Toyger or toy tiger is a cat breed that's gaining popularity due to its exotic appearance and playful personality. Read more for interesting facts about their care, origin and more.
Toyger cats look like small tigers.
However, they don’t have tigers’ blood and DNA, but you absolutely going to have the feeling of hosting a beautiful kitten with tiger looks in your house!
Toygers are muscular cats with long strong body and short-medium in length legs. Their tail is also muscular and usually it has a downward direction.
Toyger’s ears are small and rounded. Their eyes are medium sized and the color can range from light blue to deep brown.
Their coat is short haired and can have a variety of color shades. It can be deep orange, black, brown and reddish-brown with tiger stripes throughout the whole body.
Origin
Toyger cat is a domestic breed. It was created by the mating of Bengal breed cats and domestic cats with short and tabby coat. The name consists of “Toy” and “Tiger” as Toyger’s appearance resembles a small tiger.
It first appeared at 1980s in the United States of America and according to some sources, the purpose was to make the people more sensitive towards wild animals.
Toygers are recognized by The International Cat Association (TICA) as a breed.
Size and lifespan
Typically, Toyger’s size is medium and is about 15-20 inches (38-51cm) long.
Weight: Usually male full-grown Toyger cats weight around 10 to 15 pounds (4,5 – 6,8Kg).
Female ones are a bit thinner, as they weight around 7 to 10 pounds (3,2 - 4,5Kg).
Toyger’s lifespan depends on their overall health status and their living conditions and environment. Usually they live between 10 to 15 years.
Personality and Characteristics
They are known for their energetic and playful personalities, as well as their intelligence.
They are also known for being affectionate and loving towards their owners something that makes them perfect companions. Because they need to feel your company in a daily basis, they may suffer from separation anxiety if they feel neglected.
They have great sociability skills and get along very well with new people and other pets. Because they're loyal and easy to train, they're often described as being "dog-like".
They can be quite vocal and enjoy being around their human family. They also enjoy playing with toys and interactive games.
Overall, Toygers are active, curious and loving cats.
If you are a pet parent of more than one cat or if you have a dog, its preferable to slowly introduce your pets to each other.
Your Toyger’s calm and friendly behavior will help creating good interaction and coexistence between your pet friends.
Are Toyger cats good for families and children?
In general, Toygers are known to be good for families. Their stable and easy going personality makes them patient and tolerant with children.
However, it's important to keep in mind that all cats have individual personalities, and all children have to be taught how to properly interact with and care for a cat, including how to handle it gently, understanding its body language.
With proper care and training, Toyger cats can make great pets for families with children.
Trainability
Toyger cats are highly characterized by their good trainability and intelligence.
These behavioral advantages give them the opportunity to walk with a leash! That fact is rare to be found in other cat breeds!
Also, you can train them to even do tricks! This fact matches with their active character, as they enjoy learning new things and use their athletic body.
Care/needs
Food
Toyger cats are not selective with their food. They are carnivore pets and prefer meat mostly.
However, it is important to follow all the necessary nutrient recommendations according your cat’s lifestyle, body type and health needs.
For extra help, if needed, you can prepare your cat’s diet plan with your vet until you feel comfortable to organize it on your own.
Last but not least, you should exchange wet and dry food and always provide fresh water to your cat!
Space, toys and exercise
Toyger cats, like most domestic cats, do not require a lot of space. They are well-suited for living in smaller homes or apartments as long as they are given adequate exercise and playtime.
As with all cats, it's important to provide them with a safe and comfortable living space, including a cozy bed, scratching post, and a litter box.
They also enjoy climbing and perching, so providing them with a cat tree or other climbing structures can be beneficial.
Because of their very active and playful personality, providing them with interactive toys and games, is something that they'll enjoy and will keep them mentally and physically stimulated.
Despite their small size, Toyger cats have a strong hunting instinct and need to have the opportunity to express that, so interactive toys and playtime should be provided regularly. Also, daily playtime and interactive activities, so they do not get bored or destructive
As we mentioned, Toyger cats are very energetic! So, if you keep them active indoors, they don’t need extra walk outdoors. For example, provide them plenty toys to keep them busy and curious to investigate them. Some of them also like climbing and scratching!
Grooming
Toyger cats in generally speaking need a low maintenance schedule. Although, it is advisable to brush their silky fur weekly.
Also, don’t forget to clean their teeth daily, trim their nails often and gently clean their ears. A good advice is to learn your kitten since early age about its cleaning schedule routines as to get used to it easier!
Are Toyger Cats hypoallergenic?
Unfortunately, Toyger cats are not hypoallergenic.
If you or your family are tending to allergies but you love felines it’s advisable to choose a cat breed like Balinese, Devon Rex, Cornish Rex e.g. Usually the causes of allergies are the Fel D1 glycoprotein which is located under the cat’s skin and in saliva.
Is a Toyger cat rare?
Toyger cat is one of the rarest cat breeds globally as in 2020 there was recorded less than 500 Toyger cats. Also, around the word, there are fewer than 20 specialized Toyger breeders certified by The International Cats Association (TICA).
Toyger vs Bengal Cat
Toyger and Bengal cats are quite similar cat breeds. They are all miniatures of wild cats.
More specifically, Toyger and Bengal have small but distinct differences. Bengal cats have round colored spots while Toyger cats have striped pattern lines.
Health Problems
Actually, Toyger cats don’t have major health problems.
Although, it’s a breed that the information is a bit limited. Nevertheless, we already know that the most serious health issue that these cats are about to face is heart murmurs.
The main cause of this disease is genetic as it has been observed in Bengal cats as well. In order to avoid this situation, the best strategy is a programmed heart check up by a vet.
Also, they are usually prone to obesity. That’s why, treats must be controlled. However, their weight can be easily controlled by their active behavior!
In addition, parasites its common to be found at cats.
So, in order to establish an overall good health condition to your Toyger, is recommended to ensure first of all their genetic health status by the correct breeder choice. Secondly, you have to provide a high-quality food plan and never skip their cleaning necessities.
Price
Toyger cats are extremely difficult to be found pure-breed. Also, there are only a few breeders who raise this specific breed.
For these reasons a Toyger kitten may cost from 2000$ to 5000$. In addition, their price depends on their health quality, their tiger stripes appearance etc.
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