History of the Ocicat:

In 1964 the original Ocicat was the unexpected result of an experimental breeding which attempted to produce an Aby-point Siamese. But the ivory kitten with golden spots was a surprise! The Ocicat was recognized for CFA registration in 1966, but it took another twenty years to develop the breed. The American shorthair was also used in the breed development in the early days. The Ocicat was advanced to CFA championship status in May 1987. While the Ocicat came about by accident this breed is becoming one of the most sought after cats in the world today.

The Ocicat is wild in appearance but 100% domestic. They are loyal and loving by nature, and is therefore quick to steal the heart of anyone fortunate enough to own one.

Ocicats are intelligent and many will learn to fetch, walk on a harness and perform tricks, which is a very attractive quality to people who want a dog-like companion. They truly enjoy having a complete conversation with you and can become very loyal and devoted to their owners.

There are 12 different colors within the Ocicat breed. Some easier to come by than others.

The Ocicat is a spotted cat of moderate type and being medium to large in size. Ocicats are very solid well muscled cats, with an athletic appearance and they have a short, tight coat that shows off both the muscles and the spots to their best advantage. As you watch an Ocicat walk across the room not only the spots, but the lithe movement resembles a wild cat with its shoulders rolling and muscles rippling.

Ocicats are not prone to any genetic diseases.  The genepool, while small, is still developing because outcross breeding to the Abyssinian is still being done.  This is so we can continue to develop the genetic diversity of the breed.  Finally it's been allowed in Australia, and I am the first in Australia to be approved for the breeding programme.

This results in kittens born with no spots, they are ticked like an Abyssinian but with stripes on their legs, tail and spots on the tummy, they are registered as a generation 1 Ocicat and when bred to a spotted Oci about 50% are born with spots and 50% are ticked.  These ticked and spotted kittens are called gen 2 Ocicats.  By generation 4 they are considered a full Ocicat.  When buying a kitten make sure you see the parents, ask lots of questions, see the papers of the parents at least.  These cats are pretty sound compared to some breeds.  But you still need to be careful when purchasing your kitten.  You also have to be prepared to wait for your kitten, as there isn't many breeders it takes time.

OCICAT COLORS

Tawny, Blue, Chocolate, Lavender, Cinnamon, Fawn, Black Silver, Blue Silver, Chocolate Silver, Lavender Silver, Cinnamon Silver, and Fawn Silver.

Click here for Ocicat photos.