history of ocicats

Indeed Ocicats are!

This magnificent spotted cat never fails to steal the show,

not to mention the hearts of those fortunate enough to own them.

The Ocicat is an agouti spotted cat of moderate type. Originating from interbreeding of Abysinnian, Siamese and American Shorthair, it is the only spotted domestic breed selectively bred to emulate cats of the wild. The ideal Ocicat is a large, active animal with an athletic appearance. It is very solid and well - muscled and has a short, tight coat with a satin sheen that shows off muscles and spots to their best advantage.

In 1964, the original Ocicat was the unexpected result of an experimental breeding which attempted to produce an Aby-point Siamese. Virginia Daly, noted CFA breeder living in Michigan, knew the possibility of getting the sought after Aby-point and was willing to invest the time she knew it would take to breed the two generations that were necessary. But the ivory kitten with golden spots was a surprise! Mrs. Daly's daughter names the breed Ocicat, because of its resemblence to the ocelot. Tonga, the first Ocicat was neutered and sold as a pet. When the Detroit paper publicized the lovely spotted cat and when noted geneticist Dr. Clyde Keeler expressed his desire to see a domestic cat which would mimic some of the vanishing wild species, the breeding was repeated to produce more Ocicats. Other breeders followed Mrs. Daly's recipe to develop other Ocicat lines with a broad genetic base.

The Ocicat was recognized for CFA registration in 1966, but it took another twenty years to develop the breed and gain the support for provisional status. The Ocicat was advanced to champion status May 1987. Since then, several have achieved National Winner and Regional Winner status, and many, many more have gained Grand Championships.

While the Ocicat looks wild, it's temperament is anything but ferocious. It is a lot like a dog in that it is absolutely devoted to it's people. The Ocicat is not a demanding, clinging vine type, but is confident as well as dedicated to its owners. Most Ocicats are also quite extroverted around strangers, not at all bashful about checking out the possibilities for a few playmates or a lap to curl up on when visitors come to call.

Ocicats are quite bright and easily trained. Many will fetch, walk on a leash, respond to voice commands and readily adapt to household rules. Because of their adaptability, they are joy to work with and easily get used to traveling. Their sociable nature may make them less suited than some other breeds to being left alone for long periods of time, but it does make them a good choice for a household already blessed with other cats and dogs.

Though Ocicats fill the need for the exotic, they are easy to keep and require no special care. Their diets are the same as any other domestic and their short coats need only occasional bathing and grooming. They are not prone to any particular health problem and their broad genetic background gives them vigor and vitality.

To the best of our knowledge, there are no genetic problems specifically associated with the Ocicat. The decision to allow the use of Abysinnian outcrosses until 2015 does allow the creation of new Ocicat bloodlines, with the intent on keeping the gene pool diverse enough to prevent genetic defects from arising. Ocicats have been known to live as long as 18+ years of age.