Even though the Tonkinese is a relatively modern cat breed, feline historians believe that Tonkinese have been with us since the early 20th century. In 1930, a cat named Wong Mau was imported to the United States. Even though she was supposedly a “Burmese type” cat, it’s likely that she was a Burmese – Siamese cross, which means that even though the Tonkinese cat breed had yet to be listed, she was in fact Tonkinese. As one of the breed’s matriarchs, Wong Mau is still found on many contemporary Tonkinese pedigrees.
We have two separate breeders to thank for the Tonkinese cats we know and love today. Jane Barletta, a US cat breeder, and Margaret Conroy, a cat breeder from Canada, set up separate Siamese / Burmese crossbreeding operations. Others soon followed suit and this captivating cat breed rapidly gained popularity.
The Tonkinese was introduced to competition in the 1980s. First granted official recognition in Canada, Tonkinese cats were given championship status by the Cat Fanciers Association (CFA) in 1984. Once the breed was firmly established outcrossing to Burmese and Siamese cats was discontinued.
Tonkinese cats are widely recognized by cat breed registries worldwide including The International Cat Association (TICA), the Australian Cat Federation (ACF), the Canadian Cat Association (CCA) and others.