Personality:
- Intelligent, extroverted, gregarious, and easily trained.
- Dedicated and devoted to its people.
- Ocicats do not do well without companionship.
History:
The original Ocicat was the unexpected result of an experimental breeding in 1964 that crossed an Abyssinian with a Siamese. One of the kittens was born with golden spots on an ivory coat and became the prototype for a new breed. It is named after its resemblance to the wild Ocelot. Subsequent crossings with American Shorthairs produced silver colors. Received championship status in the Cat Fanciers’ Association (CFA) in 1987.
Body Type:
- Medium to large with dense muscles and substantial boning.
- Head is a modified wedge with a well-developed muzzle.
- Ears are large and alert.
- Large, almond shaped eyes can be any color except blue.
Coat:
- Coat is short, fine, and has a lustrous sheen.
- Some kittens are born without spots.
- Colors include tawny (brown spotted tabby), chocolate, cinnamon, blue, lavender, fawn, silver, chocolate silver, cinnamon silver, blue silver, lavender silver, and fawn silver.
- Coat has agouti ticking with a pattern of contrasting thumb print shaped spots and other tabby markings over a lighter base color.
Health and Wellness:
- As is true with many pedigreed cats, lines that have been extensively inbred may exhibit temperament problems.
What you should know:
- Since they are hybrids, Ocicats have generally better health than more tightly bred cats.
- Breeders may outcross their Ocicats with Abyssinians until 2005.
- Kittens without spots can usually be purchased for substantially less than their spotted litter mates and still have the same sweet, loving personality.
