Who doesn't want a cat that looks 'wild' yet is sociable and friendly! The Ocicat's coat features areas of tawny, chocolate, cinnamon, blue, lavender or fawn, which has a silver or nonsilver background. The wild look is just a façade though! He's the result of crosses of Abyssinians, Siamese and American Shorthairs and his spots lend him an exotic air.
Check out these cool facts we learned from Vet Street about the Ocicat:
- The Ocicat is covered with large, thumb-shaped spots arranged in a classic bullseye pattern.
- This is a large, active cat whose body screams "Athlete."
- He is solid and muscular, and his short, tight, spotted coat fits like Lycra.
The history of the Ocicat
The history is complicated! According to Vet Street here's how the Ocicat came about. The Ocicat was a cross between a ruddy Abyssinian male and a seal point Siamese female:
"Breeder Virginia Daly kept a female from the litter—all of which resembled Abyssinians—and bred her to a chocolate point Siamese. That time she got the hoped-for Siamese with Abyssinian points and repeated the breeding. The next litter contained something new: an ivory kitten with gold spots. Daly's daughter remarked on the kitten's resemblance to an Ocelot and said he should be called an Ocicat. The kitten, named Tonga, was beautiful, but he wasn't what Daly was looking for, so he was neutered and sold as a pet.
But that wasn't the end of the story. In a letter to geneticist Clyde Keeler, Daly described Tonga in passing. Keeler, who was interested in reproducing the now-extinct Egyptian Spotted Fishing Cat, suggested breeding Tonga back to his mother. That wasn't possible, of course, but Daly repeated the breeding and another such kitten was born. American Shorthairs were then added to the "recipe" to bring in substance as well as silver coloring."
The Ocicat is acknowledged by the American Cat Fancier's Association (CFA) and Cat Fanciers' Federation.
Overall care
The Ocicat's short dense coat requires little grooming, and The Spruce Pets tells us that brushing with a rubber curry comb will do. Polishing with a chamois cloth brings out the sheen. Nails should be trimmed regularly and a scratching post or cardboard scratcher will keep the nails well-honed, and save your furniture.
Ocicat personality
The Ocicat looks wild, but its temperament is anything but ferocious. The CFA tells us that this cat is like a dog!
"It is a lot like a dog in that it is absolutely devoted to its people. Not a demanding, clinging-vine type, the Ocicat is confident as well as dedicated to its owners. They all have that trademark personality to capture your heart."
Quick facts about their coat
The Ocicat is covered with thumb-shaped spots arranged in a bullseye pattern. They're beautiful and available in 12 colors. The ideal Ocicat is a large, active animal with an athletic appearance. Their tight coat produces a satin sheen that shows off muscles and spots to create a beautiful animal.
Always buy your Ocicat from a reputable breeder.
Are you in love with this wild cat? The Ocicat breed is really something to see, the spotted cat could easily be our fave on the list cat breeds we've researched. With their coat available on 12 coat colors you can literally pick and choose the spots that are your fave look. Fawn silver, chocolate silver, lavender silver, cinnamon silver and ebony silver are all an option.
Are you lucky enough to live with an Ocicat? If you do, tell us what they're like below in the comments!
