A house cat that looks like a tiger

Judy Sugden, the inventor of Toyer, and her colleagues are trying to breed domestic Toyger cats – basically a new breed which is a cross between tigers and cats.

The breed standard for the Toyger is a big-boned, pumpkin-colored animal with a whitened belly. Ideally, its stripes mimic those of its powerful role model, flowing up from the stomach and down from the spine, and forming concentric arcs around the face.

The perfect Toyger has small, round ears, a strong chin, a broad nose, and a long muzzle. Its coat has flecks of golden “glitter,” and its movements are “reminiscent of the big cats.”

At present, no Toyger embodies all of these attributes. With some 400 Toygers registered, most of them being bred by Sugden and about 20 colleagues worldwide, it could be several years before the cat looks amazingly like its 500-pound muse—Sugden hopes by 2010. But even imperfect specimens exude a certain jungle glamour.

Link & Image: Life via Cute Overload
Tags: Cat | Tiger | Toyer | New Breed