourself to a 3rd, or later, generation kitten. I strongly recommend that, if you wish to breed or show your Tonkinese, you read the Tonkinese Registration Policy carefully before choosing your kitten.

If you wish to show or breed, the breeder should advise you on the best points of each kitten - and its faults. The breeder should also advise you about Tonkinese variants. Once you have made your choice the breeder may or may not require a deposit from you - make sure that you understand whether the deposit is refundable and under what conditions. Remember that you also have a responsibility to understand what you are paying for. You should not be able to collect your kitten before it is 12 weeks of age and has had a full set of inoculations against Feline Infectious Enteritis and Feline ‘Flu. At the time of collecting your kitten a GCCF registered breeder must provide :-

1) a fully completed pedigree showing full details of breed & registration numbers of the first 3 generations of ancestors.

2) the correct registration transfer documents signed by the breeder (a pink slip from the GCCF showing the kitten’s registered pedigree name, parents, breed number, registration number, whether the kitten is on the ‘active’ register and whether it may be shown). The breeder does not have a right to withhold this document but, they may choose not to register the kitten - in which case they must provide a copy of the certificate of mating.

3) a copy of the GCCF ‘General Code of Ethics for Breeders & Owners’.

4) a properly completed vaccination certificate showing the kitten's breed, date of birth and pedigree name and showing that the kitten has had the full course (two injections, usually at the age of 9 and 12 weeks) for Feline Panleucopaenia (enteritis) and Feline viral infectious respiratory diseases (commonly known as 'flu).