by Angie Pollock

Created on: March 19, 2009

The first Ocicat was created by Michigan breeder Virginia Daly. Although her attempt was to produce an Abyssinian-pointed Siamese, the result instead was "Tonga", the first Ocicat. Born in 1964, Tonga was the result of the breeding between a champion Chocolate Point Siamese male and a female that was part Seal Point Siamese and Abyssinian. Because of Tonga's resemblance to the ocelot, Daly's daughter dubbed the cat an Ocicat. However, Tonga would not be found in any future cat's lineage as he was later sold and neutered.

After Tonga became somewhat of a celebrity in a Detroit newspaper, Daly decided to develop on the idea of these golden-spotted kittens. She repeated the breeding program that created Tonga and again, produced more spotted kittens. But this time she kept the kittens to create what would become the Ocicat breed. Other breeders would soon follow suit including another American breeder Tom Brown who by 1970 had five generations of the spotted cats. Some breeders crossed the spotted cats with American Shorthair cats. This addition to the breeding program enhanced the Ocicat's size and is why the cat we see today is so extraordinary.

This breed was first recognized for registration by The Cat Fanciers Associate (CFA) in 1966 but would need further development before it would gain full support. In May 1987, the Ocicat gained championship status in the United States and the first of the breed were introduced to the British Isles, also during the late 80s. A distinct line of Ocicats was fashioned by German breeder Karen Dupuis with the foundation animal named "Nadir" being born in 1984.

The Ocicat typically has a light brown to tawny coat color which resembles that of a wild cat. For CFA standards, there are twelve recognized coat colors that are then divided into eight color classes. The texture of the coat is smooth and has a silky texture which exhibits a vibrant luster. The forehead will display the typical tabby "M" marking and the pattern is a series of round spots that run along the sides and back of the body. The overall appearance of the Ocicat is well-defined and quite muscular with a medium to large build.

Ocicat owners describe this breed to be affectionate, attentive, loyal, and quite active. Because of its high intelligence and attentiveness, owners find the Ocicat easily trainable. The sweet nature and well-tempered disposition of the Ocicat make this breed a unique companion. When first seeing an Ocicat, individuals may perceive quite the opposite as its outward looks appear to be malevolent like the wild cats that it resembles. But don't let the looks of this breed fool you. The Ocicat is extremely friendly and dedicated to their owners making this breed quite popular to breeders, owners, and cat enthusiasts.

References:

CAT BREEDS OF THE WORLD, by Desmond Morris, copyright 1999.

http://www.cfainc.org/breeds/profiles/ocicat.html

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