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Ocicat
Cat
The Ocicat Cat is a new and
still-rare breed of cat that has spots resembling a 'wild' cat and the
temperament of a domestic animal, and was named for its resemblance to the ocelot.
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Ocicat
Cat
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Despite its appearance, there is no 'wild'
DNA in the Ocicat's gene-pool.
The species is actually a mixture of Siamese
and Abyssinian,
and later American
Shorthairs (silver tabbies) were added to the mix for their silver color
and distinct markings.
The first breeder of Ocicat Cats 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 off his parents produced
more spotted kittens, and became the base of a separate Ocicat cat breeding
program.
There are twelve separate color/pattern
combinations registered for ocicat cats, and these fall into five larger groups
- chocolate, cinnamon, tawny, silver and dilute.
Ocicat Cats must not have
cream/red coloration or they are disqualified from showing.
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