Toygers, Bengals, and Other Little-Big Cat Breeds

All domestic cats seem to carry an essence of their wild relatives. It is not uncommon to hear a cat owner joking, "My little kitten thinks he's a lion," when watching the cat playfully stalking a toy. Because of cat owners' love of the wildness within even the most tame of cats, some breeders have worked to create breeds and varieties of domestic cat that mimic wilder species.

The Toyger: A Tiny Tiger

A relatively new breed with its origins going back no further than the 1990s, the toyger is a designer breed intended to command respect for wild tiger species. At first glance, the toyger looks nearly identical to its wild counterpart, but grows no bigger than an anverage domestic cat.

The toyger is still very much a work in progress, and most individuals of the breed do not yet have the rounded ears and white belly-markings of a wild tiger. However, they are possessed of several traits unique to the breed; most notably, they are the only cat breed with dark brownish-black stripes on their red-orange bodies.

Toygers are recognized by The International Cat Association, but is not yet recognized as an established breed by the Cat Fancier's Association. Toyger breeders are working to further develop them into a distinct and recognizable breed of miniature tiger.

The Bengal: A Pint-Sized Leopard

Bengals are a magnicient sight to behold, because they so closely resemble wild, spotted cats like leopards and jaguars, both in build and in markings. Beginning in the 1970s, Bengals as a breed were created by cross-breeding domestic cats with the Asiatic Leopard Cat, a spotted wild cat about thirteen pounds in size. Despite common misconcpetion, the name "Bengal" refers to the scientific name of the Asiatic Leopard Cat, not the the more widely-known Bengal tiger species.

Bengals are large housecats that retain many of the wild characteristics of their Leopard Cat ancestors, while still remaining friendly, playful, and affectionate, like their domestic relatives. They are most noted for their lithe, wildcat-like builds, emerald-green eyes, and rosette-style spots. Like the Toyger, the Bengal has gained recognition by the The International Cat Association, but not by the Cat Fancier's Association.

The Manx: A Miniature Bobcat

Many Manx owners mistakenly refer to their pets as bobcat-hybrids, when Manxes are in fact the result of natural domestic-cat breeding. Manx cats all descend from a natural mutation with its most noted origins being the British Isle of Man. Because some Manxes have been distinctly bred to accentuate their wild, lynx-like builds and tufted ears, some Manx cats resemble bobcats and lynxes more than they resemble their tame relatives.

Manx cats are defined by their short, stumpy tails or total lack of tail, which often leads to the misconception that they are part bobcat. Additionally, Manxes have stout, sturdy, robust builds like the Canadian lynx, and often appear in tuft-eared and long-haired varieties. But don't let the Manx's wild appearance fool you: this breed is among the friendliest, most affectionate breeds known.

The Somali: A Little Lion

With its origins in the United Statse, not Somalia, the Somali's name is something of a misnomer. Bred from golden-agouti Abyssinian cats, these long-haired beauties are ruddy, lion-like creatures with fluffy tails, slight manes, large ears, and wildcat-shaped faces. These intelligent, frisky cats have been noted for their physical similarity to lions, as well as foxes.

The Somali's feral appearance commands attention from cat fanciers and breeders because it is so unusual among domestic cats. Most often fawn or ruddy in color, Somalis are muscular and somewhat large, and their agouti (or "ticked") fur type resembles wild cats much more than average domestic cats.

Thanks to the development of these fantastic, beautiful new breeds, cat owners can enjoy the zest and exotic nature of wild cats without resorting to the ownership of untamable or endangered wild species. The loving, easy-going nature of domestic cats can be coupled with the wild, fierce apperance of wild cats through proper breeding and care.