More About Tonkinese Kittens
Photos & Text © Linda Vousden This Page Covers - Will I be able to see my kitten's parents? Is it better to have one or two Tonks? If a mature cat would be better for me, where can I find one? Is it best to have two boys, two girls or one of each? What should I have ready at home for my new kitten? What should I do if my kitten falls ill soon after I bring it home? What should I do if I need to report a problem breeder? How to check whether a breeder's prefix is registered with the GCCF In Progress I have an old cat, would a kitten be suitable? |
Will I be able to see my kitten's parents?
It is normal to be able to see the kittens with their mother (the queen), but unless the breeder owns the father (stud) then you won't see him. If the breeder does own the stud he won't be with the kittens, but you may be able to see him if he doesn't have a visiting queen. This is entirely up to the breeder as some studs are more welcoming to visitors than others. Is it better to have just one or two Tonks? I would generally say two. With over 25 years of experience with the Tonks (and many years of teaching feline psychology) I would definitely say a Tonk kitten should never be an "only" cat. Tonks are a highly social and intelligent breed and definitely need company of their own kind. Two Tonk kittens, especially litter-mates, works well even for a couple who are out at work all day. There may be cases of adult cats, particularly those who have had to be re-homed later in life, where they settle better as an only cat, but this is definitely the exception as anyone who has ever seen a Tonk Pile will tell you. Is it best to have two boys, two girls or one of each? There is no correct answer to this question, and it inevitably falls to your own personal preference and, of course, whether the two cats get on with each other. Your breeder may be able to tell you if two kittens in the litter are particularly attached to each other. If you do have a male and a female understand clearly that Tonkinese are precocious and have even been known to mate as young as four months old! So at least one of the two should be neutered early. Today early neutering has been found to be quite safe and does no harm as long as the kitten is fit and healthy. I have an old cat, would a kitten be suitable? What should I have ready at home for my new kitten? Make sure that the kittens have a suitable and safe place to sleep (warm, safe and out of a draught), adequate litter trays (ideally three trays for two kittens, in different places around the house), water in a couple of places around the house and enough wet and/or dry food for a growing kitten to snack on throughout the day - they should each have their own bowl so that the greedier/hungrier/bigger kitten does not hog all the food. They should also have something that they can play with and, if necessary, destroy – cardboard boxes are great for this. You should also register them with a good local vet and take them for a routine health assessment as soon as possible - this will allow the vet to record their weight, size and current development as a benchmark for the future. What should I do if my kitten falls ill soon after I bring it home? The first priority is to get the kitten well again so take it to a vet. All breeders have the opportunity to provide free insurance covering the kitten for the first few weeks with its new owner (e.g. through companies such as Petplan or Agria). Then contact the breeder with the information and details of the vet's findings. If it is found that the illness has resulted from something occurring before you brought the kitten home it is reasonable to expect the breeder to take some responsibility for out of pocket expenses and perhaps even accept the kitten back with a full refund. What should I do if I need to report a problem breeder? If you believe you have a genuine cause for concern about a breeder who is GCCF registered you should make a complaint in writing to the GCCF. Much as the various breed clubs would like to help there is little, or nothing, they can do; and as affiliates of the GCCF the rules oblige clubs to forward complaints directly to the GCCF without further action. However clubs would still wish to know that a complaint is being raised so that they may monitor its progress in case it may help. This link will take you to the Complaints page of the GCCF web site. The page gives you detailed information about the process. On the left hand side of the page are links to the forms appropriate to your complaint. How to check whether a breeder's prefix is registered with the GCCF This link will take you to a page on the GCCF web site. Part way down the page there are links for Registered Prefixes A - M and for N - Z. These open .pdf files containing hundreds of prefixes in alphabetical order. If your cat's prefix is not on the list then your breeder is not GCCF registered. If a mature cat would be better for me, where can I find one? Sometimes a breeder will be re-homing a mature cat - maybe an ex-breeding queen who has been neutered but is no longer happy in the home, or an ex-stud for the same reason. These cats usually make loving pets once settled in to their new home. Just be sure that you are happy with the environment that the cat is coming from in the first place. The other alternative is to contact the breed rescue organisations. Clubs such as the Tonkinese Breed Club or Tonkinese Cat Club will have details posted on their web sites. |