The name 'Toyger' comes from the
the words Toy and Tiger.
The
Toyger was founded by Judy Sugden of EEYAAS Cattery in the USA. The Toyger is
the result of a cross between a striped Domestic Short Hair and a Standard Bengal Tabby This resulted in a striped Cat which after many years
of hard work resembles a 'mini Tiger'.
The Toyger is a designer breed
and currently still being developed. Breeder's are striving to give this stunning breed the true look of a
mini tiger over the coming years. Many of the features proposed have never been
seen in a domestic cat. Progress is slow but steady and it could be several
years before the Toyger truly resembles the wild tiger. With a few more years of
breeding, Toygers will look even more like the real thing, with ears that are shorter,
smaller eyes, a bigger chin and a wider nose tip.
Toyger Appearance and Colours
Toyger's are of medium size with a strong and
robust torso. The tail is long and muscular and set and carried low. Toyger's
coats are short, thick, plush, soft and feel extremely luxurious.
The ideal colouring for a Toyger is an orange/tan background with dark stripes like that of a
Tiger. The stripes are actually long rosettes and should not be uniform like a
mackerel pattern but more like long random individual stripes. The coat must be
striped with no spotting. The ears small and rounded, good solid bone structure
and overall balance.
The Toyger is an ongoing venture with each generation improving on the last to
obtain the objective of a beautiful domestic cat with the look of the majestic
wild Tiger.
The Toyger has no tiger blood in it but does
possess genes passed on from the Asian Leopard cat.
Toyger Personality
The Toyger has a laid back
easy going temperament and makes a good companion. They are athletic and love to
be around people. They are very suitable for
most households and get on well with children and other pets. Toygers are
intelligent and are easily trained. Many Toygers enjoy playing with water much
like their wild cousins, tigers,
who are strong swimmers and enjoy bathing in rivers, lakes and waterholes.
