Personality & Behaviour

 

Is a Toyger the right breed for me? 

 

• It is really down to personal choice. Toygers are very intelligent, inquisitive, playful, friendly and loyal.

 

• They can be trained to walk on a harness, play fetch like a dog and are very energetic.

 

• Unlike some breeds, Toygers do know when to stop and love a lap to curl up on.

 

• We would only recommend to people who are able to play and interact with them regularly as they really need stimulation.

 

Indoor/ Outdoor

 

Why do you sell to indoor homes only?

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• Toygers are a very rare and relatively new breed still in development. This means that those wanting to breed Toygers sign up to the responsible breeder regulations set out by the Toyger Cat Society, one of which is to only sell to indoor homes or those with a secure garden or catio. All our owners are given a sales contract with this as one of the conditions of sale.

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• Roaming cats need to be vaccinated for FELV, something that can be passed from cat to cat. A number of breeders feel that this vaccination lowers a cats immune system so they pick up illnesses more easily. Our personal experience is that one stud boy and one early litter had a bad reaction to the vaccination. Since then we have not vaccinated for FELV as all our cats are indoor.

 

• There are other risks such as being stolen as they are so rare, they are naturally inquisitive so would have no issue looking in sheds, garages and hopping into vans. Toygers are also very friendly but other cats and dogs might not be and so bites/ injuries/ infection are a real risk. They also have zero road sense and even if you live rurally, we have had cats that lived in quiet areas manage to get out and then pass away due to road traffic accidents.

 

• Toygers can easily be trained to walk on a harness and also one of the best things we ever bought was a cat exercise wheel to help expend their energy - we have four now and all the Toygers love them.

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Pricing

 

What price is a kitten? 

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• Kittens sold as pets are around £1750, a little more for an exceptional kitten, dependant on how closely the kitten meets the breed standards. Breed standards are available on the GCCF and TICA websites.

 

When do I pay the deposit?

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• Deposits are paid when a kitten reaches 8 weeks old and has had their first vaccinations and vet health check.

 

Is the deposit refundable?

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• The deposit is only refundable if the kitten develops a health issue prior to leaving and is therefore unavailable. If you change your mind for whatever reason, the deposit is not refundable. 

 

Why is the price so high when I can get other breeds for less?

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• There are only a very small number of breeders in the UK who continue to work on attaining a Tiger like appearance, without any wild blood. As mentioned,Toygers are very rare and still a relatively new breed in development.

 

• Work on the breed requires: Importing new lines; health testing; multiple vet checks; registrations; 24/7 care; monitoring pregnant females; full assistance at kitten births; research; liaison with other breeders in person and online; show preparation; keeping kittens for longer if sending abroad plus international paperwork, testing and vaccinations.

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Health testing

 

What health tests do your cats have?

 

• All breeding cats are tested for the following and so kittens negative by birth: PRAb; PKDef; Blood Group

 

• Ongoing tests - prior to breeding: HCM; FELV/FIV

 

• Yearly vaccinations and regular vet health checks

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​​Registration

 

Will the kittens be registered?

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• Yes all kittens are fully registered with the GCCF in the UK. International buyers have the option if they would like their kitten registered with TICA. Pet kittens will be registered as Non-Active (not for breeding).

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Pedigree

 

Will I receive a pedigree certificate?

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• Yes, all kittens leave us with a 5 generation pedigree certificate. 

 

Is any striped cat a Toyger?

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• No. In simple terms only a registered Toyger bred to another registered Toyger is classed as a pedigree. This is at least four generations of Toyger bred to Toyger without any outcrossing. Toygers are pedigrees in their own right, it isn’t a title just given to a cat if it happens to be a striped tabby mixed breed.

 

Kitten Care

 

How do I prepare my home for a new kitten?

 

• We will talk you through this process. We have kitten care and raw feeding information sheets which we provide after you reserve your kitten. These are full of hints and tips to assist you with your new Toyger kitten.

 

Neutering

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Why must a Toyger kitten be neutered before going to their new home?

 

• Those wanting to breed Toygers as mentioned, we sign up to the responsible breeder regulations set out by the Toyger Cat Society, one of which is never to sell a kitten that is going to be a pet without it being neutered.

 

• Breeding is closely monitored and if a Toyger girl is not neutered and gets pregnant by the local Tom, then the breed pedigree is compromised.

 

• In our experience Toyger girls reach puberty very early and some can start to call (heat) as young as 4 months old. This is way too young to get pregnant - a cat should be at least 12 months old to be fully developed.

 

• If a kitten is going to a pet home and not for breeding, neutering prevents numerous health issues.  If a female does not receive a male, her cervix remains open until her heat cycle is finished in 7-10 days. It is during this time a female is at risk of pyometra, where bacteria ascends through the open cervix. This is potentially life threatening. Females call from about February to November, every 2-3 weeks for approx 7-10 days. Imagine how many times your un neutered girl is at risk during this time.

 

• For a male, territorial marking begins at about 6-9 months old. Once this starts, it is very difficult to change the behaviour as it is instinctive. Apart from the obvious smell from marking, they can become destructive and stressed due to frustration. 

 

• With all the health risks not only before birth but after such as the queen rejecting kittens, difficult births including breech, large kittens getting stuck requiring urgent caesarean, mastitis, Agalactia (not producing enough milk) requiring syringe/ tube feeding every 2 hours, infections due to retained placenta to name but a few, then it is the cats best interest to neuter if it is to be a pet.

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​Breeding

 

I’m interested in breeding Toygers, where do I start?

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• Do your research! We cannot stress enough how important this is. If you are new to breeding, then we would not recommend Toygers for first timers. They are a challenging breed and still in development.

 

• Visit cat shows to see the Toyger, speak to breeders, introduce yourself to international breeders via social media or website enquiries, especially the breed founder Judy Sugden, read the breed standards available on the TICA and GCCF websites. Familiarise yourself with lines.

 

• Discuss the pro’s and cons of breeding Toygers, try to see if a breeder will mentor you - this will require an experienced breeder, not just someone who has had a small number of litters.

 

• Look at pricing carefully as a breeding cat is often more than double the price of a pet. This is because a huge amount of work has gone into getting a breed quality cat, including importing lines which is very expensive, so factor in shipping costs.

 

• Consider if you are able to keep your own stud boy both in terms of room, facilities etc and also in logistics - there are no open studs in the UK to take your girl to and Toyger breeders internationally can live hundreds of miles from one another.

 

• Our advice would be to buy a Toyger as a pet, observe their development through to being a young adult. This will stand you in good stead both in the experience of having owned a Toyger and also will open doors to breeders as they will see how serious you are.

 

Can I buy Toygers for breeding from you?

 

• If you are an experienced breeder (of any breed of cat) or an animal health professional and have your own stud boy, then yes, we could consider selling for breeding if we feel we have a kitten of breeding quality . It is not an easy breed to cut your teeth on so beginners have often given up after a few litters. Lines in the UK are becoming much too closely related so the inbreeding co-efficient is getting higher, there are also no open studs here.

 

• Keeping a stud boy is not for the faint hearted. They spray so need to be kept separate - further information about keeping a stud is available on the GCCF website https://www.gccfcats.org/breeding-cats/the-experienced-breeder/keeping-a-stud/

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Is breeding just a case of the queen giving birth and I just play with the kittens? 

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• No. Unfortunately a lot of people feel that this is all there is to it.

 

• It is a 24/7 commitment and for a queen involves birth prep, birth assistance - kittens can become stuck in the birth canal, breech births, clearing airways, syringe feeding, tube feeding, Agalactia, Mastitis, fading kitten syndrome. Queens also seem predisposed to Pyometra as outlined above.

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