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Toyger Breed
- Temperament: Active, Playful, Intelligent
- Coat Length: Shorthair
- Size: Medium-sized cat
Males weight: 10-15 pounds
Females weight: 7-10 pounds - Colors: 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 sought 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.
- Life Expectancy: 12 to 20 years depending on many factors including environment and nutrition.
The name "Toyger" is formed by the merger of two words: toy and tiger.
Toyger is a short-haired cat of brindle color and strong physique, possessing a friendly, companionable character.
The breed was bred in the United States, in the late 1980s, and remains in the developing stages.
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.
Personality
Toyger's motto in life: "Moderation in everything and no extremes."
Affectionate, but not annoying, agile, but not rushing around the apartment with hurricane speed, this good-natured cat will become an exemplary companion for any animal lover.
True, the breed has its own qualities, which you will have to get used to. One of which is his indefatigable curiosity. The Toyger studies in detail everything that interests him, but sometimes he loses his vigilance and relaxes. At such moments, you can observe such oddities as a cat napping in an open oven, a washing machine or kitchen cabinet.
Independence, pride, resentment are the qualities that Toygers do not have. If you inadvertently offended him, he will not hold a grudge and develop a plan for revenge, but will prefer to forget about the incident.
Painful injections, an accidentally pulled tail, bad tasting medicine, all of these things a Toyger accepts maliciously philosophically.
But do not confuse the loyalty and good nature of a Toyger with cowardice. These cats are quite brave creatures, which in combination with a natural curiosity, can lead to unpleasant consequences. In particular, flying from a balcony and through an open window, a showdown with dogs and relatives - all this is the result of feline courage, shown at the wrong time and in the wrong place.
Almost all Toygers have such character traits as sociability and credulity. As a result: the cat will with equal pleasure play with the owner, with his children, and in general with any person who is on the doorstep of the house and who has shown minimal interest in the animal.
A Toyger's favorite pastime is to perch on the owner’s lap or stomach and, shifting from paw to paw, do a relaxing massage under his own background purr.
Do not neglect the desire of the breed to be in the thick of things. A Toyger will always prefer a pleasant party and host society to being lonely, so do not test the patience of the pet, locking it in the apartment for half a day.
History
Toygers are entirely an American "invention." Once a resident of Los Angeles, Judy Sagden wanted to create a new variety of cats that resemble the guise of tigers. This idea did not come to the woman suddenly. Judy's mother is Gene Mill, an American breeder and the founder of a Bengal cat breed, so the breeder had someone to share the breeding experience with. In addition, the woman was unexpectedly lucky when one of her Bengals gave birth to a kitten with striped marks on her temples.
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 true circular patterns like are on a tiger's head. The temples of domestic tabbies do not usually have such markings on the head.
The 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 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.
It is no exaggeration to say that a Toyger is a cat puzzle, combining the appearance and character traits of several breeds at once.
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.
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.
Care
Toygers, despite the pathos look, are absolutely unpretentious creatures and do not require specific care. They do not even need to be combed because the breed sheds once a year and even that period in her life is easily overlooked. However, if you want to make a cat feel good, once a week run a brush over her body: Toygers love massages.
Everything is wonderful with washing: cats perceive bathing in the shower and in the bathtub as normal and take it for granted. Actually, you don’t even need an assistant here: it’s quite possible to wash a Toyger alone.
It is recommended to monitor the length of cat's claws at least twice a month and give your Toyger a "pedicure". The rest of the time give the cat the opportunity to independently polish her claws on a claw pad.
Important: When you go for a walk, Toygers are to be taken out on a harness. On the street they behave recklessly and can get lost or run into trouble with dogs.
Enthusiastic gardeners, with a Toyger kitten will have to fence off and constantly monitor their plants.
Toygers love to eat green plants.
Toyger cats are more sociable and obedient than other cats.
Interesting Facts about Toyger
Appearance of a Toyger and the differences from a Bengal cat
Not having enough experience with Toygers, they can be erroneously classified as a Bengal.
In fact, there are a lot of differences between the breeds, starting from the physique and color (the position of the stripes on the coat) and ending with the character.
Toygers and Bengals are two exotic breeds that were originally aimed at creating a domestic cat that resembles a wild breed as much as possible. So for the Toyger this meant a powerful, strong noble tiger, and for the Bengal this meant a graceful, swift, bright leopard.
A Toyger strives to resemble a tiger and, accordingly, have vertical stripes, an elongated muzzle with well-developed pads and chin, small eyes and ears, and have a more powerful physique than a Bengal. And a Bengal strives to resemble the handsome leopard as much as possible, that is, have beautifully defined clear and bright sockets, have a lighter physique compared to a Toyger, and, unlike a Toyger, they have large, expressive eyes.
Toyger cats are more massive and larger, while the Bengal is more athletic.
For a person who faces the choice, a Toyger or a Bengal, the external difference are important, but so are their characteristics
Toyger and Bengal cats are somewhat similar in nature, but at the same time they are different.
These cats are united by an active lifestyle, a constant desire to be close to the owner, to participate in his affairs, to play together and just communicate. But with all this, if Bengals are clumps of energy that periodically spills over the edge, then the Toyger is a more thoughtful, prudent creature.
A Toyger, unlike a Bengal, will not be in constant motion, but he will always be near and will never refuse to spend time together with the owner or members of his family. Bengal cats are more suitable for active people who have active pastimes.
The Toyger cat is for calmer people.
Important nuances when choosing a Toyger kitten
How to choose a kitten
Toyger is a new and unique breed, so it is one of the most expensive in the world.
Increased demand does not always give rise to high quality supply. It is easy to purchase an unsuccessful breeding offspring with a lot of external defects under the brand name of the “home tiger”.
If you decide to buy yourself a real "home tiger", be careful with the purchase.
Many catteries contain both Toygers and Bengals at the same time, which explains this potential breeding mishap.
For safety reasons, it is better to choose nurseries registered by TICA and specializing in only one breed.
Check how many "parents" the seller has. If you are shown two Toygers, it is unlikely that you will get high-quality offspring in this cattery. Breeding with just two individuals is not recomended.
And of course, no hybrids! To date, the crossing of Toygers with Bengals and any other breeds is prohibited.
