Toygers and their Regal Stripes: your affectionate and loyal companion

Embark on a journey of opulence with the distinguished Toyger, a cat breed that’s known for its unique characteristics and resemblance to the big cats – tigers!

The Toyger is still a fairly new breed, created by Judy Sugden to resemble its wild counterpart the Tiger. Hence its name “toy” for small or a cat size and “tiger” meant to be a small house sized tiger it was created for awareness of the conservation of the wild tigers.

I must admit when I was a child, I dreamt of someday owning a leopard or a tiger, so must many of us I believe. Now with these new toy breed of cats we can preserve the wild animals and keep them in their natural habitat where they belong and love these safer and friendlier Toyger’s and Bengal’s instead.

Toygers crave love and care

Toyger’s are a lifelong commitment they can live up to 10 to 15 years old depending on your care just like every pet. They require love, attention and affection so that they don’t get bored and start becoming destructive. This means regular play sessions are needed. Brushing your Toyger at least 2 to 3 times a week to keep their shiny coat, exercise by playing or even training them to do tricks orwalking is possible with these smart little house tigers. My Toyger Rajah loves cuddles and kisses on his forehead and nose bridge. We have our bonding time where we spend time together where he just hangs out with me and lays on my lap for a while or right beside me. Toyger’s love attention and are great with children.

Rajah and his reign

Rajah is a show toyger. I take him to participate in cat shows. He started as a kitten and from the beginning he started winning major titles. At a very young age he won Double Master Ring, which is not easy to win. He won Coral Jubilee ring which only comes once every 30 years, He won Best in Show, Master Ring 1 and a lot more awards. I’m very proud of my Rajah. He hasn’t even turned a year as I write this article and he has already accomplished so much.

By the end of this year, I am hoping to see Rajah’s little kitten’s running around the house.

Winning hearts with their charismatic characteristics

To give you an idea according to WCF Breed Standards. To have a desirable result in shows a Toyger must meet these breed standards.

• Toygers must have black mackerel stripes not rosettes like what you see in Bengals.
• Its base color golden orange is desired.
• Paw pads and tail tips should be black and rounded.
• Body pattern are stripes vertically aligned, encircling markings on neck, legs and tail.
• Bold braided non – uniform stripes including stretched rosettes are preferred.
• Must have ventral patterns on the belly.
• Facial stripes and markings circularly aligned on face with the M on the forehead.
• Eyelid rims and lips black bright white eye rim (glasses style) desired.
• Eyes small to medium sized wide set hooded slightly slanted deep color preferred.
• Ears should be small to medium with rounded tips.
• A medium sized long, broad and deep head is considered good. All contours need to be well defined.
• Muscular and roundedprofile with angle change above the eyes
• Slightly concave nose. Nose leather is desired.
• Body should be medium sized, muscular with curved contours strong and robust.
• Neck needs to be long and muscular.
• Chest should be broad and deep.
• Long legs are considered desirable and medium length distance between ground and body is equal to depth of torso both front and hind legs equal length.
• Paws should be oval and large with long toes.

However, there is no such thing as a perfect Toyger. These are only guidelines of how the organizations want the breeders to follow and hopefully one day meet every standard they require. I believe we still have a long way to go in achieving all of these since the Toyger is still a new breed. In my heart my Rajah is my perfect Toyger. He has brought me so much love, affection and pride. I cannot ask for anything more.

Tread with caution

One thing I would like to share with you about my perfect Rajah or any cat for that matter especially Toyger’s is that they are really like their wild counterparts. The male Toyger’s spray everywhere when they are older which Rajah just recently started doing. So, if you plan to get a Toyger and do not plan to breed spay/neuter as early as possible to avoid the spraying because it is really not pleasant. Rajah loves me so much he reciprocates his love for me by claiming me as his own by marking me, that means being sprayed on. I try to dodge it or put his tail down try to train him but when I’m busy in a conversation with someone it cannot be avoided, he still manages to get me.

(Dr. Sarah Walker Cortes DDS, DMD, Visayan Gentle Giant’s, Toyger and Maine Coon Breeder).