Toyger

Semi-Cobby

Coat

Tabby: This breed has a form of modified brown mackerel tabby inspired by tigers. Pattern follows the standard mackerel tabby pattern.
Allowed colour combinations are with stripes. is allowed as a base colour, but is faulted. Stripes can be regular mackerel furfiles, a clearly-striped heavy mackerel tabby furfile, or a combination of as elongated stripe-like rosettes on the body with normal stripes on the rest of the cat. The tail tip must be regardless of stripe colour. The snout can be solid stripe-coloured. Ears are preferred to be stripe-coloured, with a light "thumbprint" spot allowed on the back of the ear. The forehead can display a spotted pattern instead of traditional striping.

Light Markings: Light markings are allowed as per the Tabby doc, with a few extra allowances. These include: the underside of the base of the tail, the third of the tail closest to the tip, the cheeks, and forehead. Light markings on the belly and chest must have body striping on top; other light markings may be striped or unstriped. Light markings may be and if the body is not . All Toygers may have chin and jowls.

White Patterns:: All catz may have a small locket or button on the neck or chest.

Eyes

Nose

Matching surrounding colour.

Faults

Dorsal stripes. Lockets.

Disqualifications

Unstriped belly or chest. Tail tip not black.

Varieties

None

Notes

The Toyger is just what the breed name says it is—a toy-sized tiger for your living room! In the late 1980s, a Bengal breeder working on clarity of the tabby pattern noticed circular spots on the forehead of one of her cats, and decided to try to develop a true circular tiger-style marking pattern. Using domestic shorthairs, a few key Bengals, and a street cat imported from India, Judy Sugden (daughter of Jean Mill, who developed the Bengal) set out to create the Toyger.

Like the Bengal, the Toyger’s pattern is more important than its type. The circular head markings, bold vertical striping unlike the common mackerel tabby pattern, and orange-red undertone to the coat are unique. Overall body shape is reminiscent of a big cat – small head, smaller eyes, small round ears, wide nose, and long, low tail carriage.

Type & judging remarks
Coat pattern is important. Contrast between stripes, rich warm body colour, and light markings are desirable. Overlap of striping onto light markings is desirable. Generally, any impression that helps the cat look more like a tiger than a domestic feline is preferred.

Breed Files

Filename: Toyger
Offset: 0095
Base: B + W Shorthair
SCP: B + W Shorthair
Accepted: January 20, 2010
Notes: Includes five tail variations.