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First and foremost please note that the cat is
not
a 'Tonkinese Variant' -
it is a Tonkinese with a variation of the coat-pattern.
When Tonkinese are bred
together the offspring may have one of three variations of
coat-pattern.
-
Solid coat-pattern (referred to as sepia
in some countries) - evenly coloured over the body and points and the cat
will have greenish-gold eyes.
-
Intermediate or 'Tonkinese', coat-pattern (referred to as mink in some
countries) -
has a rich body colour merging with darker points of
the same colour and tone and clear greenish-blue eyes.
-
Pointed
coat-pattern - very pale bodied, not white, with contrasting dark
points; a cat with this coat-pattern will have clear blue eyes.
Whichever coat-pattern they may have these cats
are undoubtedly Tonkinese (not Burmese or Siamese as you will
find in so many poorly researched books) - and they are all valuable
contributors to the Tonkinese breed.
In the UK it is only the Intermediate, or
'Tonkinese', coat-pattern that is eligible to be shown under the GCCF
and kittens with the solid or pointed coat-pattern are registered as
having a 'variant coat-pattern'.
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.
To learn more please click on
Tonkinese
Coat-Patterns.
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