Cat Pregnancy Calculator And Timeline
The Toygers are one of the latest breeds of cat. It appears wild and at the same time exhibits a domesticated look. This is a medium-sized cat.
The Toyger cat is actually a designer breed, much like the popular California spangle, the Savannah, and the Bengal. They were created by crossing a striped domestic shorthair and a Bengal cat.
These cats were initially called “California Toyger.” The name is a mix of “tiger” and “toy.”
The generic comparison between a tiger and a cat is definitely not a new concept. In fact, the red tabbies with a unique mackerel pattern are also called “Tigers.”
Judy Sudgen, the breed’s creator, has once mentioned that this breed was created to make people understand about tiger conservation.
Toyger Cat Breed Characteristics Sheet
- Origin: United States of America
- Size: Medium
- Purebred: No
- Lifespan: 10-15 years
- Height: 8 to 10 inches
- Weight: 7 to 15 lbs
- Coat Appearance: Fine, Short in length
- Coat Colors: Brown mackerel tabby
- Temperament: Relaxed, sweet, affectionate, caring, energetic, intelligent, smart
- Good With Children: Yes
- Intelligence Level: High
- Good With Pets: Yes
- Hypoallergenic: No
- Grooming: Moderate
- Shedding: Moderate
- Suitable For Apartments: Yes
- Need For Exercise: Moderate
- Easy To Train: Yes
- Good For First Time Owners: Yes
- Health Issues: Heart murmur, Rolled rib, Flat chest cage, FIP or Feline infectious peritonitis
- Litter Size: NA
- Average Price: $500 – $ 2000 USD
Toyger Cat History
The main architect for the development of this breed is Judy Sugden, daughter of Mr. Jean.
Jean Mill is considered as the original breeder of the popular Bengal cat. In the early 80s, Judy was concentrating on mackerel tabbies and these cats were tiger-stripped.
Tabbies, in general, have a strange forehead marking. These markings form the letter “M.”
As per reports, Sugden claims that her pet cat, Millwood Sharp Shooter, consisted of two spots. These spots could always be used to develop the different circular pattern mostly seen on a tiger.
TICA recognized this breed in 1993. In 2000, it was later advanced to a new breed status in the year 2000. The breed received the full championship status in 2007.
Interestingly, TICA is the main organization that recognizes this new cat breed.
Toyger Size And Lifespan
Height – 8 to 10 inches
Weight – 7 to 15 lbs
Lifespan – The average lifespan of a Toyger cat is between 10 and 15 years.
Appearance And Coat
This is an average-sized feline with muscular rounder contours. They have a robust and strong body.
Their ears appear small, round and are set on the top. Well, furred ears and temples preferred. In short, Lynx tipping appears undesirable.
Their eyes are actually small or medium with strong color. The muzzle is well-defined, deep, and long.
The Nose looks well-defined and appears medium to long.
Their neck is muscular and long. With chest appearing broad and strong, the Toyger’s forequarters look powerful and strong.
Legs are of medium length and are balanced on both front and the back. The tail appears blunt with a rounded tip and long.
Coat
Their coat is quite short in length. The markings can be uniformly longer. The ground colored fur for a definite sculpted appearance.
The fur appears resilient, plush, soft, luxurious, and thick.
This cat’s coat appears the most unique. Each feline’s markings appear distinct. According to experts, the dark markings appear on a cool orange background color on the outer.
The sheen of the coat is enhanced by the glitter.
The main difference between the foreground and background colors gives a sharp-edged pattern. However, the body stripes should appear vertically aligned and marks on the tail, legs, and neck.
Toyger’s tail tip looks black. Eyes of this new cat breed should have black ‘mascara’ and white spectacles.
Facial markings and stripes appear aligned around the cat’s face.
Color
The color is normally brown mackerel tabby. These cats have dark markings present on a bright orange background. The markings can range from vertical braided pattern or mackerel stretched rosettes.
Toyger Cat Personality
Toyger cats are laid back in their approach. They’re affectionate and outgoing and get along well.
Not only are they smart and intelligent, but Toygers are also easy to train.
These cats are extremely energetic and love to be way up high. Like Bengals, these cats are water-lovers.
You should challenge him and keep him well interested in day-to-day affairs by stimulating his mental as well as his physical health.
You better choose a well-bred kitten from a breeder who raises a litter in a safe and secure environment. If possible, meet both the parents of your kitten to know about their temperament.
Interesting Facts
- These cats are brilliant hunters.
- In the beginning, Judy Sugden, the breed creator, managed with two exciting cats. One domestic shorthair called Scrapmetal and another a Bengal cat, Millwood Rumpled Spotskin.
- This cat has no tiger genes in it. However, it consists of Asian leopard genes, giving it a more wild nature.
- They adore swatting around and playing fetch.
- One of the most intelligent cat breed in the world.
Toyger Cat Care
Grooming And Shedding
Grooming the Toyger appears simple and fun, and much safer than handling a tiger. Comb or brush your cat on a weekly basis to keep his fur or coat healthy and shiny.
Toygers need to be brushed on a weekly basis. They should have their nails trimmed. Moreover, as with all other house cats, you better take steps to keep its ear healthy and clean.
Use a damp cotton ball dipped in a cleanser as suggested by your vet.
These cats adapt-well and are easy going with other kids and pets. Never forget to play and give your cat the much needed intellectual stimulation.
They are easily trainable and it’s quite simple to train them without hiring a professional. These cats are lovely lap cats and smother you with their affection.
It is recommended that you better keep your pet cat as a domestic cat to stop exposure to thieves, predators, and infections.
Toyger Cat Food
These cats do not need special food requirements. However, you should provide high-quality dry and wet food. Give them access to clean, fresh water. Obesity can be a major problem and it can affect your cat’s life expectancy.
So, before you start any feeding schedule, you better discuss the changes with your vet.
To keep your cat healthy, you better feed her all the right kind of foods. All cats are carnivores and would require amino acid proteins. Your cat could develop serious health problems if she does not eat the right kind of balanced diet.
- Feed your cat with real meat. Buy top quality products from reputed brands.
- Stop overfeeding your cat. Based on your cat’s size, feed your cat with the right amount of cat food.
- Break the meals into two or three meals.
- Feed your cat with foods less in carbs. They are not meant to process them well. Eating too many carbs can lead to
- The best dry cat foods also contain turkey, lamb, venison, veal, and single-source proteins.
- Select foods with omega fatty acids, amino acids, and natural ingredients.
- Bear in mind, some cats are allergic to chicken, milk, beef, and fish.
Favorable Foods
- Meat
- Avocados without the pit
- Cheese if they are lactose tolerant
- Cooked eggs
- Whole grains
- Vegetables
- Sugary foods
- Chocolate
- Caffeine-based foods
- Raw dough
- Alcohol
- Xylitol or artificial based sweetener
Toyger Cat Health Problems
They are not a common breed; so there is not much we can deduce about the health.
However, experts claim heart murmurs are a major wellness problem with this cat breed.
Vets recommend check-ups, immunizations, and preventative care for your pet.
Some of the common health problem associated with this breed include
1. FIP or Feline infectious peritonitis
FIP is a popular viral disease that occurs in both domestic and wild cats. This disease is caused by a coronavirus which tends to damage the intestinal cells.
This virus was isolated in the year 1970. In the next decade, another coronavirus remains isolated.
This newly discovered virus caused only mild diarrhea.
Signs of FIP
This virus manifests in both a “dry” and a “wet” form.
Both these signs include a fever that responds very timidly to antibiotics, lethargy, weight loss, and anorexia.
The wet form is handled by a collection of fluid in both, the chest cavity and abdominal cavity. Cats with chest fluid show signs of labored breathing.
Cats with abdomen fluid show abdominal distension that’s nonpainful.
Diagnosis and Treatment
Diagnosing FIP remains a challenge because there is no test to distinguish between the fatal FIP coronavirus and safe intestinal coronavirus.
FIP is threatening in around 90 percent of cats. In dry form, vets can prolong the cat’s lifespan, but those affected by the wet form have a very slim survival rate.
Fortunately, the FIP is 1:5000 in both rural and urban households.
There are no effective vaccines to safeguard your cat against this virus attack.
2. Heart Murmurs In Cats
Extra heart vibrations produce audible noise in cats and this condition is called heart murmur.
Murmurs are classified based on their characteristics.
Two types of heart murmurs
- Diastolic murmur – The heart muscle actually relaxes and to and fro murmurs occur on a continuous basis.
- Systolic murmur – In this case, the heart muscle actually contracts
Signs of a heart murmur
The signs of heart murmur depend on several factors and it includes location, configuration, and grade.
The grade ranges from I to VI where Grade “I” barely audible and VI is very loud.
Diagnosis and treatment
Before determining the exact cause, your vet must analyze different heart sounds. There are several tests that can help your vet including echocardiography, Doppler studies, and X-rays.
Kittens with low levels of a murmur may require zero or little treatment. Routine diagnostic imaging remains the best option for cats.
Toyger Cat Training And Exercise
You should get your cat a scratching post. Your cat’s predatory instincts and nature will push her to scratch things.
So, in order to control your cat’s scratching instinct, buy her a new scratching post. A cat tower is also not a bad option.
The merits of scratching
Scratching will eliminate dead areas and it will help them grow with a peaceful mindset.
If your cat does not pay heed to your commands, do not punish or yell at her. You can buy her a new scratching post if you feel so.
Right Set of Toys
Your cat is highly energetic and intelligent. Buy the toys that engage her.
These toys need not be elaborate or expensive, and it is enough if they manage to grab your cat’s attention.
Homemade toys include a cardboard paper roll. You can get her a laser pointer, dangly feather toys, or toy mice.
Play with your cat on a daily basis. The more energy your cat spends, the healthier your cat will be.
Bond With Your Cat
Pick her up, and shower your unconditional love. Set aside a specific lap time, and this can help you easily bond with her.
Encourage human contact. Some cats love solitude and if your cat displays aggressive behavior, do not use punish him.
Most cats follow a specific routine and do not love change.
As you are understanding your cat’s likes and dislikes, never stop interacting with her.
Teach your cat new tricks
Start with grabbing her attention and then make her do a particular trick. These tricks include roll or sit over. Keep giving treats to encourage her to learn new tricks.
With some patience, you better teach your cat to do different tricks which will make her not only happy but also healthy.
Toyger Cat Names
Do you wish to bring home a tiger? You have the opportunity to own one, but the mini version. The breed’s designer, Judy Sugden, has once said that she developed this breed to inspire people to understand about tiger conservation.
With her solid amazing stripes, the Toyger not only looks well but also behaves like a good jungle tiger. Naming your kittens will be definitely exciting.
Male Cat Names
- Ilkay – Means “New Moon”
- Garfield – Popular cartoon cat
- Leo – Lion
- Max – Large one with a soft heart
- Morris – One with a dark skin
- Oliver – Represents the olive tree
- Panther – A black leopard
- Pepper – A spice
- Spot – Star Trek cat
- Tiger – The animal who owns the forest
Female Cat Names
- Tawny – Brown color shade
- Sable – A European animal with dark fur
- Amber – A precious jewel
- Cookie – A cooked or baked food
- Copper – Slang for a police personnel
- Dot – The shorter version of Dorothy
- Fawn – Younger deer
- Winnie – Means a fair one
- Sophia – Skill, talent
- Tora – In Japanese, “Tora” means tiger
Toyger Cat Price And Breeders
These cats resemble a tiger, of course, a mini version. Toyger cat for sale is not that much easy to find. These cats are of premium range and the price of a Toyger is ideally between $500 and $2000 USD.
It is rare to find such a cat in your local shelter or rescue.
Always work with a reputed breeder and they could offer you all the documents.
The breeders mentioned here are all TICA members.
Toyger Cat Breeders
- Kathy Allbritton
Arkansas
Toygertales.com - Designer Stripes
Illinois
Designerstripestoygers.com - Regina Wiley
North Carolina
Southpawtigers.com - Marika
Texas
Silkyamber.com
Toyger Cat Vs. Bengal Cat
| Attributes | Toyger | Bengal Cats |
|---|---|---|
| Breed type | Bengal cat x stripped domestic shorthair | Purebred |
| Appearance | Vertical stripes | Spotted fur |
| Coat type | Soft, velvety hair | Fur with a beautiful sheen |
| Colors and markings | One standard color- Brown mackerel tabby | Different colors – Silver, brown, and snow |
| Temperament | Energetic, intelligent, and playful | Smart, affectionate, and royal |
| Personality | Open and love to make friends with all | Forms a close relationship with one person |
