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Cat Breeds: Toyger

2016/5/3 17:24:57
  There are many breeds of domestic cat but the new breed known as the Toyger is certain one of the most eye-catching - careful breeding has resulted in a domestic cat that looks a lot like a tiger. Here is a breed profile. The Toyger is a breed of domestic cat that was the end product of the purposeful crossing of domestic tabbies to create a striped coat similar to that of a tiger, hence their name. The creator of the breed, a lady named Judy Sugden, said that her aim was to create a breed of cat that inspired people to care about the conservation of tigers in the wild.

History
The breed began in the 1980s when Judy Sugden first noticed distinctive markings on one of her tabby cats. This cat had tiny spots on the temples, an area normally without a pattern, and proven that a circular tiger pattern was possible on a domestic cat from a genetic point of view. She then imported a tom cat from India that had spotting breaking up the tabby lines on his head and set about creating the Toyger.

Since the creation of the breed, around forty different cats have been used to enhance the breed traits that are desired. The breed was recognized for registration only by The International Cat Association in the early 1990s and for full championship status in 2007. Currently there are around 20 breeders in the US and another 15 or so around the world breeding the Toyger.

Appearance
The Toyger has markings that are unique to the breed and very different to other types of tabby. Normally tabby markings would be round rosettes, stripes or spots but the Toyger has broken, bold, vertical stripes that form in a random pattern. Some of the stripes look like stretched rosettes. The face should have a circular pattern of markings and as with the tiger; some of the dark markings on the top portion of the cat have a whited ground colour on the insides and undersides of the cat. Each cat’s markings are a little different.

Apart from the coat, other aspects that aim to make the cat look like a tiger include its body shape. The cat has a long, rectangular body that has the low slung and powerful appearance of the tiger with big bones and high shoulders. It is a very muscular breed and has a face shape that is described as a long, inverted heart shape. They typically weigh 10-15 pounds for males and 7-10 pounds for females.

Personality
While these cats may resemble a tiger, there isn't a drop of tiger blood in their makeup and they are a perfect domestic cat. They are very outgoing and friendly as well as being very intelligent cats that love to interact with people and with other pets. Because they are very clever they can be taught tricks and to perform tasks such as walking on a leash or fetching a toy. They are also a laid-back breed meaning that they fit in well with any household.

Conclusion
Stalking around the house with its rolling gait like a tiger in the hunt, the Toyger is very much the toy tiger but also very much a pet cat. This intelligent and affectionate animal may look like a little wild cat but it is loving and affectionate, combining the best of the feline world.