What is a Toyger?
The call of the wild right in your living room: that's the Toyger with its dramatic striped and glittered pelt. The Toyger is being bred to resemble the tigers of the wild but in a package that fits easily into the modern urban lifestyle with the same nature as the domestic cat. The medium-sized cat has the rolling gait and vivid striped patterns of the wild cats without a single drop of real tiger blood. These miniature tigers are friendly outgoing cats that delight in being with their human companions. A young breed, the Toyger is in development as breeders work to replicate the pattern and colors of the tiger with ever-increasing accuracy. Tigers are an endangered species in the wild and many of the Toyger breeders are also very concerned about conserving the beautiful wild species that cats are created to resemble. The Toyger cat breed is one of the youngest among domestic cats. It was brought out by the Americans in 1993. The unique tabby stripes are the main signs that distinguish the Toyger.
History of Toygers
People often refer to mackerel tabby cats as tigers or tiger stripes and yet their pattern is a far cry from the bold braided patterns of the real tiger. In the late 1980s, Judy Sugden was working to improve the clarity of the mackerel markings in these tiger cats. She noticed that her cat Millwood Sharp Shooter had two spots of tabby markings on the temple and realized that this could be a key to developing a cat with the true circular pattern on a tiger's head. The temples of domestic tabbies do not usually have such markings on the head. Two cats that formed the cornerstone for the young Toyger breed were a striped domestic shorthair named Scrapmetal and a big-boned Bengal named Millwood Rumpled Spotskin. In 1993, Judy also imported Jammu Blu, a street cat from Kashmir, India, who had all spots between his ears rather than the regular tabby lines.
Judy embarked on her program to develop these toy tigers with a firm picture in her mind of the characteristics that would be needed to replicate the tiger in this miniature form: a large, long body to display the bold vertical patterns; a stretching and branching of the tabby patterns and rosettes found in other cats that would break up and elongate those patterns; the circular head markings found in no other domestic cat; the vivid glittering colors; and most importantly a laid-back temperament to make the Toyger a delight to live with. Joining Judy early on in this pioneering work were Anthony Hutcherson (JungleTrax) and Alice McKee (Windridge). In 1993, TICA accepted the Toyger for Registration and in 2000 advanced them to the new breed exhibition classes, finally granting them full recognition as a championship cat in February 2007.
Toyger Personality
Despite its “wild” appearance, it is a very gentle and affectionate cat. They love the company of people, get along well with both adults and small children. They are not temperamental and feel great, both in the space of a typical apartment and in a spacious house. Toygers have a calm disposition, of course, they are not averse to playing, but on the whole, they are balanced and calm animals. Toygers love to communicate, the range of sounds emitted by these beauties is great, from soft murmur and loud meows to nightingale trills. The friendliness of these cats helps them to find a common language with all the inhabitants of the house, including with other pets, with whom they often play and have fun. The Toygers can be taken to ride with the harness or travel with him in the car. He is also a cat who loves water. If you are looking for a kind, affectionate, sweet, and faithful cat, the Toyger is for you!
Traits of Toygers
The Toyger coat pattern is unique in the domestic cat. Instead of the vertical stripes of the mackerel tabby or the rounded rosettes of some spotted tabbies, the Toyger has broken, or branched, bold vertical stripes in a random pattern. Some of the stripes resemble rosettes that have been stretched vertically. The goal of the facial markings is to have a circular pattern. As with the tiger, the colors being sort are dark markings on a vividly bright orange background on the outer to top portions of the cat with a whited ground color on the undersides and insides. These beautiful dramatic patterns, each of which is unique to the individual like a fingerprint, are enhanced by the scatter of gold glitter over the top to enrich the coat pattern even further.
This distinctive new breed of cat has other attributes than coat that help it resemble the tigers of the wild. The long, deep rectangular body has the low slung powerful look of the tiger along with big bones and high shoulders that give the domestic Toyger the rolling gait of the large wild cats. Like the tiger, the Toyger is a very muscular cat with a long inverted heart shape to the face. These medium-sized, living room tiger replicas weigh in at 10-15 pounds for the male and 7-10 pounds for the female. The Toyger will capture your imagination as you watch it moving through your home in the urban jungle that is its native habitat.
Are Toygers good pets?
Yes. Toygers are a very friendly cat breed that is known to get along with children and other pets. However, every cat will have their own unique personality, so you should assess each Toyger on an individual basis before allowing them around new people or pets.
Are Toyger cats aggressive?
Calm temperaments, toyger cats are ideal for home breeding. They are very playful and friendly, and adapt very well to the presence of people and other pets in the home. Its personality makes it very suitable for large families, especially those where there is always a member at home. The toyger cat is a friendly, easygoing cat with an ideal temperament and personality. Toygers make great additions to families with children or pets and are ready to play and offer affection.
How do I know if my cat is a Toyger?
To tell if your cat is a toyger, look for the characteristic tiger-like stripes on its fur, which are usually black and brown or gold. You should also check its body for the muscular build and rectangular shape, which toygers are known for.
How do you care for a Toyger?
To care for your toyger, try to brush its fur once a week, which will keep it shiny and reduce shedding. You should also, trim its nails when they get too long or ask your vet to do it every month or so. Additionally, you should make sure your toyger is vaccinated to protect it from viruses like distemper and rabies.
What type of food do you feed your Toygers?
When you take your Toyger Cat home, continue the same food regime that the Toyger Cat had before leaving my cattery. All my cats eat Royal Canin These kittens must continue to receive the same diet as their nutrition and calorie needs are of utmost importance for their continued growth and health. If you find yourself in a situation where you need to change your Toyger Cat’s diet, please do so slowly and mix in the new food with the current food to avoid any stomach upset.
Do you offer Health Guanrantee?
All of our kittens are checked by a veterinarian before leaving our cattery to verify that they are healthy without any defects. After leaving our cattery, the kitten's health becomes the responsibility of the new owner.