Ocicat

Ocicat
Origin	United States
Common nicknames	Ocicat[1][2]
Breed standard
FIFe	standard
CFA	standard
TICA	standard
AACE	standard
ACFA	standard
CCA	standard
Cat (Felis catus)

The Ocicat is an all-domestic breed of cat which resembles a 'wild' cat but has no wild blood. The breed is unusual in that it is spotted like a wild cat but has the temperament of a domestic animal. It is named for its resemblance to the ocelot.

Despite its appearance, there is no 'wild' DNA in the Ocicat's gene pool. The species is actually a mixture of Siamese and Abyssinian, and later American Shorthairs (silver tabbies) were added to the mix and gave the breed their silver color, bone structure and distinct markings.

Breed history

The first breeder of Ocicats was Virginia Daly, of Berkley, Michigan, who attempted to breed an Abyssinian-pointed Siamese in 1964. The first generation of kittens appeared Abyssinian, but the result in the second generation was not only the Abyssinian-pointed Siamese, but a spotted kitten, Tonga, nicknamed an 'ocicat' by the breeder's daughter. Tonga was neutered and sold as a pet, but further breedings of his parents produced more spotted kittens, and became the basis of a separate Ocicat breeding program.^[1] Other breeders joined in and used the same recipe, Siamese to Abyssinian, and offspring to Siamese. In addition, due to an error by CFA in recording the cross that produced the Ocicat, the American Shorthair was introduced to the Ocicat giving the breed larger boning and adding silver to the 6 colors. The Ocicat was initially accepted for registration in The Cat Fanciers' Association, Inc., and was moved into Championship for showing in 1987.^[2] Other registries followed. Today the Ocicat is found all around the world, popular for its all-domestic temperament but wild appearance.

Breed temperament

Ocicats are a very outgoing breed. They are often considered to have the spirit of a dog in a cat's body. Most can easily be trained to fetch, walk on a leash and harness, come when called, speak, sit, lie down on command and a large array of other dog-related tricks.^[1] Most are especially good at feline agility because they are very toy-driven. Some even take readily to the water. Ocicats are also very friendly and sociable. They will typically march straight up to strangers and announce that they'd like to be petted. This makes them great family pets, and most can also get along well with animals of other species^[3], although they are likely to assert their dominance over all involved. Ocicats make excellent pets for people who want to spend a lot of time with their cat, but they do require more attention than cats who aren't so people-oriented.

Breed standards

There are twelve colors approved for the ocicat breed. Tawny, chocolate and cinnamon, their dilutes, blue, lavender and fawn, and all of them with silver: black silver (ebony silver), chocolate silver, cinnamon silver, blue silver, lavender silver and fawn silver. Ocicats have almond shaped eyes perfect for seeing at night. They also have a large, strong body, muscular legs with dark markings, and powerful, oval shaped paws. The body shape of the Ocicat is partway between the svelte Oriental and the sturdy American Shorthair. The breed's large, well-muscled body gives an impression of power and strength.^[4]

Gallery

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  Chocolate Spotted Ocicat

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  Ebony Silver Spotted Ocicat

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  Lavender Spotted Ocicat with Chocolate Spotted Ocicat

See also

• California Spangled Cat
• Cheetoh

References

1. ^ ^{a b c} McKee, Bill (2001). The Guide to Owning an Ocicat. Neptune City, New Jersey: TFH Publications. ISBN 0-7938-2195-9. OCLC 47037281. ^{[page needed]}
2. ^ ^{a b} Thompson, Stephanie (1999). The Ocicat. Buenva Vista, CO: Stephanie Thompson. pp. 14–15. ^{[unreliable source?]}
3. ^ http://www.acfacat.com/ocicat_synopsis.htm
4. ^ "Ocicat Colors". Cat Fanciers' Association. 12 October 2008. http://www.ocicatinfo.com/Ocicolors2.htm. Retrieved 1 March 2009. 

External links

• Cat Fanciers' Association Breed Profile: Ocicat
• Jim DeBruhl, Sonja Moscoffian, and Shana Otis-Kuhnert, The Ocicat; CFA Yearbook, 1996
• CFA Ocicat Breed Council
• Ocicat Pedigree Database, "Ocicat Pedigree Database"
• Pawpeds Ocicat Database
• Ocicat Information