Toyger Cat Breed: What You Need to Know

The Toyger has a fierce appearance and adoring personality, making them the perfect combination of wild cat looks in a small, domesticated body. Their bold stripes and majestic gait will make you feel as if you have a tiger king living in your home. 

Toygers were bred to not only look like mini tigers but to also capture these wild cats’ physical traits. They are muscular, athletic cats with rolling gaits that look like they belong in the jungle. 

Toyger
Toyger

Quick facts about the Toyger

Weight: 7 to 15 pounds Height: 9 to 13 inches
Life span: 10 to 15 years
Intelligence: high Temperament: social | affectionate
Playfulness: medium Activity level: calm
Vocalness: when necessary Coat length: short
Shedding amount: normal
Good with: kids | seniors | other cats | families
Traits: Toyger cats are often easy to train, friendly towards humans, friendly towards other pets, and friendly towards strangers.

But, Toygers were also bred to be extremely social, friendly, and affectionate. They enjoy being around humans and other pets. Toygers are extroverts; they have an outgoing personality and make the perfect family companion. 

These mighty cats are also highly intelligent and learn fast, making training a walk in the park. They enjoy challenges and mental stimulation from their humans. You can easily teach them tricks, how to walk on a leash, and even participate in agility competitions. 

Toygers are easygoing, docile, and fairly laid back, but they do love to go on a good adventure with their humans. They adore people and prefer playing with you rather than entertaining themselves. 

The Toyger is one of the latest designer cat breeds. They are medium-sized, long, muscular cats with shoulders that stand tall. They have substantial boning and an inverted heart-shaped face. 

Their powerful body type gives them a slinky, rolling gait like tigers. 

Toyger

Toygers have trademark stripes that are similar to their big cat look-alikes. They have an incredibly unique coat pattern featuring circular facial markings and a pattern of dark vertical stripes against their glossy, luxurious, bright orange coat.

They have shorter legs in comparison to other cat breeds, but this is a trait common in big cats. As they walk around the house, their short legs give them the appearance of a wild cat on the prowl. Toygers also have long toes and large paws. 

Toygers have large, round eyes with colors that vary from hazel to dark brown. They have a broad-based nose with a wider cheek area. 

A Toyger has a short, dense coat. The base of their coat color is usually brown, reddish-brown, or deep orange with dark tabby stripes throughout their body. 

The stripes are broken up and elongated to look more like a tiger. The vertical orange stripes are tapered with a black or dark brown border, a lot like the Sumatran tiger. 
 

Origin

United States

Health

Dr. Adedapo Adisa:

Formed from a cross of the Bengal cats and a striped domestic shorthair tabby, the Toyger cat is an energetic, muscular, and playful cat with characteristics striped coat appearance of a tiger. The Toyger cats are native to the united states and have a reasonable life expectancy which falls averagely between 10-16 years

Toyger cats are relatively healthy, and because of the genetic mixes with the domestic tabby cats, they have very few inherited conditions of the Bengals. A common inherited condition in Toyger cats is cardiac murmurs resulting from hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy is an inherited medical condition the Toyger cats are prone to. The cause is a defective gene that causes thickening of the heart’s muscular wall, especially the left ventricle.

The thickening of walls of the left ventricles reduces the volume of blood the ventricles can hold when filled up. This also affects how the left ventricles contract, leading to a reduced outflow of oxygenated blood to the Toyger’s system.

Furthermore, blood stays longer in the atrium and lungs, leading to clots being formed and fluid accumulating in the lungs around the lungs in affected Toyger cats.   

The sound of blood flowing out of the heart becomes audible due to congestive heart failure in the Toyger cats. 

The resulting loud sound heard is an indicative sign called heart murmurs.

Some signs in the Toyger cats that have been associated with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy include;

● Increased heart rate. 

● Irregular heart rhythms.

● Cardiac murmurs which is a classical sign.

● Cats become intolerant to exercise.

● Lethargy and tiredness.

● Fluid may accumulate in the lungs.

● Clots can break into tiny Fragments and block vessels, leading to pain, 

paralysis, or even a stroke.

When one or more signs are observed in the Toyger cats, report this to your veterinarian immediately. 

Although there is no treatment for hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, early diagnosis can help with a good prognosis and management outcomes in the Toyger cats.

It is vital to screen Toyger’s DNA for the defective gene causing hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. If positive for the mutated gene, the Toyger cats should not be used for breeding activities.

7 thoughts on “Toyger Cat Breed: What You Need to Know”

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