Consider A Toyger Kitten As A Pet For Your Family
If you are looking for a pet for your children, you may discover that designer pets are becoming increasingly popular as breeders mix various breeds together to develop interesting offspring. While you may be more familiar with designer dogs, such as the Goldendoodle (Golden Retriever and Poodle mix), there are designer domestic cats being bred as well. One type of bred cat is called a toyger, which is a portmanteau word of toy and tiger, even though a toyger has no more tiger DNA than any other domestic cat.
Toygers are excellent pets for your little tykes to grow up with.
Domestic Cat + Bengal = Toyger
Toygers aren't bred from tigers by any means. Instead, they are the result of the breeding of a domestic cat with a bengal. Interestingly, bengals are also designer cats as they are bred from a domestic cat and an Asian leopard cat. Somehow, the beauty of nature has transformed the leopard spots on the Asian leopard cat and the stripes and coloring of domestic cats into black stripes on the toyger cat.
You'll need to find a toyger breeder and, if possible, visit the kittens they have to offer before selecting one to become a member of your family. Ideally, you can meet your kitten before it gets weened from its mama so you can start building a relationship with your newest, smallest family member. Also, this will give you a chance to see that the size of an adult toyger is slightly taller than the typical domestic house cat.
A Toyger Is an Excellent Family Pet
Toygers have an easy-going temperament and are low-maintenance, so they make great family pets. They do enjoy more playtime and exercise than a typical domestic cat and can be trained to do tricks and to walk on a leash, so they make great companions for children. However, they can easily get separation anxiety, so you'll need to give them the attention they deserve.
Of course, as with most felines, when you have children, welcoming a toyger into your home when they are a kitten is ideal so they can grow up together. Toygers eat pretty much the same foods as domestic cats, but you'll want to discuss their diet with a veterinarian to make sure you provide them with all of their dietary and nutritional needs so they grow strong and healthy while maintaining a good weight.
Keep these tips in mind when looking for toyger kittens near you.