| Designer Pets 2: The Toyger |
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| Written by Kitty Teddy | ||||
| Tuesday, 16 October 2007 | ||||
 Part 2 - of a three-part My Pet Friends Special report.- The toyger is a designer cat that has been designed and bred to resemble, well, a tiger (the clue is in the name). Recognised for registration only by The International Cat Association (www.tica-uk.org.uk) in the early 90’s it was only until this year that it has been classified as a new breed rather than a hybrid (a mix of more than one pedigree). Inspired by the work of Judy Sugden who developed the breed to raise awareness of conservation of tigers in the west, it has become the hot new so-called ‘designer pet’ of this year. - The Toyger has similar markings of a real tiger – only it’s kinder to you and friendlier to your sofa! It is relatively big-boned, reddish amber in colour with a whitened belly. Its coat stripes mimic those of its powerful role model and has flecks of gold in it. But Judy Sugden and her team of colleagues who are developing the breed are continuing to refine them so that one day we can all have the option of owning a friendlier, smaller version of its stunning wildcat relative. - The demand for designer cats is booming. Other popular felines include the Savannah cat (part house cat, part African serval) and the Chausie (a house cat bred with a jungle cat). But as with all things designer there’s no prizes for guessing that they don’t come cheap – these cats can demand fees of up to £2000. Now that’s an expensive kitty!!! And of course it doesn’t stop there, owners of designer cats spend on average a lot more on their furry friends that those with traditional moggies. You only have to look at the many online pet shops and pet stores to see how their needs have been met - with jewel encrusted collars, designer cat carriers, cat clothing and individually prepared cat food to name but a few of the items on offer. - Come back to the read the next part in this three part special on Designer pets – Friday 19th October. If you can’t wait until then and crave more pet news, search the My Pet Friends pet news archives. - (My Pet Friends supports initiatives to re-home unwanted pets and would always urge its readers to consider adopting a rescued pet or a pet that needs re-homing when considering a new pet.) -  Add as favourites (0) |  Quote this article on your site | Views: 612
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