Toyger

The Toyger is a house cat bred to look like a tiny tiger. The breed was developed by California breeder Judy Sugden, daughter of the Bengal pioneer Jean Mill, in the 1980s. She crossed Bengals with domestic tabbies that had unusual stripe markings, and she kept selecting for bold, tiger-like patterns.

The name is a play on toy and tiger, and the concept is conservation. Sugden hoped that a toy tiger in every home would remind people to care about the real tigers that are vanishing from the wild. The breed has no wild blood, and its look is entirely a matter of selection.

The coat is the star. A Toyger has an orange to golden background, with dark, broken vertical stripes, a mark that looks like a tiger’s, and a pale belly. The stripes are rounded and curved rather than straight, and many Toygers have a glitter effect, a gold sheen that shimmers in the sun.

The body is long, muscular and flowing, with a broad head, a strong muzzle and rounded ears. A Toyger moves with a rolling, powerful gait, like a miniature tiger on the prowl. Its tail is long, with a blunt tip, and its paws are large.

The personality is gentle and laid-back, far from a wild tiger. Toygers are sociable, easy-going and trainable. They learn tricks, walk on a leash and play fetch, and they get on with children and other pets. They are active but not frantic, and they like to be near their people.

The coat needs only a weekly brush. The breed is generally healthy, but it is a young and rare breed, so ask breeders about heart and genetic screening. A healthy Toyger can live thirteen to fifteen years. Give it a leash, a lap and a good game, and it will be a gentle tiger at home.