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Ocicat

The Ocicat's appearance suggest a wild cat, spotted with a long athletic body and balancing tail, but the truth is quite different. Virginia Daly of the Dalai Cattery in the USA bred some extremely successful cats and was interested in experimental matings. The foundation of the Ocicat was a mating between a Sealpoint Siamese and a Usual Abyssinian; she carried on with the experiment and several generations on the first Ocicat, to be called Tonga was born.

With a beautiful spotted coat reminiscent of the Ocelot, the Ocicat would seem to be the product of some wild cat/domestic cross. Looks can be deceiving, though, as this exotic looking creature is actually the product of selectively cross-breeding the Siamese, Abyssinian and American Shorthair breeds. This "designer cat" was originally bred in the mid 1960's, and has since become extremely popular among cat fanciers world-wide.

Taking it's name from the Ocelot, the Ocicat is a large, muscular cat with a very disarming personality. Combining the easygoing charm of the American Shorthair with the playfulness, intelligence and inquisitive nature of the Siamese and Abyssinian breeds have created this incredible animal with a wonderful temperament to match it's stunning good looks.

Tonga was never used for breeding, but having established the route to produce the spotted cat a number of breeders became interested in working towards the Ocicat, and so a wide genetic base was created from which to refine, improve and standardise type.

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. 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.

BREED NAME	STATUS	DESCRIPTION
Ocelette	Archaic Name	See Ocicat
Ocicat	Current	Result of (Abyssinian x Siamese) x Siamese matings. Spotted pattern in all tabby colours including silvers. Modern Ocicat is closer in build to American Shorthair than to Oriental cats. Earlier names for Ocicat were Accicat (accidental mating) and Ocelette. See also: Jungala (classic tabby version of Ocicat)
Ocicat Longhair	Current, Variant	Longhaired Ocicats appear due to recessive longhair gene in Abyssinian (poss Somali) ancestors.
Ocicat Variants	Current, Variants	There are 96 possible combinations of colours and patterns. Only the spotted Ocicat is recognised, but Ocicats produce solid, smoke, colourpointed, tipped and striped tabby variants.
Ocicat x British Tipped	Experimental	Ocicat x British Tipped hybrid; currently so early in development that the breed is unnamed! Like the Burmilla, resulted from accidental matings. Combines the silver tipping with the Ocicat pattern and type. Very experimental, only 2 litters existed at the time of writing though the breeder intended to develop the breed.

In personality Ocicats are similar to the Siamese and are very people-oriented. Their sleek and satin-like coat is in a wide range of colours though all are spotted. There are occasional kittens within litters that a marbled on the body with spots only on the tummy, and these are not acceptable for showing. A very attractive cat, again one that would be very appealing to thieves if allowed to wander.

Registration mumbers of the Ocicat have grown slightly over the past 10 years or so. In 1994, 58 kittens were registered and in 2003, 75.

History

Like most cat breeds, the Ocicat breed is relatively recent, having started out in the US in the1960s. The first Ocicat, Tonga, resulted accidentally while the breeder Virginia Daly was engaging in experimental breeding to produce an Aby-point Siamese cat. Tonga, with ivory fur and golden spots, was a surprise. Tonga was "petted out" and removed from the breeding pool. Yet it turns out there was demand for spotted ivory-furred cats, so Daly began selectively breeding them. Other breeders followed Daly's guidelines to create the new breed independently, resulting in a relatively broad genetic pool. Daly's daughter named the breed "Ocicat" after the ocelot, an animal she thought the new breed resembled.

The first Ocicat was created in 1964 when Virginia Daly, a Michigan breeder interested in new and unusual varieties of cats, tried to create a Siamese with Abyssinian-colored points. Daly bred a seal point Siamese female to a ruddy Abyssinian male; the subsequent kittens looked like Abyssinians but carried the gene for the Siamese pattern. She then bred one of the half-Abyssinian kittens to another full Siamese and achieved her goal of producing an Abyssinian-pointed Siamese kitten.

The same litter, however, also produced an ivory male kitten with golden spots and copper eyes, which Daly named Tonga. Additional matings between Tonga's parents produced more Tonga look-alikes, and the Ocicat breed was officially launched. Daly's daughter suggested the name Ocicat because they reminded her of the spotted wild cat called the ocelot.

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.

In 1965 the first Ocicat was exhibited to the CFA and in 1966 the CFA accepted the breed for registration, but mistakenly listed the parent breeds as Abyssinian and American Shorthair. Because of the error, new Ocicat breeders added American Shorthairs into their Ocicat lines for a short time, changing the body style from Siamese svelte to a more compact type and adding additional colors not available with the original design.

Even with the early enthusiastic reception in the CFA, the Ocicat didn't achieve Championship status until 1987. A combination of factors were responsible, the main reason being that Daly took an 11-year break from breeding and promoting Ocicats. But the word got around about the breed and soon other breeders were duplicating Daly's results and widening the gene pool. The breed has now gained in popularity and has a strong following.

Personality

Ocicats are active, curious and athletic, and have a highly honed hunting instinct. Like their Abyssinian and Siamese ancestors, ocicats are energetic and talkative and are perfect for those who like playful, lively, interactive cats. They're people-oriented and affectionate, too, and display a strong devotion to their human companions. Like their Siamese ancestors, ocicats can be quite vocal when something is frightfully wrong like empty food dishes, but they aren't as loud or annoying as their Siamese predecessors.

Highly intelligent, ocicats thoroughly know their names and can be taught a variety of tricks usually reserved for the canine crowd, including coming on command and playing fetch. In fact, some owners claim their ocicats are too clever. Prospective owners should be aware that ocicats have a talent for mischief and can be hard on fragile household items. Not even the highest shelf is out of reach for the athletic ocicat. These are not good pets for folks who like couch potato cats.

Like the Siamese, ocicats are very dependent on their human companions and need human interaction. If you work all day and play all night, another breed would be a better choice. However, if they are provided with a cat companion, ocicats can do quite well while waiting for you to come home from work. Just remember that two ocicats can get into twice as much mischief as one.

Ocicats may look wild, but they are actually affectionate, curious, and playful, and possess a very strong devotion to their human companions. Highly intelligent, Ocicats quickly learn to respond to their names and can be taught a variety of tricks, including coming on command. Begging for food is another trick that Ocicats master with very little prompting. They tend to bond with only one person and prefer that person's company to all others. They do get along well with other animals and people, however, and appreciate an animal companion to keep them company if left alone for any length of time.

Like their Abyssinian ancestors, Ocicats love to perform daring tap dances on top of your bookcases for your amusement. They are an active breed and require a good deal of space and plenty of toys and diversions to keep them occupied. Like their Siamese ancestors, Ocicats are vocal, but not annoyingly so. They want to tell you about their day when you come home at night, but they won't bore you with every detail. Also, their voices lack the Siamese rasp that some people find annoying.

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. They can now be seen at many shows, and a few Ocicats have been exported to other countries where their popularity is increasing.

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.

Ocicats thrive on human companionship and love to take part in everyday life, whether that includes helping you do the laundry, supervising your children's homework or curling up in your lap. With the widest range of colors of all of the spotted domestic cat breeds, the Ocicat's coat colors range from tawny to lavender. Drawing from it's Abyssinian/Siamese heritage, the Ocicat has a moderately wedge-shaped head and exquisite almond-shaped eyes. Grooming requirements are minimal - a good brushing every few days will keep the coat shiny and free from loose hairs, but hourly hugs and kisses are essential!

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.

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 domestic and their short coats need only the occasional bathing and grooming. They are not prone to any particular health problem and their broad genetic background gives them vigor and vitality.

Their sleek and satin-like coat is in a wide range of colours though all are spotted. There are occasional kittens within litters that a marbled on the body with spots only on the tummy, and these are not acceptable for showing. A very attractive cat, again one that would be very appealing to thieves if allowed to wander.

Ocelots are generally said both to enjoy the company of humans and to be remarkably good at learning tricks.

Appearance

The breed is large, athletic and long-bodied with substantial bone structure and muscle development, exuding power and grace. The legs are long and muscular, the torso solid and hard, and the cat has surprising weight for his/her size. Combined with a loose-shouldered hunter-like stride and vivid eyes that gleam with intelligence and cunning, this breed reminds you that our domestic felines were wildcats only a few thousand years ago.

The coat is short and glossy, and show quality ocicats possess round or thumbprint-shaped spots that come in 12 colors, including tawny, chocolate, cinnamon, blue, lavender, fawn and six shades of silver. The spotting pattern is distinctly different from the other four spotted breeds: the Egyptian mau, Bengal, California spangled and pixie bob. The spots are arranged in a bull's-eye pattern, courtesy of the classic tabby pattern from which the spotted pattern originated. Too, the ocicat is an agouti or "ticked" breed, courtesy of her Abyssinian ancestors; look closely and you'll see that each hair is decorated with bands of alternating color, ending with a dark tip. The forehead bears the classic tabby "M." All eye colors are allowed except blue.

Other patterns such as classic, mackerel and ticked tabby are also produced in most ocicat breeding programs, but ocicats without spots are not show quality and are usually sold as pets.

There has been tremendous controversy about the genetics of inheritance associated with the spotted pattern. In the earlier days of the cat fancy, when life was simpler, all patterned cats were believed to display one of the three tabby patterns: ticked (Aby), mackerel (tiger striped), or classic (blotched or bull's eye). The spotted pattern of the Ocicat, at least on the better examples of the breed, is notedly different from other spotted breeds or varieties. While some believe this comes from a different gene altogether, there is no conclusive evidence and it might be that selective breeding is responsible for the Ocicat's lovely pattern.

Ocicats come in many colors and at least all those colors associated with the three foundation breeds: tawny, chocolate, cinnamon, blue, lavender, fawn, silver, chocolate silver, cinnamon silver, blue silver, lavender silver, and fawn silver.

Conformation

How is it that the Ocicat, a breed with well-placed leopard-like spots, was produced by breeding together two breeds conspicuously without such spotting? Well, it's simple-no one knows. The mystery of the Ocicat's markings has spawned various theories. One theory holds that the Abyssinian bloodline still retains a recessive spotting gene left over from crosses with the Egyptian Mau, dating back to when the Abyssinian and the Mau lived in the same region. This is possible, since the Mau's spotting gene is thought to be recessive to other tabby genes. However, the spotted patterns of the Ocicat and the Mau appear to be different from one another; the Ocicat has large thumbprint-shaped spots with a subtle suggestion of the classic tabby pattern, while the Mau's spots are randomly distributed. Another theory maintains that the spots come from latent genes on the Siamese side of the family, evidenced by the spotted ghost markings that will occasionally manifest in older Siamese.

The Ocicat's coat sports rows of spots that run along the spine from shoulder blades to tail. The spots are scattered across the shoulders and hindquarters and extend down the legs, and large thumbprint-shaped spots appear on the sides of the torso. The overall pattern gives the subtle suggestion of a classic tabby pattern-a spot circled by spots as in a bull's-eye. Like the Abyssinian, the Ocicat is an agouti breed. If you look closely at the spots, you'll see that each hair has bands of alternating color with the darker color at the tip.

General	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 eight 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 (see Ocicat colors). 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.
Body	The torso is solid, hard, rather long-bodied with depth and fullness but never coarse. The Ocicat is a medium to large cat with substantial bone and muscle development, yet with an athletic appearance, and should have surprising weight for its size. There should be some depth of chest with ribs slightly sprung, the back is level to slightly higher in the rear, and the flank reasonably level. Preference is given to the athletic, powerful, and lithe, and objection taken to the bulky or coarse. It should be noted that females are generally smaller than males. The overall structure and quality of this cat should be of greater consideration than mere size alone.
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, i.e., 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. All eye colors acceptable except blue; no correspondence between eye and coat color.
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	Short, smooth, and satiny with lustrous sheen; tight, close-lying, and sleek, but long enough to accommodate agouti bands of color; all hairs except tip of tail banded. Coat texture is 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. Ticking: all hairs except the tip of the tail are banded. Within the markings, hairs are tipped with a darker color, while hairs in the ground color are tipped with a lighter color.
Color	All colors should be clear and pleasing. The lightest color is usually found on the face around the eyes, and on the chin and lower jaw. The darkest color is found on the tip of the tail. Contrast is scored separately. Contrast: distinctive markings should be clearly seen from any orientation. Those on the face, legs, and tail may be darker than those on the torso. Ground color may be darker on the saddle and lighter on the underside, chin, and lower jaw. Penalties should be given if spotting is faint or blurred, though it must be remembered that pale colors will show less contrast than darker ones.
Disqualify	White locket or spotting, or white anywhere other than around eyes, nostrils, chin, and upper throat (except white agouti ground in silvered colors). Kinked or otherwise deformed tail. Blue eyes. Incorrect number of toes. Long hair. Due to the spotted patched tabby (torbie) cats resulting from the sex-linked O gene, no reds, creams, or torbies are allowed. Very rufous cinnamons and fawns may resemble red or cream, but never produce female torbies.
Allowable Outcrosses	Abyssinian for litters born before January 1, 2005.

PATTERN: there is an intricate tabby "M" on the forehead, with markings extending up over the head between the ears and breaking into small spots on the lower neck and shoulders. Mascara markings are found around the eyes and on cheeks. Rows of round spots run along the spine from shoulder blades to tail. The tail has horizontal brush strokes down the top, ideally alternating with spots, and a dark tip. Spots are scattered across the shoulders and hindquarters, extending as far as possible down the legs. There are broken bracelets on the lower legs and broken necklaces at the throat - the more broken the better. Large well-scattered, thumbprint-shaped spots appear on the sides of the torso, with a subtle suggestion of a classic tabby pattern - a spot circled by spots in place of the bull's eye. The belly is also well spotted. The eyes are rimmed with the darkest coat color and surrounded by the lightest color. Penalties should be given for elongated spots following a mackerel pattern.