Tonkinese: Magical Color Changing Cats

As you may know, Tonkinese are half Siamese and half Burmese.  The Tonkinese pull out the best and most amazing parts of each of the breed.

A glimpse into the how and why their coats change with the weather (note that it changes gradually).

Did you know that Siamese cats’ signature markings are the result of a temperature-sensitive enzyme? This is also why Siamese kittens are born without point markings!

The Siamese color points, aka the darker regions of fur at the tips of the ears, nose, legs and tail, are due to the pigment-producing enzyme called tyrosinase.  Tyrosinase is produced at cooler temperatures. Therefore, the cooler regions of the cat’s body, the extremities (such as the tail, paws, ears, and face), are darker in color. The rest of the cat’s body is lighter in color due to the warmer temperatures blocking tyrosinase production.

The lucky Tonkinese inherited this enzyme from their Siamese ancestors and if they have a slightly, or very much, darker body color of Burmese, they appear to magically darken in warm weather and then lighten in cooler weather.

The point color on the kittens can develop as early as a few days after birth and starts with some shading on the very tips of the ears and nose.

When kittens are inside the womb, their entire body is kept warm, blocking the tyrosinase and pigment production. After the kittens are born and the extremities are exposed to cooler temperatures, the darker points develop giving the kittens the characteristic Siamese look.

The photos were taken of the same litter, approximately one month apart.  The first photo shows a darker coated kitten but none of them show point coloration.  The later photo show nose and ear darkening.  The tail and feet will begin to darken in the following weeks.