| Country of Origin: | United States |
| Colors: | Orange/tan background with dark stripes like that of a Tiger. |
| Average Size: | Weight: 7-15 lbs ( 3 – 6.8 kg) Length: medium |
| Life Span: | up to 13 years |
| Coat: | Short |
| Personality: | Enjoy all manner of engagement with their owners – playing, relaxing, walking |
| Characteristics: | Energy: Active Talkative: High Kid Friendly: Yes Allergic: No |
This cat bred was developed in the 1980s. Judy Sugden, a breeder that was looking to clarify the mackerel markings in tabbies, noticed strange markings on one of her cats on the face. Later on she imported street cats from India with strange tabby lines on the top of the head, and this was the moment she started the development of a toy-tiger cat.
Toyger cats are a breed of domestic cat. They are a result of breeding shorthaired tabbies to achieve a look that will resemble toy tigers. Their stripped coat was very similar to the one that tigers have. Judy Sugden then said that the main goal for creating such a cat breed was to inspire people to care about the conservation of tigers in wild, for them not to get extinct.
In the 1990s the Toygers were recognized by the TICA, and were accepted as a Championship breed in 2007. Today there are around 20 breeders of this cat type in the US, and more 15 worldwide.
Toyger cats have medium sized oval head, and deep cylindrical muzzle. The muzzle is well defined and long. Their face has a heart shape. Their ears are small and rounded, set wide towards back. Short and furred tips on the ears are preferred for this breed and lynx tipping is not desirable. The eyes of Toygers are medium and round, set wide apart. As for their color, deep rich colors are preferred.
Toygers have long, muscular and rounded nose that is wide as the space between the eyes. Their body type is medium, long and muscular, strong and robust. Legs are of medium length and they have very large bones.
The tail of Toygers is long and not very thick. It has a rounded tip, and the fur is short and dense. They look very athletic. The fur is short. The marking on the fur are black to brown, but darker markings are preferred. The markings must also be extreme and distinct.
Since they are shorthaired, Toyger cats don’t require a lot of grooming.
