Tonkinese Cat Breed Information
Also known as: Tonk
A deliberate cross between Siamese and Burmese, the Tonkinese sits between its parent breeds in colour, build and temperament. Active, vocal, demanding, and a fixture in NZ Catz Inc and NZCF breeder lists.
A highly affectionate, highly trainable, great with young children cat. On the practical side: low grooming demands and minimal drool. The trade-off is vocal.
About the Tonkinese.
The Tonkinese is the deliberate middle ground between Siamese and Burmese: less vocal than the Siamese, more active than the Burmese, with the trademark “mink” coat and aqua eyes. The breed was developed in Canada and the US from the 1960s and is now a fixture of NZ pedigree cat breeding through Catz Inc and NZCF.
The mink coat is the classic Tonk look. Solid and pointed variants exist within litters and are also recognised.
Personality and behaviour
Tonkinese are interactive, social and demanding, in the family-friendly sense. They greet visitors at the door, follow their humans around the house, and treat the household as their personal social club. The voice is softer and lower-pitched than a Siamese but used regularly.
They are highly trainable, with many learning fetch, recall and harness walking. They get on well with other cats, respectful dogs and children old enough to handle a busy cat without rough handling.
The surprise for new owners is how much the breed wants company. Tonkinese left alone all day are stressed and noisy.
Care and grooming
Coat care is among the easiest of any pedigree cat. A weekly rub with a rubber mitt covers the small amount of shed. Bathing rarely needed.
The bigger care item is mental routine: 30 to 40 minutes of structured play daily, plus puzzle feeders and rotated toys. A second cat solves much of this for working households.
Indoor vs outdoor in New Zealand
Indoor or catio. Tonkinese are friendly to strangers, valuable, and not street-aware. Prey drive is moderate, so the SPCA NZ containment case applies. The breed adjusts well to indoor or catio life given the people-bonded temperament.
Where to find a Tonkinese in New Zealand
The NZCF and Catz Inc breeder directories list NZ-registered Tonkinese breeders (NZCF Tonkinese, Catz Inc Tonkinese). Expect a three to six month waitlist, NZD 1,200 to 2,800. Ask the breeder which coat variants their lines produce and whether parents have been screened for breed-typical heart and dental issues.
Tonkinese-specific rescues are rare in NZ. Adults appear occasionally at SPCA NZ and all-breed cat rescues. Adoption around NZD 150 to 350.
Insurance and lifetime cost
The Tonkinese has a relatively clean claim profile compared with its parent breeds. Dental disease and occasional respiratory issues are the routine items. Lifetime cost sits in the middle of the pedigree cat range at $250 to $400 a month all-in.
The Tonkinese, by the numbers.
Each trait scored 1 to 5 on the AKC scale. The verdict synthesises the data; the panels below show the strengths, group averages, and the full trait table.
Top strengths
Family Life
avg 4.3Affectionate with Family
Good with Young Children
Good with Other Pets
Physical
avg 1.5Shedding
Grooming Frequency
Social
avg 3.5Openness to Strangers
Playfulness
Adaptability
Independence
Personality
avg 3.8Trainability
Energy Level
Vocal Level
Prey Drive
Mental Stimulation Needs
Living with a Tonkinese.
A 24-hour breakdown of how this breed's day typically goes, scaled to its energy, mental-stimulation, and grooming needs.
What a Tonkinese costs to own.
An indicative NZ lifetime cost: purchase, setup, then food, vet, insurance, grooming and other annual outgoings. Adjust the inputs to see how your choices change the total.
A Tonkinese costs about
$136per month
$31
$4
$28,428
Adjust the inputs:
Where the monthly cost goes
Food
$35 / mo
$415/yr · breed-appropriate dry & wet food
Insurance
$32 / mo
$388/yr · lifetime cover protects against breed-specific claims
Vet (avg)
$44 / mo
$530/yr · routine checks plus breed-specific risk
Grooming
$0 / mo
$0/yr · brushes, shampoo, professional clips
Other
$25 / mo
$300/yr · toys, treats, dental, boarding
Indicative NZ averages calculated from breed weight, grooming need and screened-condition count. One-off costs (purchase $2,000 + setup $300) are factored into the lifetime total but not the monthly figure.
How does the Tonkinese compare?
This breed
Tonkinese
$28,428
16-year lifetime cost
- Purchase + setup$2,300
- Food (lifetime)$6,640
- Vet (lifetime)$8,480
- Insurance (lifetime)$6,208
- Grooming (lifetime)$0
- Other (lifetime)$4,800
Reference
Average NZ cat
$23,600
14-year lifetime cost
- Purchase + setup$500
- Food (lifetime)$7,000
- Vet (lifetime)$5,600
- Insurance (lifetime)$5,600
- Grooming (lifetime)$1,400
- Other (lifetime)$3,500
A Tonkinese costs about $4,828 more over a lifetime than the average nz cat, mostly highervet and higherpurchase + setup.
What to ask the breeder.
Reputable NZ cat breeders test for these conditions and share results. The bigger health drivers for the breed appear in the Common group.
Common
1 conditionGingivitis and dental disease
Annual dental checks essential.
Occasional
1 conditionAsthma and chronic bronchial disease
Inherited from the Siamese line in some pedigrees.
Rare but urgent
1 conditionGenerally healthy breed
Tonkinese inherit broadly low risk for the heritable conditions seen in their Siamese and Burmese parent breeds.
The Tonkinese in NZ.
- Popularity: A consistent NZ pedigree breed with active Catz Inc and NZCF breeders, particularly in the upper North Island.
- Typical price: NZ$1200–2800 from registered breeders or rescues
- Rescue availability: rare
- NZ climate fit: Lean coat handles all NZ regions; provide warm sleeping spots in cooler regions.
- Living space: Apartments and houses both suit. Two-cat households work better than single.
Who the Tonkinese is for.
Suits
- Households home most of the day or running two cats
- Owners wanting Siamese personality without quite the Siamese voice
- Multi-pet homes with confident other pets
Less suited to
- Households where the cat would be alone all day
- Owners wanting a quiet cat
Common questions.
Is a Tonkinese quieter than a Siamese?
Will a Tonkinese suit a working household?
How does the mink coat differ from solid or pointed Tonkinese?
If the Tonkinese appeals, also consider.
Breeds with a similar profile that might suit your household.
Siamese
Slender, blue-eyed colourpoint cat from Thailand. Among the most vocal and people-bonded breeds in the world. Smart, demanding, and a poor fit for households where the cat is alone all day.
Burmese
Compact, muscular shorthair famous for being intensely affectionate and following its person from room to room. Often called the "Velcro cat" for the way it sticks close. Vocal but soft-spoken, with a notable separation anxiety risk if left alone all day.
Balinese
The longhaired Siamese, with the same body type, colourpoint pattern, intense vocal personality and trainability as the Siamese itself. The longhair gene is recessive and appears occasionally in Siamese litters.
Oriental Shorthair
Genetically a Siamese in non-pointed colours. Lean, leggy, large-eared, vocal, and one of the most colour-and-pattern-diverse pedigree breeds (over 300 recognised colours and patterns).
Last reviewed:
Sources for this pageInformation only. Breed traits and health notes on this page are aggregated from public registry and breed-authority sources. Individual animals vary; this page is general information, not veterinary, behavioural, or insurance advice. Always consult a registered NZ vet or breeder for guidance specific to your situation.