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What should I look for in a Tonkinese for breeding/showing?

Note: No cat should be bred from that is not registered as 'active'.

© Linda Vousden

 

There seems to be a current myth that you should only breed from 3rd or later generations Tonkinese - this is incorrect.

In an ideal world, with a great number of Tonks suitable for breeding, you would mate 1st generation Tonkinese with 1st generation Tonkinese, 2nd generation with 2nd generation etc. - but since we don't have a great number of breeding Tonks in the UK we have to accept that the generations we breed together are not critical.

 

However, if you want your kittens to be eligible for showing you should not breed from:-

  1. Tonkinese born after 1996 that has one Burmese or Siamese parent

  2. Tonkinese born after 1998 from Burmese x Siamese parents.

  3. Tonkinese that has either a) or b) as parents.

(This can be confusing - you need to read the Tonkinese Registration Policy)

Instead of worrying about the generation of Tonkinese that you are breeding from you should be looking at the quality of the breeding cats as representatives of the Tonkinese breed.

  • Do they have good health and size?

  • Do they have good temperament? Avoid easily stressed or nervous cats as the kittens will inherit these traits.

  • Do they have good Tonkinese type (head and body shape)?

  • Do they have a good examples of their registered coat-pattern (Tonkinese, Tonkinese solid-variant and Tonkinese pointed-variant).

  • Do they have good eye-colour for their coat-pattern?

  • Do they have good colour definition (e.g.. does the chocolate look like chocolate or is it too dark?)

  • If they are Tortoiseshell or Tabby, are their markings clear and in accordance with the requirements for the breed?

  • Are you able to find a suitable mate?

If you have a Tonkinese that meets with these conditions, but may be less than ideal in one or two, then you should try to mate with a Tonkinese that is notable good in those areas - in order to try to compensate for your cat's weakness. Always strive for the ideal match.

For a clear description of the Tonkinese type and colours (including the Tortoiseshell and Tabby) see the Tonkinese Standard of Points.

COPYRIGHT NOTICE - You may print-off any page for your own information but, unless indicated otherwise, I retain copyright of

photographs, illustrations & articles used on the Mymystic/TBC web site. You may  not use them without my express permission.    - Linda Vousden.

 

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