Coat Patterns

The coat itself is short and lies very close to the body. It is very silky and has a wonderful feel.

Coat pattern refers to the color of the coat in relationship to the color of the points (extremities). Both Siamese and Burmese are called pointed cats because their points are a different color than their body. In Siamese there is a lot of contrast between coat and points. In the Burmese this difference can be so small as to not be noticeable and most people do not consider them a pointed cat. It is most noticable in the dilute colors and as kittens, whereas the adult Sable color appears to be solid.

Tonkinese have three coat patterns: pointed, mink, and solid. The three kittens in the illustration have the same color Natural (look at the ears), but each have a different coat pattern. From left to right they are: natural point, natural mink, and natural solid. Natural is a color name described in the next section.

• Pointed - a Siamese coat pattern - It has a strong contrast between the points and body.
• Mink - unique to the Tonkinese - It is a medium contrast between the Siamese and Burmese. The contrast between body and legs is less abrupt than with Siamese.
• Solid - a Burmese coat pattern - This is not a true solid cat but one of weak contrast.

Only the Mink can be shown as it is the most different from the two parent breeds, but all three coat patterns are registered cats. Because of genetics, all three coat patterns will continue to exist and cannot be eliminated from the breed.