How to Care for Toygers

Co-authored by Pippa Elliott, MRCVS

Last Updated: October 24, 2021 References

The Toyger is a relatively new cat breed development by Judy Sudgen that was officially recognized by the International Cat Association in 1993. Toygers are medium sized cats with white or orange and black striping that resembles that of a tiger. They are also heavily muscled with a rolling gait much like tigers.^{[1]
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Research source} Despite their fierce namesake, Toygers love people and are very friendly cats who are great with families, children, and other pets. With proper care and attention, you can raise a Toyger to live a long and happy life.

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Providing Veterinary Care

1
Vaccinate your cat. When you first get your Toyger kitten, you need to make sure she is up to date on her vaccinations. Ask her previous owner or breeder for her records so you know what care she has already received. At six weeks, she should have had her core vaccinations, including those for distemper, feline rhinotracheitis, and feline calici virus.
- At nine to 10 weeks, she should have a booster for these vaccinations and her last boosters for these at 14 to 16 weeks. She may also need these repeated at one year old.
- At 12 to 16 weeks, she should have her rabies vaccination. This will need to be repeated every year.
- She may have also gotten a feline leukemia test at the same time as her first distemper vaccine.^{[2]
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When you take your kitten for her first check up around eight to nine weeks, your vet should start the deworming process on her. This should be redone every three to four weeks and at least two additional times after the first.
3
Spay or neuter your cat. Before your Toyger reaches six months old, you need to decide if you want to breed her. If you don’t, have her spayed (or neutered if male). This will help prevent unwanted kittens as well as cut down on undesirable behavior such as heat behaviors and urine spraying.
- You can have her fixed as early as eight weeks.^{[3]
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  American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals
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4
Take her for regular checkups. After your Toyger reaches one year old, you need to take her back to the vet at least once a year for a health checkup. She should be given her rabies vaccination and be checked for any issues. Once she reaches 10 years old, take her twice a year to avoid any specific diseases more common in senior cats.
- Although your Toyger should generally be healthy, there is one breed specific problem to be aware of. During these regular checkups, make sure your vet looks for heart murmurs, which have been noted as common in this breed.^{[4]
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Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Grooming Your Cat

1
Brush your Toyger’s fur. Your Toyger’s fur should be relatively short. To keep her looking her best, you should brush her once a week. This will keep her fur shiny and help cut down on shedding.^{[5]
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- This is also a good time to look for any abnormalities, such as lumps, scrapes, bruises, bumps, or other injuries. Take her to the vet immediately if you notice any.
2
Trim her nails. During your brushing sessions, you can also trim her nails. Your Toyger may not like having her nails cut, but it will make her life easier. To trim them, get her in the right position on your lap and use cat claw clippers to trim the ends. Make sure to avoid the pink area of the nails because they hold the quick, which is where her blood and nerves are.
- This can be quite an undertaking, so you may want to let your vet trim her nails every month or so.^{[6]
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  The Humane Society of the United States
  National organization devoted to the promotion of animal welfare
  
  Go to source}^{[7]
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  Washington State University College of Veterinary Medicine
  Leading veterinary medicine training institution and biomedical research center
  
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3
Clean her ears. During your weekly grooming sessions, you should check your Toyger’s ears. You don’t have to clean her ears weekly, only when they are dirty. Check her ears for discoloration, residue, or odors. If you notice any of these, you should clean them. To do this, wet a cotton ball with a cat ear cleanser and gently wipe them out.
- You can get an ear cleanser at a pet store or ask your vet for recommendations.^{[8]
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4
Brush her teeth. Once every day, brush your cat’s teeth. It takes a little patience at first, but it is easy once your Toyger gets used to it. Start by buying a cat toothbrush and toothpaste. Put some of the toothpaste on your finger and let her get used to the flavor.
- Next, rub it against her teeth yourself. Then graduate to the brush the next day.
- Never use human toothpaste on a cat.^{[9]
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  American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals
  Leading organization dedicated to the prevention of animal cruelty
  
  Go to source}
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Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Caring for Your Toyger’s Well-being

1
Feed her the right foods. To keep your Toyger healthy, you need to feed her the right kinds of foods. Since your cat is a carnivore, or meat eater, her body requires amino acid proteins found in meat to be healthy. She could develop eye problems or develop serious diseases if she isn't fed enough healthy, good quality food with meat in it.^{[10]
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Research source
Differences between cats and dogs: a nutritional view. 7. Veronique Legrand-Defretin (1994). Proceedings of the Nutrition Society, 53, pp 15-24. doi:10.1079/PNS19940004}
- To make sure she gets enough of these proteins, she should have cat food that has real meat in it. It can be hard to know what food is good quality, but look for cat food with meat, not meat byproduct, listed as the first or second ingredient.
2
Avoid overfeeding her. Another way to keep your Toyger healthy is to keep her at a healthy weight. Your cat food will have suggested food amounts based on her size. Since your Toyger is a medium sized cat, look in that range for her specific weight to know how much to feed her.
- Avoid feeding her this amount all at once. Your Toyger will get hungry throughout the day, so break it up into two to three small meals so she doesn't get hungry.^{[11]
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  The Evolutionary Basis for the Feeding Behavior of Domestic Dogs (Canis familiaris) and Cats (Felis catus) John W.S. Bradshaw The Journal of Nutrition. July 2006 vol. 136 no. 7 1927S-1931S} Spreading out the food during the day will keep your Toyger feeling full and satisfied.
3
Buy her a scratching post. Your Toyger's predatory nature and instincts will lead her to want to scratch things in your house. To avoid her scratching things you don't want damaged, buy her a scratching post. You can also buy her a cat tower or something similar that will give her a place to scratch as well as explore.
- Scratching will also help remove dead areas of her claws to help them grow healthily and give her quality exercise.^{[12]
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  Trustworthy Source
  
  The Humane Society of the United States
  National organization devoted to the promotion of animal welfare
  
  Go to source}
- If your Toyger scratches things she isn't supposed to, do not yell at her or punish her. Try a different kind of scratching post that may be more suited to her needs.
- Pick her up and move her to where her scratching post is when you see her scratching the wrong thing. This will show her where to scratch without messing anything up.
4
Get her the right toys. Your Toyger is very intelligent and energetic, so she needs toys that engage her curiosity. These don't have to be expensive or elaborate, they just have to keep her attention. Cheap, homemade toys include a wadded up piece of paper or a cardboard paper towel roll. You can also buy her toy mice, toys with dangly feathers, or a laser pointer.
- Set aside time each day to play with your Toyger. The more energy you help burn off, the happier your Toyger will be.^{[13]
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5
Bond with her. During the first weeks you have your cat, you should bond with her. Pick her up, pet her, and love on her. Encourage lap time, which can help you bond with her and aid in getting her used to human contact. She may have a temperament that is more solitary and will cause her to avoid lap time.
- If this is the case, talk to her when you play with her and when you feed her. Encourage her to approach you and give her the kind of attention she seeks.
- This may take some time to figure out. It may also be difficult because cat's do not like change. As you are learning your Toyger's likes and dislikes, keep talking to her and bonding with her in whatever way she will let you.^{[14]
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6
Teach her tricks. Since your Toyger is intelligent and energetic, she is the perfect candidate to teach tricks to.^{[15]
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Research source} Start with getting her attention with treats, then try to get to her to do a certain trick, such as sit or roll over. Keep using treats to reward her as you teach her tricks.
- With some patience, you can teach your Toyger to do many different tricks, which will help keep her healthy and give her exercise everyday.^{[16]
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Question

Are Toygers good pets?

Pippa Elliott, MRCVS
Veterinarian
Dr. Elliott, BVMS, MRCVS is a veterinarian with over 30 years of experience in veterinary surgery and companion animal practice. She graduated from the University of Glasgow in 1987 with a degree in veterinary medicine and surgery. She has worked at the same animal clinic in her hometown for over 20 years.

Pippa Elliott, MRCVS

Veterinarian

Expert Answer

I have no personal experience of Toygers but the word is that they make excellent pets. They have a reputation for being loving, fun, and loyal, which means they love to play and receive petting from their owner.

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Question

What kind of cat is a Toyger?

Pippa Elliott, MRCVS
Veterinarian
Dr. Elliott, BVMS, MRCVS is a veterinarian with over 30 years of experience in veterinary surgery and companion animal practice. She graduated from the University of Glasgow in 1987 with a degree in veterinary medicine and surgery. She has worked at the same animal clinic in her hometown for over 20 years.

Pippa Elliott, MRCVS

Veterinarian

Expert Answer

Much like another cat breed with a stunning coat, the Bengal, the Toyger cat is a variation on the regular house cat, rather than anything more 'wild' or 'exotic.'

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