Updated: 2 October, 2009
Here at Emmel Tonkinese, we strive to breed what we consider to be true Australian Tonkinese. We have done this by using old Australian bloodlines, mixed with imported lines from the US, UK and NZ.
No breeder will ever breed the perfect cat, simply by breeding a Siamese to a Burmese (the 2 parental breeds that were used to recreate the Tonkinese). If it was this easy, then every breeder who bred a Siamese to a Burmese would have identical Tonkinese kittens. As such, we have combined the US Tonkinese with old Australian bloodlines. Also, UK and NZ cats we have outcrossed to Burmese in order to improve type, so that they are Australian Tonkinese – not US, UK or NZ.
Some wonder why we have outcrossed to Burmese – which was an allowable outcross by the Australian Cat Federation. The reason they allowed it as an outcross is that the Burmese was developed from an original Tonkinese crossed with a Siamese. It is thought that the Siamese, Tonkinese and Burmese were in fact the 3 coat patterns of the ONE breed (See History of Tonkinese for more information). Therefore, by using Burmese, we are simply adding more desirable attributes to improve type, rather than it being more one breed than the other.
Some breeders, either through ignorance or some other reason, have feared that the introduction of our US lines means that we have the terrible Lethal Cranial gene in our lines. This is NOT CORRECT.
The Lethal Cranial gene is apparent in the US Contemporary Burmese. Very few Tonkinese lines in the US have used the Contemporary Burmese, and those lines are carefully monitored in the US. We are in regular contact with US Tonkinese experts who monitor these lines and they have assured us that the imported US lines we use are CLEAR of any Contemporary Burmese and therefore, CLEAR of the LETHAL CRANIAL gene.
We are part of a small but very dedicated, and very experienced, band of breeders who strive to breed TRUE AUSTRALIAN TONKINESE.
Leia (Emmel Princess Leia) and Hermione (Emmel Lady H) have retired toMelbourne. They are pictured below a couple of hours after their flight down.
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We are very grateful to Priscilla for giving them a loving, forever pet-home.
Our "New Kids On The Block" - click on the image to find out more.
New girl from imported English bloodlines.
Click on Nala's pic below for more information.
The Future
We have now started up our breeding program again after an absence of about 18 months due to personal reasons. We would again like to take this opportunity of thanking Noella Dreyer of Ellaben Tonkinese for her help and support during this time. We are now breeding kittens in a whole range of generations - from 1st generation through to 5th generation. In conjunction with Ellaben Tonkinese, we continue to develop new bloodlines to increase the genetic diversity of the genepool.
We are starting to rehome some of our older girls and continuing with the new generation of Emmel Tonkinese.
Past Achievements
At Emmel Tonkinese, we have been proud of our past achievements in breeding the first Tonkinese to be awarded "Supreme Exhibit" at a show (Emmel Shakira with new owner Dorothy Robinson) and also breeding both parents of the second Tonkinese to be awarded "Supreme Exhibit" (Zinkwazi Shani) at a show (the parents were Emmel Sebastian and Emmel Queen Nala).
Emmel Tonkinese cats and kittens starred in an episode of "Harry's Practice" which did a Pet Check on the Tonkinese breed and was aired June 24 2001 in Australia.As well, Emmel Kamika and Emmel Gillian were the feature cats in a Tonkinese profile in the national pet magazine "Pets-N-People" in December 2001.
The following cats have been used in breed programs around Australia:
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Emmel Shakira
