Tonkinese Cats 101 : Fun Facts & Myths

In today's video, we are going to talk about some interesting facts and myths, about the Tonkinese Cat.

It is often said that the Tonkinese is the only breed to originate from Canada, that is misleading. As a recognised breed of cat, the Tonkinese actually originated in England - where they were known as Chocolates. In 1902 the Siamese Club wrote "One great object of the Siamese Club is to encourage the distinct breeding of the Royal cat of Siam, and the Chocolate cat of Siam, - both beautiful in their own way, but recognised as distinct breeds." The earliest known Chocolate breeders were Mr & Mrs Hurbert Young of Harrogate in Yorkshire. Records show that Young's Chocolate queen, Lady Siam, was successfully shown at the 1888 Crystal Palace Cat Show. The more well-known English breeders of Chocolates, in the late 1800s, were Mrs & Miss Sutherland whose famous Chocolate stud was Prince of Siam.

In the 1960s collaboration, between Canadian and American breeders revived the breed; and in 1967 the newly formed Canadian Cat Association became the first registry to accept the breed, under the name Tonkanese (later changed to Tonkinese).

Here are some interesting facts about the Tonkinese Cats: