If you are after a breed of cat that looks like it has come straight in from the wild and shrunk down to a more manageable size then this species is perfect. Toyger’s have been selectively bred to resemble their big cat cousins in a miniature version – the name Toyger is a combination of ‘Toy’ and ‘Tiger’.
The Toyger breed is blessed with a beautiful coat which glitters with gold tipped hairs. They range from medium to large with a muscular body, and a long tail that is held down low. Small round eyes peer out from a heart shaped face, which is topped with gorgeously rounded ears.
Personality
Toygers are an active breed, known for their intelligence and are often chosen because of the ease with which they can be trained. If you enjoy afternoon, or early morning walks then your Toyger companion will happily accompany you on a leash.
When not enjoying a long walk with your Toyger you can indulge your feline friend with a game of fetch. You would also be wise to make sure your home has plenty of high up perching locations, as just like their larger Bengal cousins, the Toyger breed loves to survey its kingdom from elevated and lofty locations.
Did You Know?
The Toyger breed was initially registered in 1993, and was awarded new breed status in 2000, with full recognition as a breed arriving in 2007.
Breeders are still fine-tuning their efforts to create a cat that resembles a miniature tiger as closely as possible – so the Toyger is in fact, a work in progress. To emulate the big cat tiger, breeders use computer imagery to visualize exactly how a Toyger should look.
Caring for Your Toyger Cat
Toygers quite like water so will enjoy a bath on occasion. While they enjoy a good walk they do not require additional exercise other than their usual rough housing around the house – hence the need for lots of toys.
Keep their ears clean and check their teeth regularly for optimum health. Toyger’s are a fairly robust species but be on the lookout for heart murmur, rolled rib, peritonitis, or a flat chest cage.
If you have a Toyger cat in your life, please share your experiences below.
Image: Nickolas Titkov via Flickr
