Toyger Cat Breed Information

Group

Short Haired

Weight

4.5-6.8 kg

Length

22-33 cm

Lifespan

10-15 years

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About the Toyger Cat

Reviewed by:

Dr. Cristina Alice Vulpe

Veterinarian

Toyger cats look exactly as their name sounds – like a toy tiger! With their orange, black, and brown branched stripes, they wouldn’t look out of place prowling around an African savanna. Luckily for homeowners, Toygers are fully domesticated cats, and although they walk and look like big cats found in the wild, they don’t share any personality traits with them.

Toygers are affable, relaxed, and very affectionate towards their owners and other pets. The combination of their striking look with their good-natured personalities makes them excellent and highly desirable family pets.

If you’re thinking about adding a little tiger to your family, this article will give you all the info you should know before adopting a Toyger.

What Is the History & Origin of the Toyger Cat?

Toygers are a relatively new cat breed, so their origin and history are very easy to trace. They were first bred by Judy Sugden in the 1980s, a U.S.-based breeder of tabby cats. Her mother, Jean Mill, was the original breeder of Bengal cats, and Sugden also specialised in breeding Bengals.

While breeding mackerel tabbies, Sugden noticed distinctive markings on one cat’s forehead. This cat’s name was Millwood Sharp Shooter, and instead of having the standard tabby ‘M’ pattern, the cat had two dots on its forehead, similar to the patterns found on a tiger. This discovery proved to her that creating the appearance of a tiger in a domestic cat was possible.

Following this, Sugden started a large-scale breeding program involving over 40 unpedigreed short-hairs and Bengals, each of which featured distinctive markings that added to the cat appearance she wanted to achieve. One of the last additions to the program was a street cat from Kashmir, India, which created the Toyger’s distinct spots between the ears.

In 1993, the International Cat Association accepted the Toyger cat for registration and was granted full championship breed recognition in 2007.

What Is a Toyger Cat Breed?

The Toyger results from the extensive cross-breeding of muscular Bengals and a number of different striped domestic shorthair cats. It is a medium-sized cat with a heavily muscular frame and low torso. One of the distinctive aspects of the cat’s build is high-set shoulders and big bones, which allows Toygers to prowl like a big cat in the jungle.

Who Is a Toyger Cat Best For?

This domestic cat doesn’t need much more than loving owners. They are incredibly affectionate towards members of their family and can show friendliness to strangers after a while. They are recommended for big families – Toygers can even get along with young children.

Sociable by nature, Toygers will form friendships with other cats and even dogs, so they are good for families with other pets.

They do enjoy company, though, so ideally, they need someone in the house with them most of the time. They should only be left alone for short stints, so they may not be best suited for single office workers away from home most of the day.

What Does a Toyger Cat Look Like?

Toyger’s have the athletic, muscular, and long build of a Bengal in terms of appearance. They have round heads paired with small, rounded ears with furred temples.

A Toyger’s coat patterns can be compared to a mackerel tabby cat but are much more defined. Unlike common tabby cats, Toyger’s have a circular tiger face pattern.

Toygers have dark brown or hazel-shaded eyes.

Coat

The tiger-reminiscent short coat found on a Toyger is dense, plush, and very soft.

Colours

The base of a Toyger’s coat will either be a deep orange, reddish-brown, or completely brown. These clash with the dark markings and tabby stripes on top.

Patterns

A Toyger’s branched striped coat is a lot more random than that of a common tabby. These stripes are also thicker and more broken up. The pattern of a Toyger’s coat is totally unique to the cat, much like the Tigers you find in the wild!

The pattern will either be in the style of a vertical braided pattern or stretched rosettes.

Toyger Cat Grooming & Shedding

Due to the denseness of their coats, you’ll need to groom a tabby cat once a week. This will keep mats and tangles from forming and give their coat a clean look. Make sure to cut their nails regularly and clean their ears once in a while. Relative to a tiger, grooming a Toyger cat is a very low maintenance!

How Do Toyger Cats Behave? A Look at Their Temperament and Personality

Toygers are amongst the most intelligent cat breeds and enjoy mental stimulation. They derive a lot of enjoyment from a challenging game of fetch and like to hunt and find hidden things.

Toygers are not as independently adventurous as their Bengal cousins but like to explore and climb when their owners are close by. Where a Bengal enjoys spending time alone to explore the outside world, a Toyger would rather relax somewhere near to its owner. They are often described as laid back and prefer snuggles over play.

When they do feel like playing, they’d much rather involve their owners in some way rather than playing independently.

Living Needs

A Toyger feels its best in a busy household. They like having others nearby – whether it be humans or other pets – to chase and play with. Unlike a lot of cats, it may even be better for a Toyger to have another pet around.

In terms of playthings, this domestic cat needs little more than a basic climbing tree, a scratching post, and a few toys.

Toygers can thrive in any climate, although, unlike big cats, they don’t particularly like being in the hot sun. Make sure to provide plenty of shade and water for your Toyger when the temperatures rise!

What Are Common Habits and Activity Levels of Toyger Cats?

Habits

Toygers have the habit of being lazy if not provided with enough activity. They do have the energy to burn but just don’t like burning it themselves.

The most unusual habit of a Toyger is their attraction to water. You may find your Toyger playing in puddles or around the sink or bath. They seem to have a genuine fascination with water, much like the big cats of the savannah. This makes bath time a lot easier!

Activity Level

Although a Toyger cannot be described as independently active as a Bengal, they will play fetch over long periods of time with their owners. They are also happy to go on long walks with their owners as long as they’re on a leash.

Vocalness

A Toyger cat has a tendency to vocalise when they want to spend time on your lap. If they feel that they’re not getting sufficient attention, they’ll let you know about it! On the other hand, it will also purr extensively when it’s contented.

What Is the Weight, Height, and Size of a Toyger Cat?

Height

Toygers have an average height of 22cm to 33cm.

Weight

The average weight of a Toyger is 4.5kg – 6.8kg. This is pretty light given their height and build, which tends to give people a misleading idea of their weight.

Size

Toygers are long, medium-sized cats.

Are Toyger Cats Easy to Train?

Toygers are smart and are very easily house trained. Given their high affection levels, Toygers like to please and can easily be trained how to fetch and walk on a leash.

Does the Toyger Cat Have Any Common Health Issues?

Toygers haven’t existed long enough as a breed to establish any common health issues. As it stands, they are considered to be very healthy cats that only suffer from common cat health issues, if any at all. There have been some reports of heart murmurs in Toygers, although not enough to state that the breed is predisposed. Some neurologic syndromes appear in poorly bred cats.

Like any cat, it’s important to organise regular vet check-ups to keep an eye on your Toyger’s health.

They may suffer from obesity if not properly fed.

What Is the Lifespan of a Toyger Cat?

As far as data gathered has been able to estimate, the average life expectancy of a Toyger is between 10 and 15 years.

How Much Does a Toyger Cat Need to Be Fed?

Toygers need wet and dry food split up over three small meals per day. They get hungry easily, so you should avoid feeding them in bulk. They don’t have any particular dietary requirements, except for the fact that they cannot live on a vegan or vegetarian diet.

How Much Can You Expect to Pay for a Toyger Cat in Australia?

There are only a handful of certified Toyger breeders in the world today, most of which are U.S.-based. El’Sprite cattery is one of the few that sell Toyger kittens in Australia. Based on their prices, Toyger kittens sell for anywhere between $1,500 and $2,000.

Toyger Cat FAQs

Are Toygers rare?

According to the International Cat Association, Toygers are very rare, especially outside of the U.S. Even inside the states, there are only 7 registered Toyger breeders.

Do Toygers like to play in the water?

Toygers have a strange fascination with water and will enjoy taking a bath once in a while – unlike basically all other cat breeds.

Are Toygers hypoallergenic?

Toygers shed a lot and, like all domestic cats, produce Fel D1 protein in their saliva. This means that Toygers are not hypoallergenic.

Do Toygers get along well with other household pets?

Toygers are naturally sociable and will form connections with other household animals.

Are Toygers loyal cats?

Toygers are very loyal and appreciate having company as much as possible. If you want full attention from your own toy tiger, definitely get a Toyger!