The history of breeding, description of the standard of appearance of the toyger cat, features of temperament, health, rules of care and maintenance of the "toy tiger" at home, where to buy and the price of a kitten. Toyger (English Toyger, from toy - "toy" and tiger - "tiger") are representatives of the vast world of felines, which in appearance are to some extent a reduced copy of their wild counterparts, but at the same time they possess, surprisingly, sweet and very friendly character. These amazing little animals are among the ideal pets. They have everything for this. Such cats are the embodiment of beauty and elegance, with aristocratic manners and excellent upbringing, but despite such a regal appearance, toygers are excellent friends and companions. Such a pet never causes any unnecessary trouble, all he needs is to eat tasty and timely, sleep in a comfortable soft place and a lot of your attention.
Nature has also endowed these purrs with extraordinary intelligence, so that the cat learns the elementary rules of behavior in and out of the house almost instantly. Children for this feline are best friends, because who, if not children, can tirelessly play, run and jump, and this is a must for a comfortable and happy life of the Toyger.
History of the origin of Toyger cats
The native lands of these tiger kittens are the United States of America, it was there that the cat breeder and felinologist Judy Sugden came up with a new occupation. At first, her goal was to add a little perfection and saturation to such a color option as tabby mackerel and maximize its resemblance to the tiger color. And the impetus for such an undertaking was the fact that the domestic cat who lived at Judy's house had an interesting feature - several spots of tabby near the temples. However, an experienced breeder knew that tabby cats usually do not have any patterns on their heads. This detail inspired the woman so much that she wasted no time and immediately set to work.
The felinologist crossed her pet (the ancestor of the Toyger breed) with a large Bengal cat, but the result did not completely satisfy her. Then other representatives of felines, brought from distant India, began to take part in breeding work, but even then the expected color did not work out.
Later, other American workers in the field of felinology joined this work, helping the breeder to select candidates for the founders of the new breed. There were also such cases that enthusiastic breeders went to distant lands for the right specimen. And now, after a while, the first kitten of a new variety was born. This baby was the embodiment of Judy Sugden's idea - a large torso, the hair is the same as that of a real tiger and a soft, docile nature.
This is how breeding work continued for ten years, and only in the early 90s of the last century, little "toy tiger cubs" received such coveted approval from the International Cat Association, but this was only preliminary recognition as an experimental breed. Another decade has passed and toygers have already begun to rightfully be called thoroughbred, and with the onset of the new millennium, the representatives of the variety have already received their first champion title.
Description of the official standard for the appearance of the Toyger cat and photo
- The torso. Toygers are rather large animals, the average body weight of cats can vary from 4.5 to 7.5 kg, adult cats are more miniature and sophisticated, their weight almost never exceeds 5 kg. The body of these purrs is noticeably elongated, but at the same time they cannot be called skinny. Their body seems to be covered with very developed muscles, which gives the animal's appearance a special power and ferocity. The area of the shoulder girdle is wide, the shoulder blades and the projection of the thighs are slightly elevated above the general level of the body. The shoulder blades are the part of the body that, oddly enough, gives the Toyger a significant resemblance to their wild counterpart. When walking, they also "play" like a tiger under a beautiful fur coat, the gait of such cats is very smooth and graceful.
- Limbs "Toy tigers" are of medium length, very strong and resilient. It is believed that although the front legs are slightly shorter than the hind legs, they have a lot of strength. The paws of the representatives of the breed resemble a circle in shape, of large parameters. Toes are longer than average in length.
- Tail process in cats, the toyger is long in relation to the general constitution, of a very impressive width. It tapers slightly from the base to a narrower tip decorated with a round tassel.
- Head representatives of the Toyger species in configuration resembles an inverted triangle, which is completely devoid of sharp corners and sharp lines. The skull is medium in size. The muzzle of toyger cats is slightly elongated in length, but this does not deprive it of its cuteness. All protruding parts of the muzzle are well visualized, the cheekbones are strong and slightly pointed, the chin is small. The lower jaw is well developed, the bite is correct. The profile of these purrs is straight, without humps and grooves, the nose is rather wide. The neck is long, thin, but very strong and muscular.
- Eyes such striped fluffs are medium in size, planted deeply at an average distance from each other. The animal's gaze is always clear, piercing and even a little mysterious. As for the colors of the iris, most often the eyes of the "toy tigers" are painted in various shades of green. A special feature is that the color of the cat's eyes should be contrasting with the basic tone of the coat color, but at the same time it should be in harmony with it.
- Wool, wrapping the body of these beautiful representatives of the feline world is very thick and short. The texture of the wool is dense and somewhat tough, but it is not felt to the touch. At hand, the cat's fur coat is soft, but slightly springy.
- Color - this is, perhaps, the visiting card of animals of this breed. The amazing tiger stripes on the pet's body can be presented in either black or dark brown colors. Sometimes the stripes can be yellowish brown. It is important that toyger hairs are not ticked. Its stripes are individual hairs, from the skin to the tip are painted in a dark shade. The color of the stripes should be in contrast to the main background color.
The main color of toyger cats is most often presented in light red shades, but there are individuals and a grayish tone.
The pattern on the body of "little tigers" is formed by stripes that form a closed ring on the neck, legs and tail. According to the breed standard, Toyger's body can have an ornament of slightly elongated spots, but the main thing is that the pattern is all over the body, even on the abdomen and on the inner surface of the limbs. The paw pads and tip of the tail have a deep jet black color as standard.
Character features of a toyger cat with striped hair
Bringing a representative of this breed to your home, from the very first days you will be pleasantly surprised at how quickly this animal adapts to a new place of residence and to the people around it. Such a fluffy easily finds a common language with everyone who will live nearby, including other pets, even if it is a parrot or a Rottweiler or St. Bernard dog.
Cats of the Toyger variety never single out one person for themselves, their love and devotion is enough for everyone in equal numbers. You can be prepared for the fact that such a pet will always be nearby, but toygers are very well-mannered, they know how to adhere to the conventional line between: "being close" and "importunity." For example, during lunch, your pet will always be nearby, but he will not crawl out on the table or in your arms insolently.
"Toy Tiger Cubs" are still those who like to chat, but their voice is quiet and sounds pleasant, besides, they can make many different sounds. One gets the feeling that the cat speaks some language, there are so many sound variations in his arsenal. They also sing well, it is worth inviting the pet to your bed, as he immediately begins to purr, and he does it loudly, some tractor engines may envy his sound.
A toyger cat knows how to behave with children, she is ready to spend time with them all the time, only sometimes interrupting for a short rest and to refresh herself. The animal will never show aggression. By virtue of its intelligence, this purr can be taught without much difficulty to a litter box, a scratching post and other basic feline rules of living in a house.
Toyger cats: health and difficulties
In general, despite the fact that the representatives of this species are exclusively the result of selection, they are quite healthy and strong animals. But they still have a genetic predisposition to some pathologies. Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (problems associated with thickening of the walls of the ventricle of the heart) and cataracts (a disease in which there is a clouding of the lens of the eye) are those diseases that should be feared. It must be remembered that it is much easier to treat or stop these problems if they are diagnosed in time. For this reason, a toyger kitten should be shown to a veterinarian periodically.
In addition, vaccinations, periodic preventive courses of anthelmintic therapy, and additional vitamins and minerals should never be neglected. Also, these purrs have another similarity with tigers - a brutal appetite. And indeed, no matter how much food you put in your pet's plate, be sure that he will devour it. Therefore, it is better to feed "toy tigers" more often in moderate portions, otherwise problems with excess weight will not force themselves to wait long.
The average life expectancy of representatives of this breed is 14-16 years, but this is with proper care and balanced quality nutrition.
Care and maintenance of a toyger cat at home
Despite the extravagance of the appearance of the representatives of this species and their aristocratic habits, caring for these pets is not just not difficult, but very easy.
- Hair care. Toygers' fur coat also does not cause much trouble for the owner. In order for her to always look well-groomed and tidy, it is enough to comb out the cat with a massage brush once or twice a week. When choosing a comb, it is better to give preference to soft brushes, or use special rubber gloves. Even during the moulting period, this specimen of the feline world does not lose a large amount of its fur. But such cats are too clean, they lick themselves very often, so they need to be combed more even in order to prevent blockage of the gastrointestinal tract with a woolen ball. But brushing alone will not be enough. It is recommended to carry out regular prevention of intestinal clogging of the animal with wool. To do this, on the shelves of veterinary pharmacies, a wide variety of tools. A special paste for removing wool shows a good result, you can also buy vitamins intended for this. If your pet is not too often in nature and does not have the opportunity to find the necessary greens for himself, then it will be good to plant his personal edible flowerpot for your pet. Similar mixtures of seeds and soil are also sold at any pet store. As for swimming, toygers are not ardent admirers of water, therefore, without special need, do not test their nervous system. It will be optimal to bathe these pussies once a season, or as needed. When choosing a shampoo, it is important to consider the fact that the skin of "toy tigers" is very sensitive and prone to dryness. Therefore, detergents must be of high quality. You need to carefully study the composition, it is better that the product is made from natural ingredients. Avoid brightly colored shampoos with a pronounced fragrance, all chemical colors and fragrances will not do your tailed friend any good. Air conditioning should not be neglected.
- Hygiene. About once a week, a toyger cat needs to clean its ears with cotton swabs. It is recommended to do this without fail, since excessive accumulation of earwax, dead particles of the epidermis and dirt can negatively affect the health of your pet, namely, lead to hearing loss. For this procedure, it is better to use baby cotton swabs equipped with a limiter, it is necessary in order to prevent injury to the eardrum of the animal. It is best to use a special lotion for cleaning your cat's ears as an aid. But the use of home remedies should be discarded, as the latter can cause both inflammatory and allergic reactions on the vulnerable cat's skin. The eyes of a Toyger cat should also be periodically wiped with cotton pads, previously soaked in some kind of disinfectant solution. It is best to use a decoction of medicinal herbs (for example, chamomile or calendula), a solution of boric acid of low concentration or potassium permanganate, if neither one nor the other is at hand, then you can use the usual black tea brew. The oral cavity and teeth are not the strongest part of toygers; therefore, they need proper care. You should brush your pet's teeth about two to three times a week. For this procedure, it is recommended to purchase a special toothbrush and a cat tooth care product. It can be either tooth powder or cat toothpaste. Pet should be taught to regularly brush his teeth from early childhood, he, of course, is unlikely to love this process, but he will know what awaits him, and this is already better.
- Claw care. The claws of these purrs are quite hard and grow at an enviable speed, so they need to be ground somehow. To do this, the animal needs a scratching post or upholstery on your sofa, that's up to you. Teaching a "toy tiger" to use a scratching post will not be a problem. If the cat ignores this object, you can splash a few drops of valerian on its surface. You can also trim the Toyger's claws slightly. This must be done very carefully and with the help of very sharp tweezers, so as not to injure the animal. It is only allowed to cut off a few millimeters of the transparent tip of the claw.
- What to feed? Experts advise using premium or super premium dry food as the main dish for toygers. But it's good to add variety to such a diet with the help of lean meats and offal. It is not recommended to offer fish to these purrs.
Where to buy and the price of a toyger kitten
This breed of cats is quite rare, but it is still quite possible to find such a cherished "toy tiger". There are two toyger kennels in Russia, in Moscow and in St. Petersburg. If you want to breed these cats, then you need to buy a cat in the USA, since only sterile individuals are sold in Russia. The average cost of a kitten varies from 60,000 to 100,000 rubles, depending on the class. The price of a kitten for breeding is several times higher and starts from 220,000 rubles and this is far from the limit.
