It was in the Far East that distinct breeds of cat were first recorded, most notably
in Siam (Thailand) around 400 AD. A belief common in both Burma and Siam was that when
a great personage died, such as a king or queen, his (or her) soul transferred itself
to the body of a cat, where it remained until it died a natural death. Only then
could the royal member's soul enter paradise. It was also customary for the royal
member's favourite cat to be entombed alive with him. The tomb had a small opening
for the cat, through which it escaped, carrying the soul of the recently deceased.
The cat was then reverently escorted to the temple, where it lived the rest of its
life in gracious ease, cared for by the local monks. The practice of giving a home
to and caring for the welfare of temple cats continues to the present day.
The history and breeding of Tonkinese, Burmese and Siamese are inextricably
interlinked, though the Burmese and Siamese are generally referred to as the
Tonkinese's parent breeds. However, a painting by American artist William Morris Hunt
(1824 - 1879) entitled Girl with a Cat suggests that the Tonkinese have been in the
West for at least 100 years - and maybe even longer.
Not only does the Tonkinese have a very similar body type to the original Siamese
breed, but it has played a crucial role in founding the Burmese breed both in the
USA and the UK. In 1930, a Tonkinese named Wong Mau was taken to California, where
the Burmese breed was developed.
While still considered a new breed, the Tonkinese is not a hybrid as some people
mistakenly assume. Being of the same bloodlines as Siamese and Burmese breeds,
today's Tonkinese are believed to be a reconstruction of the chocolate Siamese cat
imported to England in the early 1900s.
Incidentally, you may be wondering how the name 'Tonkinese' originated. It was chosen
because of the Gulf of Tonkin in the South China Sea, lying on latitude 20°
, which runs between Burma and Thailand.
