Why The Toyger Is Great For Apartment Living
There is nothing quite so beautiful or exotic as a wild tiger, bobcat, leopard, or jaguar, and there are thousands of people, if not more, who would love to own one.
In fact, there are over 20,000 big cats that are legally owned by individuals in the U.S. alone. This usually is not a good thing for these big cats. Often they are placed in cages or fenced-in areas that are far too small to house them comfortably.
Most people just don’t know what the proper nutrition is for a big cat. More importantly, these huge cats are far too dangerous and no matter how tame they might seem, they can easily maim or kill a human being by just doing what comes naturally.
Fortunately, the rest of us know that it’s is not smart to own a tiger or a lion as a pet. But do not despair, for there is a breed of domestic cat that looks just like their bigger, wilder, cousins.
One of them is the Toyger, and yes, just as the name implies, they really do look like miniature tigers with the distinctive striping you see on the bigger, beautiful, wild version.
Rather than having the mackerel vertical stripes of a tabby cat, the Toyger has dark stripes just like a tiger laid over a background of orange and tan. Also like a tiger, the stripes are random individual stripes, not uniform ones like you might find on your typical tiger kitty.
Toygers are designer cats. They are easy to train and are laid back, which makes them perfect for apartment dwellers. Their dramatic pattern and glittered pelt makes them very appealing to all those who have ever dreamed of owning a real tiger.
The Toyger is the result of many years of hard work breeding by July Sugden in southern California from the 1980’s to 1993. She bred a striped domestic shorthair cat to a standard Bengal tabby. The end result was a 10lbs cat that has the fur and glitter of a real Bengal Tiger.
In February 2007, The International Cat Association (TICA) declared the Toyger to be a championship cat breed. In the TICA Breed Standard they say the ideal Toyger should be:
Designed with the experience of active cat ownership in the modern urban setting foremost in mind, this cat must be a uniquely beautiful and
TICA 2008
engaging companion, willing and able to thrive in a human centered life.
There are now over 150 breeders worldwide who specialize in breeding Toygers. They continue to improve on the species so the majestic looks and personality of the Toyger can be maintained. With almost 65,000 registered Toygers worldwide, the popularity of the breed is still growing.
