Ocicat

History:
The Ocicat is an agouti spotted cat of moderate type. Originating from interbreeding of Abyssinian, Siamese and American Shorthair, it is the only spotted domestic breed selectively bred to emulate the cats of the wild.

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 named the breed the Ocicat, because of its resemblance to the ocelot. Tonga, the first Ocicat was neutered and sold as a pet. When the Detroit newspaper 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 championship status May 1987. Since then, several have achieved Grand Championship status and many, many more have gained championships. They can now be seen at many shows, and a few Ocicats have been exported to other countries where their popularity is increasing.

General Information:
Feline enthusiasts have always been awed by the spotted cats of the wild: ocelots, margays, leopards and others.  Never before was there such an effort to breed an entirely domestic cat which can offer the spotted beauty of the wild cats, while maintaining the lovely, predictable disposition of the domestic cat. With so many wild spotteds disappearing as their native habitats are destroyed and invaded, it is increasingly important that this man-made breed can satisfy people who want something ‘’exotic.” How sad that so many wild spotted cats have suffered abuse and destruction. Perhaps the Ocicat will do its part in preventing the poaching and importation of the endangered wild cats.

 While the Ocicat looks wild, its temperament is anything but ferocious. It is a lot like a dog in that it is absolutely devoted to its 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 a 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 or dogs.

Description:
The Ocicat is a medium to large, well-spotted agouti cat of moderate type. It displays the look of an athletic animal: well-muscled and solid, graceful and lithe, yet with a fullness of body and chest. It is alert to its surroundings and shows great vitality. There are twelve accepted Ocicat colors divided into five color classes with all specimens possessing darker spots which appear in deep contrast to a lighter background. The determining factor in answering any and all questions as to the correct color of an Ocicat will be the color of the tail tip without any comparison to the color of other body markings. Each hair (except on the tip of tail) has several bands of color. It is where these bands fall together that a thumbprint shaped spot is formed. This powerful, athletic, yet graceful spotted cat is particularly noted for its "wild" appearance.

 HEAD: the skull is a modified wedge showing a slight curve from muzzle to cheek, with a visible, but gentle, rise from the bridge of the nose to the brow. The muzzle is broad and well defined with a suggestion of squareness and in profile shows good length. The chin is strong and the jaw firm with a proper bite. The moderate whisker pinch is not too severe. The head is carried gracefully on an arching neck. An allowance is made for jowls on mature males.

EARS: alert, moderately large, and set so as to corner the upper, outside dimensions of the head. If an imaginary horizontal line is drawn across the brow, the ears should be set at a 45 degree angle, neither too high nor too low. When they occur, ear tufts extending vertically from the tips of the ears are a bonus.

EYES: large, almond shaped, and angling slightly upwards toward the ears with more than the length of an eye between the eyes.

LEGS and FEET: legs should be of good substance and well-muscled, medium-long, powerful and in good proportion to the body. Feet should be oval and compact with five toes in front and four in back, with size in proportion to legs.

          TAIL: fairly long, medium-slim with only a slight taper and with a dark tip.

COAT TEXTURE: short, smooth and satiny in texture with a lustrous sheen. Tight, close-lying and sleek, yet long enough to accommodate the necessary bands of color. There should be no suggestion of woolliness.

COLORS: tawny, chocolate, cinnamon, blue, lavender, fawn, ebony silver, chocolate silver, cinnamon silver, blue silver, lavender silver, and fawn silver.

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