Burmese and Tonkinese

November 11, 2025

The Albino Series of Genes

Patricia Jacobberger, RN, and Candilee Jackson, BA, MPH

 

Introduction

The cat world is filled with beautiful felines, both domestic and wild, but few breeds garner as much attention as those with the mask of a bandit and charmingly colorful soft ears, legs, and tail of pointed cats. In addition to the well-known Siamese and correctly termed Colorpoint Shorthair, two additional breeds must be included: the classic Burmese and their cousins, the Tonkinese.

The Burmese 

Patricia Jacobberger

The “albino gene series” in cats refers to the different alleles (one of two or more alternative forms of a gene that are mutations and found at the same place on a chromosome) that arise at the C-locus, a specific gene responsible for pigment production, with the TYR gene mutations encoding the tyrosinase enzyme.

Confused? It’s okay. Essentially, there are two key alleles in the albino series that influence color and pattern in several breeds of domesticated cats, as well as their eye color. One is known as the Siamese gene, and the other is referred to as the Burmese gene. These genes have become associated with the Siamese cat and the Burmese cat, but genes can be introduced into any breed or combination of breeds.

You have already seen what can happen with the Siamese gene (see “Let’s Get to the POINT… Pointed Cats, That Is!” by Liz Watson in the June 2025 edition of Cat Talk magazine). As Liz stated, “the pointed gene … is a genetic mutation that causes an expression of darker colors on the cat’s extremities such as ears, tail, legs, and face, while the body remains pale.”

We refer to this basic pattern as the Siamese pattern (also known as the Colorpoint Shorthair pattern). This pattern occurs specifically because of the mutation of the TYR gene, which affects the tyrosinase enzyme. The tyrosinase enzyme causes color and pattern to be more densely concentrated in the parts of a cat’s body that receive less circulation – the feet, ears, face, and tail. The eyes are always BLUE, but not every cat you see with blue eyes has them because of the Siamese gene. Blue eyes can occur randomly in many domestic cats.

So, what about the Burmese gene? The Burmese gene functions similarly to the Siamese gene. However, the tyrosinase enzyme activates the pigment in the cooler portions of the body (the extremities) in a more diffuse fashion so that the points softly blend into the body.

It also influences eye color in these cats, but in the case of the Burmese gene, the eyes are always a distinctive yellow/gold to amber in color.

Pattern-wise, the expression of the Burmese gene may not be as dramatic as the Siamese gene until you look at cats in the chocolate and red spectrums. You may not notice the pattern, for example, in the brown or sable colored cat, but if you look at a red, cream, lilac, chocolate, champagne, or platinum-colored cat, you will see a difference.

En Pointe: The Tonkinese 

Candilee Jackson

Falling neatly between the slinky Siamese and the classic Burmese is the graceful Tonkinese. With the goal to establish a cat “that was a balanced midpoint”² between both breeds, Jane Barletta of “B’ssa Cattery” and Canadian breeder Margaret Conroy began the creation of the Tonkinese breed in the 1960s. Their result is what Tonkinese breeders feel to be the best of both worlds: “A unique breed with a blend of both parents’ personalities and a distinctive appearance, including aquamarine-colored eyes.”²

Coat Colors Versus Coat Patterns

Similar to their cousins the Siamese, Tonkinese come in four base coat colors: platinum (lilac), champagne (chocolate), natural (seal), and blue. “By base colors, we mean the color of the points on the extremities (face, ears, tail, and legs), not the body color. By coat pattern, we mean the contrast between the color of the points and the body color.”¹ Each of these coat colors is evident with the three coat patterns: pointed, mink (the shaded result from the crossover breeding of Siamese to Burmese), and solid. With these coat patterns, the Tonkinese comes in twelve color combinations.

“All Tonkinese are pointed cats, and none are truly solid. Visualize them as varying degrees of contrast, ranging from a strong contrast to a low contrast, which can appear almost solid.”¹

Champagne solid: low contrast, body color a slightly lighter shade of the point color, with very little contrast between body and point color. Eyes as an adult are green to yellow/green.¹

Champagne mink: medium contrast, body color should be a rich, even, unmarked color, shading almost imperceptibly to a slightly lighter hue on the underparts. There must be a distinct contrast between the body and the point color. Eyes as an adult are aqua.¹

Champagne point: The body color should be off-white, any shading relative to the point color; overall body color should be in marked contrast to the point color. Eyes in adulthood are blue.¹

How to check body color: To compare the contrast of the tail to the body color, wrap the tail along the side of the body furthest away from you and view the colors side by side.¹

Point-to-body contrast varies within each base color group. Champagnes have the highest degree of contrast of the four base colors. Blues have the least, with platinums and naturals falling in between. A champagne solid may have the same number of contrasts as a blue mink. A blue solid may appear solid, but a champagne solid illustrates that they are not truly solid. Points all have light bodies, but the body color varies; the naturals have the darkest tone, and the platinums have the lightest. All Tonkinese colors tend to darken with age.¹

References

1. Martino, Linda. 2000. “Tonkinese Colors and Coat Patterns.” Tonkinese Breed Association. Accessed September 01, 2025. https://www.tonkinesebreedassociation.org/TonkineseColors.html.
2. PhD, Mary L Carsky. 1995. “The History of the Tonkinese.” Tonkinese Breed Association. Accessed September 01, 2025. https://www.tonkinesebreedassociation.org/HistoryoftheTonkinese.htm