CAT BREEDS A-Z

Ocicat
The Ocicat is a new and still-rare breed of cat which has spots resembling a 'wild' cat and the temperament of a domestic animal, named for its resemblance to the ocelot.

Despite its appearance, there is no 'wild' DNA in the Ocicat's genepool. The species is actually a mixture of Siamese and Abyssinian, and later American Shorthairs (silver tabbies) were added to the mix for their silver colour and distinct markings.

The first breeder of Ocicats was Virginia Daly, of Berkley, Michigan, who attempted to breed an Abyssinian-pointed Siamese in 1964. The first generation of kittens appeared Abyssinian, but the surprising result in the second generation was a spotted kitten, Tonga, nicknamed an 'ocicat' by the breeder's daughter. Tonga was neutered and sold as a pet, but further breedings of his parents produced more spotted kittens, and became the base of a separate Ocicat breeding program.

There are twelve separate colour/pattern combinations registered for ocicats, and these fall into five larger groups - chocolate, cinnamon, tawny, silver and dilute. Ocicats must not have cream/red coloration or they are disqualified from showing.