Toyger vs American Curl - Breed Comparison | Petzlover

The American Curl is well known for its unusual shaped ears and for being one of the youngest cat breeds.

It developed in California. The first of these cats appeared to have been strays that arrived in California in 1981. The black female’s name was Shulamith, and she gave birth to a litter with the same curled ears, and was the ancestor of the American Curls of today.

Appearing in a cat show in 1992 for the first time, the longhaired American Curl was then given championship status by TICA and it was also admitted to the Cat Fanciers Association’s championship class in the long- and shorthaired divisions.

The Toyger is a domestic cat developed from breeding Shorthaired Tabbies to look like a small Tiger.

It has the striped coat of the Tiger. The person to develop the Toyger is Judy Sugden.

The unusual-looking cat has been recognized for registration by the International Cat Association in the 1990s. It was accepted as a full championship breed in 2007.

Today this designer cat is recognized by the ICA but not the Cat Fancier's Association.

The American Curl is a medium-sized cat weighing roughly 2.3–4.5kg. Its a cat that stands between 21 and 27cm in height.

It’s also a cat that takes a fairly long time to mature, reaching maturity about 2 or 3 years of age. The most distinctive feature of this cat is its unusual ears that curl backward as opposed to standing up like most other cats. At birth the ears are straight but they gradually start curling back, staying in a tight bud position.

The American Curl's coat is soft and silky and doesn’t require too much grooming. The fur comes in colors such as grey, white, apricot, black, and the coat can be a solid color or in a host of different patterns such as bi-color, triple-color, tabby, ticking and others.

The head is round, the eyes of the cat are large, giving the cat an alert, friendly look. The eyes can be many different colors from blue to green, amber, copper, hazel, and yellow.

Temperament:

The American Curl Cat loves his human family and gets on well with children too. He is an adaptable cat, settling into different lifestyles. You’ve got to watch him around small children who might manhandle him and pull his sensitive ears.

Nonetheless, he is sociable and loving. He is an intelligent cat, being active and alert and will even follow you around to see what you’re doing that he can be involved in too. He isn’t a particularly talkative breed but he loves to play and can even learn to fetch a smallish ball.

The Toyger is a medium to large-sized cat that can weigh between 5 and 9kg. As with any cat, with these newer kinds of cats, the size of the cat can vary.

It is a shorthair cat that is quite a bit bigger than your regular cat. The coat of this mixed breed cat has markings similar to that of a tiger - vertical orange striping with rosettes.

The coat of the cat is short and he is a brown mackerel tabby with stripes being a dark brown to black. The eyes of the cat can be a blue, aquamarine, green, or gold.

Temperament:

These cats have a laid back disposition, and will comfortably slot into a busy household.

They are playful and intelligent and can be taught tricks and to walk on the lead.

This cat enjoys the company of people and will get on well with other pets too. People who have owned them say they are the most affectionate and loving cats there are and will enjoy being petted and pampered by their human family.

They get on well in busy households where there are children and other pets. They’re super smart and can be trained with ease.

Unlike many other cat breeds, he seems to also enjoy playing in water.

You’ll find your American Curl to be a friendly, loving cat that will easily bond with his human family. They’re adaptable cats and will happily adjust to your lifestyle.

Despite their affection, however, American Curls aren't the type of cats to want to be pampered and petted - they are quite happy just to sit next to their owner and relax, or play with their toys.

Because American Curls are highly adaptable, they're suitable for a number of different home types, and homes with other pets or children, making you a splendid feline pet and companion.

Toygers are expensive cats and there aren’t many breeders in the world. If you do decide to invest in a Toyger, he will need careful looking after, after all, you've spent a lot of money on him.

Diet is of absolute importance to keep such a cat healthy. The right environment is also important as cats and dogs for that matter too, can become ill and depressed if they find themselves in homes where they are unloved and abused.

Don't get a cat if you aren't prepared to love and care for him. Because the question is then 'why get a cat?'

This is a healthy breed of cat that with good care can reach 9 – 15 years of age.

You need to be careful with their ears – perhaps damaging the cartilage if you brush him too hard.

Like many cats, the Curl is susceptible to ear issues so always be sure to check and clean your cat’s ears weekly.

Just like in human beings, obesity can reduce the lifespan of your cat. Make sure you keep your Toyger’s weight under control.

These cats are considered to be fairly healthy. He can be predisposed to some of the same cat conditions that the Bengal and Domestic Shorthair face.

When your Toyger shows any signs of illness, get him to the vet. Some of the common health problems your Toygers might have to contend with include obesity and heart murmurs.

A heart murmur is an abnormal heart sound, and is caused by turbulent blood flow within the heart. When you vet examines your cat, a heart murmur is detected when the vet listens to your cat's heart with a stethoscope. The vet will discuss with you the way forward for your cat.

If you get a Toyger kitten, you will have to make sure he is up to date with his vaccinations. This is part of being a responsible cat owner.

The breeder will have a record of his vaccinations and will hand this over to you.

At 6 – 8 weeks kittens start with their first injections which include vaccinations for distemper, feline rhinotracheitis, and feline calici virus.

The Curl’s coat can be either short or long, but with a gentle brushing, the coat can be well maintained. The shorthaired variety sheds a bit more during the year than the longhaired variety and this is why grooming and brushing becomes necessary.

You can brush your cat’s teeth to avoid periodontal disease.

Trim your cat’s nails every other week if they don’t wear down naturally.

Check inside- and outside the cat’s ears for parasites and dirt. The cat’s ears have a unique shape and they may well be born with narrowed ear canals that can trap dirt and wax and this results in ear infections.

Like all cats breeds, your lean, muscular American Curl can be susceptible to obesity and heart disease. Speak to your vet about a special cat food for your feline friend as cat food is specially formulated to deliver the exact level of natural vitamins, minerals, fiber and antioxidants needed. Understand the amount of food your Curl requires by checking out the feeding instructions on the food labels. Always talk to your vet if you're not sure how much and what you should feed your cat.

Remember, that if you don’t want to do these grooming routines for your cat for fear of hurting him or not doing it properly, the vet or your local pet groomer will do it for you.

Make sure to provide your intelligent American Curl with toys and exercise. You can buy toys and games that will challenge his mental and physical abilities.

Toygers should be brushed weekly and have their nails trimmed regularly. As with all domesticated cats, you should check inside his ears to make sure they don’t become clogged with dirt and wax.

These are smart cats so they will need to be provided with attention in the form of clever games and toys that get him thinking.

Toygers need to be fed much like any other domestic cat. The most important thing to remember when feeding a cat is that they are carnivores and they require meaty food high in protein.

Speak to your vet about the absolute necessity of getting your cat’s diet right. For your convenience, cat food manufacturers have brought out many excellent cat foods that cater to the time of life your cat is in.

Make sure your Toyger has a constant supply of fresh, cool water.