Our Ocicats

The Ocicat came into existence through what could be called "a happy accident". In the 1960's, an American breeder by the name of Virginia Daly of the Dalai Cattery decided she would like to breed an Aby-pointed Siamese. To do this she decided to mate an Abyssinian/Siamese cross with a Siamese and then breed a resulting kitten back to the Siamese. However amongst the resulting litter, along with the desired Aby-pointed Siamese, there was a little spotted kitten.

The kitten had golden spots, or "dots" as Mrs. Daly referred to them as. News spread far and wide about this kitten who was named "Tonga". The mating was repeated and produced more spotty/dotty kittens! An outcross with the American Shorthair early in the Ocicats existence widened the colors and introduced the silver-gene. And the rest, as they say, is history.

Ocicats have gregarious personalities and retain the playfulness of kitten-hood right into their adult years. They are very laid-back, extremely intelligent and absolutely adore the company of humans as well as other animals. Ocicats seem to have a way of worming themselves into people's affections and even the most ardent cat-haters can sometimes be won round by their humorous antics.

Ocicats are very dog-like and can easily be trained to obey commands and even walk on a lead. They are very good at playing fetch and will pester you until you play with them. Unlike many cats, Ocicats seem to have a fascination for water and will often stick their head under a running tap or sit on the side of the bath or in the shower at the same time as you!

The Coat Pattern

The Ocicat is essentially an agouti (tabby) cat. It has the distinct 'M' on it's forehead along with the spectacle marks, mascara and other facial markings seen on any other agouti cat. The striped-markings over the top of the head should dissipate into small spots over the neck and shoulders. Rows of distinct, round spots should then run along the full length of the cat, from the shoulders to the hindquarters. Along the sides, large spots, thumb marks and bulls eyes can usually be seen. The belly should also be densely spotted. As well as the spots, other regular agouti markings will be found on the cat such as broken bracelets & necklaces plus tail rings. As well as good spotting, good contrast from the base-color is essential to show off the spots.

However, not all Ocicats are spotted ! Some Ocicats have a classic tabby or mackerel pattern. Others bear a strong resemblance to a black panther: they appear to be a solid olor but their spots can be seen in certain lights. All Ocicat variants are still true Ocicats that are registered and can be bred from. Indeed, many breeders use variants in their breeding programs.