Ocicats

The Ocicat cat breed originated from an experimental breeding to attempt to produce an Abi-point Siamese cat. The defining characteristic of the Ocicat is its distinct spots that resemble wild cats such as the ocelot and leopard. The Ocicat cat breed gained championship status in the CFA in 1987.

Ocicats are highly intelligent. They can be trained to follow rules and respond to verbal commands like a dog. Some Ocicats are also fond of playing fetch and will walk on a leash. Ocicats are people-oriented. They are devoted to their owners and often will approach visitors. Though the Ocicat is not demanding, Ocicats do best when they are not let alone for extended periods of time.

Ocicats have solid, muscular bodies that are medium to large in size. The Ocicat should not be fat or bulky. They have smooth, shorthaired coats that have distinct spots that are darker than the background solid color. The Ocicat comes in a large variety of colors. The Ocicat can be chocolate, cinnamon, blue, fawn, tawny, silver, lavender, chocolate silver, cinnamon silver, blue silver, lavender silver, and fawn silver. The spots on lighter colored Ocicats may not be as distinct as they are for the darker colored Ocicats.

The Ocicats of any color have spots that are darker than the color of their bodies. The Ocicat’s spots are not random. The only areas that have random spots are on the shoulders and hindquarters. The spots on the rest of the body follow a pattern. Ocicats have tabby markings on their foreheads. Small spots are on the back of the neck and on the shoulders. Rows of larger spots stretch across the back and sides of the Ocicat. Some Ocicats have spots on their tails.

The eyes of Ocicats can be any color except blue. Their eyes are almond-shaped and slightly slanted. They are hardy and generally healthy and easy to own. The most difficult aspect of owning an Ocicat cat may be finding one that is for sale. Ocicat kittens may be difficult to find since the Ocicat cat breed is not as abundant as most other cat breeds.