Ocicat Cat - The Ocicat is one of the glorious accidents in the cat fancy. A breeder from the state of Michigan in the United States set out to create a Ticked Point Siamese. She mated a Siamese with an Abyssinian. One of the offspring was mated back to another Siamese male, and a tabby Point Siamese duly appeared. However, one kitten was ivory coated with clear golden spots.
This chocolate silver ocicat shows all the finer points required of the breed, including hindquarters that are rather higher than the front.
This was the very first Ocicat, its name inspired by the wild ocelot, because of the similarity in coat color and pattern. Many breeders used the same breeding formula successfully. Recognition was granted in the United States in the 1960s, although championship status was not achieved until 1987.
At birth, the ocicat kitten may have a very indistinct pattern. The spots develop as the cat matures, and this 15 week old kitten is looking promising.
Preliminary recognition in the United Kingdom did not come until 1998. Ocicats are now available in Brown, Blue, chocolate, lilac, cinnamon and fawn, as well as the silver based versions of these colors. A few authorities also recognize red, cream and tortoiseshell. It is a long bodied, well muscled animal, with medium lengths legs and a long, tapered tail. It has a round head with a prominent muzzle and large, pointed ears.
There should be a clear M mark on the forehead of ocicats, but this is less obvious in the dilute colors such as this Lilac.
Ocicat Cat Breed Information:
Coat – short, thick, smooth and satiny with lustrous sheen
Eyes – large, slanted, almond shaped, all colors except blue
Other features – spotted coat
Grooming – easy, regular brushing
Temperament – affectionate, active
The spotting on the coat of the ocicat should be well defined, faint or blurred spots are a serious fault, even on the ess contrasted colors of the lilac and other dilute forms.
A chocolate ocicat displays an intelligent and friendly disposition, a blend of character and temperament inherited from the breed’s original Abyssinian and Siamese parentage.
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