A Tonkinese needs about 30 minutes of active play a day, a five-minute brush once a week, and one heart scan before its third birthday. Everything else is timing: when the coat sheds hardest, when weight starts to creep, and which two inherited conditions in this Siamese-Burmese cross stay invisible until they are established.
The year at a glance
Six checkpoints cover the twelve months. Set phone reminders and the rest is routine.
| Period | Coat and nails | Weight | Health task |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan-Feb | Weekly 5-minute glove rub; nails every 14 days | Weigh monthly; watch the post-holiday 200-300 g | Annual exam; ask for a murmur grade |
| Mar-Apr | Spring shed: twice weekly for 3-4 weeks | Every 2 weeks; treats under 10% of calories | Echocardiogram if due (every 12-18 months) |
| May-Jun | Ears weekly; check wax in the fold | Monthly; ribs felt without pressing | Flea and tick prevention restarts |
| Jul-Aug | Nails every 14 days; thinner coat is normal | Monthly; heat can cut intake 10-15% | Resting breath count, 3 times a week |
| Sep-Oct | Autumn shed: twice weekly | Every 2 weeks; this is the gain season | Eye exam if night-time hesitancy appears |
| Nov-Dec | Weekly rub; add a warm bed | Monthly; 4-5 kg for an adult male | Dental scaling if tartar covers a third of a tooth |
Coat: five minutes, two shedding peaks
The single, close-lying coat has no undercoat to trap dead hair, so it does not mat and does not need a comb that reaches the skin. A rubber grooming glove for five minutes once a week is enough. During the two shed peaks, in March-April and September-October, go to twice a week for three to four weeks. Swallowed hair leaves as a sausage-shaped stool or a 3-5 cm tube, and either is normal unless it repeats weekly.
Nails need cutting every 14-21 days, 1-2 mm at a time, staying 2-3 mm clear of the pink quick on a pale nail. Ears on the Siamese side run waxy: wipe the visible fold with a dry pad weekly and never push anything into the canal. Bathing is only for oil or mess; more than one bath in 8 weeks strips the coat and invites greasy skin.
Weight: the drift starts at two years
Adult size arrives at 18-24 months, then the chest keeps filling out until three. Appetite stays at kitten level while the growth curve flattens, so a male at 4.2 kg at 18 months can sit at 5.6 kg by three with no visible change in the bowl. Weigh monthly on a baby scale at the same time of day and write it down: 300 g over two months is a signal, not a rounding error.
For a 4 kg adult, plan on 200 kcal across two or three meals; a 5.5 kg male takes 240-260. Keep treats under 10% of that, roughly 20 kcal, or four 5 kcal pieces. Never top up a bowl instead of measuring: this cat asks convincingly, and free-feeding is the fastest route to 6 kg. Body condition stays at 5 out of 9, ribs under a thin fat layer, waist visible from above.
Screening: heart, retina, protein deposits
Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is the breed's most common heart disease and echocardiography is the only reliable early check, because a cat with moderate disease looks normal. Take a baseline echo at 12-18 months, then repeat every 12-18 months to age eight. At home, count resting breaths for 30 seconds while the cat sleeps: under 30 a minute is normal, 30-40 on three consecutive checks means a vet visit within a week, and above 40, open-mouth breathing, or dragging hind legs means an emergency room tonight.
rdAc progressive retinal atrophy comes through the Siamese line and is recessive, so two clear parents can still produce an affected kitten; ask for both parents' DNA status. Night blindness shows first, from two to four years: hesitating at stairs, refusing the bed after dark. An ophthalmology exam yearly from age two catches it before the cat walks into furniture; pupils that stay wide in bright light need an appointment within 48 hours.
Amyloidosis, the Burmese-side risk, deposits protein in liver or kidney and has no screening test, so the calendar lists thresholds instead: unexplained weight loss of 5% in three months, yellow gums or ear leather, drinking over 45 ml per kg per day, or vomiting twice a week for three weeks. Any one of those earns bloodwork with SDMA and a urine protein check.
Play, harness walks, and the ten-hour limit
Two 15-minute sessions cover the body, one at breakfast and one before bed, plus a puzzle feeder or two treat-hiding games for the brain. End wand play with a caught toy and a small reward, or the cat learns the game never resolves and stops committing.
This is one of the few breeds that takes to a harness if it starts before 12 months: five minutes in the hallway for a week, then a quiet garden. A walked Tonkinese is calmer indoors than one with a full toy box. It also does not tolerate ten hours alone; if the flat is empty from 8 am to 6 pm, add a second cat or a midday visit, or expect night yowling and door-testing instead.
Six mistakes that show up in this breed
- Free-feeding dry food because the cat is slim at 18 months.
- Skipping the echo because the cat runs and jumps without effort.
- Monthly baths for shine, which cause greasy skin within 6-8 weeks.
- A hard-pin slicker on a coat with no undercoat, which scratches skin.
- Ignoring a resting respiratory rate of 34 because the cat seems fine.
- Explaining a 40 g weekly gain as winter weight for six months running.
What to book, and when
- Baseline echocardiogram at 12-18 months, then every 12-18 months, reports in one folder.
- Monthly weight on one scale; a 5% change over three months triggers a call.
- Weekly 30-second resting breath count, logged three times a week in summer.
- Annual exam and dental check; brush teeth three times a week for the tartar this line builds.
- Nails every 14-21 days and an ear wipe weekly, done in one sitting.
Frequently asked
How often does a Tonkinese need to be brushed?
Once a week for five minutes with a rubber glove or soft bristle brush, which is enough because the single coat has no undercoat to trap dead hair. During the two shed peaks in March to April and September to October, brush twice a week for three to four weeks, and check the tail base where loose hair collects.
At what age should a Tonkinese have its first heart scan?
Between 12 and 18 months, then every 12 to 18 months through age eight. Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy is the breed's most common heart disease and produces no murmur you could hear at home in many cats, so echocardiography is the only reliable early check. Ask for the murmur grade at every annual exam.
How much should I feed an adult Tonkinese?
About 200 kcal a day for a 4 kg adult and 240 to 260 kcal for a 5.5 kg male, measured and split into two or three meals, with treats under 10 percent of the total. Weigh the cat monthly, because the appetite stays at kitten level after growth stops around two years and free-feeding leads to steady gain.