Tonkinese are very loving, mischievous cats whose personality combines the best of the Siamese and Burmese breeds! They love cuddles and climbing as high as they can. They are also very good at retrieving things and will play fetch for ages!

Kizzie is being entertained by Mymystic Pharoah. She looks frightened to death but I'm sure that is just the angle of the lens. They loved each other really and happily shared food bowls and cuddled up together. This liaison resulted in a pregnancy :-)))

This is Kizzie. Bonzer Kiss IntheDark my blue tonkinese with a pointed coat pattern. She is 6 1/2 weeks pregnant now and the sire of the kittens is Mymystic Pharoah. She is in lovely condition at the moment and we hope for the patter of tiny paws around the 4th June.

Kizzie was very clever and gave birth to 8 kittens on Friday 4th June. She was brilliant and only took 2 1/2 hours to produce so many kittens. At one point neither of us knew what to do next. This picture was taken on the Saturday when we had both calmed down a bit. I think there's 5 boys and 3 girls but I'm not too sure and I think there's a really good mix of colours. Kizzie is being an excellent mum! 

All 8 kittens are developing really well and it is easy to see the tabby markings developing on some of them. We have discovered that there are 6 boys and 2 girls . Luckily one of the girls is almost  certainly a blue tabby which is what I really wanted. That kitten, Amorcatz Minnie Coopurr, will be staying with us as hopefully a breeding and showing queen. Kizzie is an excellent mum, very protective but allowing me to handle them frequently, which is an important part of the socialisation programme.

The kits are 2 weeks old tomorrow and are already becoming bold little characters. Some of them are showing interest in the edge of the pen but luckily haven't got the strength to climb out just yet. I think I will have to clip the front panel on so mum can hop in the top but babies can stay cosy and secure.

Couldn't resist posting this picture. Kizzie had decided they all needed a wash whereas they all thought it was much more run to run and see what I was doing. I could just see her thinking 'I wish they'd all stand still!' What will she think in a few weeks when they're running around the kitten room!!

The kittens are 3 weeks old now and are developing really fast. They are very lively round the pen. I have had to put the wire front in for a while as one or two of them are trying to climb out and I'd prefer them to stay in the nice warm pen for a bit longer now! The are becoming little characters and run to me when they hear my voice. They are also very vocal!! Kizzie is still being a wonderful mum.

What a difference a week makes! I was a little worried about Tiny Tim (top right) but he is going great guns now he's discovered solid food. They can all climb out of the kitten pen now and this picture shows them having a mad 5 mins. I just love the way their tail bushes up when they're playing pounce. Poor mum Kizzie despairs of them and is forever running looking for the escapees.

I had had a friendly bet with some friends that the kits would have found their way to the top of the pen by Wednesday. I got home from school that day and found 4 kitties sat at the top as proud as you like. Now I wasn't sure if mum had put them up there or not so I lay in wait all evening and was fascinated to see them slowly launch themselves up the scratching post and, more importantly, find their own way down again. Mum, far from hiding at the top out of the way, seemed to be inciting them up there. These three tabby terrors look very pleased with themselves.

Today is their 5 week birthday. it is getting more and more difficult to photograph them all together. Seconds before this photo was taken all 8 of them were snuggled up on this bed. Needless to say, as soon as I walk through the door they come running over to me!

I did manage to capture 7 of them in this picture which is no mean feat I can tell you! They are all eating very well now as you can see and are developing beautiful glossy coats. Can you spot the beautiful blue boy with the tonk coat pattern. Two of the tabbies are in the middle somewhere!. I think the others might well be pointed coat pattern but I could well be wrong:-)))

The kits are now 6 weeks old and are beginning to develop real personalities. These 3 tabby tonk coat pattern kits are nearly always found together. They love sleeping at the top of the scratching post and are nicknamed the three musketeers. The blue tonk boy is very affectionate and purrs as soon as you look at him. The others rarely stay still long enough to talk. They do like it when  I go in and sit on the floor. They like to climb on my lap and be fussed.

I've been trying to get some photos of all 8 of them together for ages. Today I finally managed it! They are developing into real sweeties. The three tabbies are looking as striking as ever and  I have a real soft spot for the blue boy. His eyes are beginning to change to aqua and he has a definite look of his Uncle Fable. The other 4 boys are blue pointed and are looking stunning. I am at last beginning to be able to tell them apart. I will have to start giving them pet names before they are adopted by their new owners.

The kittens are now developing really strong personalities and their colour is developing. Linda V Pharoah's owner come to visit today and was completely won over by their looks and personality. Their new owners are coming to visit now and choose the kittens for them. Already the blue boy, Dino, and the tabby boy, Ferdie, have chosen their new owners. I have 2 more sets of people coming at the weekend to visit and be chosen! How can you choose one, or perhaps 2 of this beautiful bunch?

The kittens have had loads of new experiences this week. I brought the tunnel into the kitten room for them to play with. Can you see mum in the background? They are looking more and more like her.

Then I decided it was time that they finished their socialisation programme and I opened the kitten room door and allowed them into the house to mix with my mob. 'Mum told me not to talk to strangers' said Dino & Buster following their first close encounter with Mia the LaPerm. They love the stairs and spend endless hours chasing up and down them. they will certainly be fit when they leave to go to their new homes :-))

The kittens have really found their feet and are itching to play with the big cats. Enya, the blue tortie Burmese is only 8 months old and thinks they are wonderful. She has never grown up herself and thinks they are wonderful new toys to play with.

Kirsty and Callum came to visit to choose their new kitten. Little did they know that it doesn't work out like that. This confident little blue pointed boy just climbed up onto her lap and decided that was where he wanted to stay! He had chosen his new slaves and was quite happy with the arrangement. This little lad is Amorcatz Alfurr Romeo, aka Buster.

This is the end of an era. All the kittens have gone to their new homes apart from the little blue pointed boy at the front of the picture. His new owners are travelling all the way from Ireland tonight to meet him in readiness for his journey back with them tomorrow. You would think that Kizzie, Minnie and Mia would let him in the basket for a last cuddle! I don't think there's much room though! It is amazing the distance some people have travelled for these kittens. Two of them went to Glasgow, while the others were a little closer to home. Most new owners keep in touch which is lovely for me!

Today was the date or our local cat show the Wyvern and I had entered Minnie Coopurr in her first show. She qualified by one day! She had an excellent time winning her open and getting best of breed. She won another side class and came 3rd out of a class of 9 - an excellent achievement for such a baby. Her next appointment will be at the Supreme with big sister Mia, the LaPerm. This takes place on 20th November.

How could I forget that before the Supreme was the Tonkinese Breed Club show. I was particularly looking forward to this show as Minnie would be competing against other tonks. Too often when you go to a championship show there are very few tonks there. Minnie had a lovely day coming 4th in her open but winning first in 3 side classes, in some cases beating kittens that beat her in the open - all exciting stuff. I was absolutely amazed at the end of the show to discover that Minnie had won trophies for best tabby kitten and best tabby. Didn't she do well :-))

The Supreme cat show at the NEC. This is the GCCF's own cat show and cats and kittens have to qualify by winning their open class in a championship show during the preceding year. I was very nervous about being there as I had visited as a spectator many times but never dreamt that I would exhibit there. It was even more special as I had bred Minnie myself! Imagine my surprise when Minnie won her open and was awarded best of breed. There weren't many tonks there but Minnie had achieved beyond my wildest dreams. What is even nicer is the fact that Minnie loves being shown. She is permanently nosy and loves being talked to. The nice thing about the Supreme is that you can watch your cat being judged and Minnie was so confident and happy. I am very, very proud of her!!