Toygers have an oval head with a well-defined, long and broad muzzle. Their ears are small and round, wide set toward the back of the head. Short but thickly furred temples and ears are preferred. Lynx tipping is undesirable. Their eyes are medium size, circular and set wide with a deep rich color preferred. The torso is long, muscular, and athletic with rounded contours, not blocky, with a very long but not thick tail that tapers to tip with a rounded end. The legs and feet have large boning with equal distance from ground to body as is the width of the torso. Color is very dark markings preferred in black to brown to tan.
This is a medium to large-size cat weighing 7 to 15 pounds.
The breed began development in the 1980s when Judy Sugden, a breeder looking to find the difference between the mackerel markings in tabbies, noticed distinctive markings in one of her cats. These tiny spots occurring on the temples of the face (an area normally devoid of distinct pattern) proved genetically that the circular tiger face pattern could be possible in a domestic cat.
After importing a tom from the streets of India with noticeable spotting breaking up the usual tabby lines on the top of the head, the quest to develop a toy-tiger began in earnest. About forty domestic cats from various countries were selected over several years as foundation stock, including Bengals, unpedigreed domestic short-haired cats with stripes, and at least one cat imported from India for its ear markings; each provided a specific desired trait or reinforcing ones already chosen (especially the striped appearance).
Judy Sugden was the daughter of Jean Mill (maiden name Jean Sugden). Jean Mill succeeded in creating the Domestic Bengal cat.
It has been said that all glitter in the Bengal cat, Egyptian Mau and Toyger breeds originates from cat that Jean Mill found in India: Millwood Tory of Delhi.
Here is a helpful guide for the different characteristics of the breed. On a Scale of 1-5. 1 being very low level to 5 being high level.