Emma Jones
Wild cats inspire cat lovers with their grace and originality. The distinctive ocicat brings both into the living room: With its characteristic coat pattern, it looks very similar to the South American ocelot. In fact, the breed name is made up of the words “ocelot” and “cat”. However, it shows no trace of the predatory character of the optical model, because there is no wild cat in the ancestral line. The “Ozekatze” is a gentle, cuddly kitty, playful, and with a lot of temperament.
Ocicat: character
How the character of an Ocicat develops largely depends on whether the clingy, cuddly Siamese or the playful, daring Abyssinian from their ancestry prevails. In any case, representatives of the breed are friendly and lively animals that make wonderful family cats. Ocicats are outgoing and outgoing with people. They usually get along well with dogs and small children. They are said to have a level of loyalty that one would expect from dogs.
Ocicats also show unusual talents for velvet paws in other ways: Many turn out to be able to walk on a leash or learn to fetch and to “sit”. Some owners report that their cats play little pranks on them. The Ocicat is one of the “talkative” cat breeds.
Keeping and caring for the Ocicat
Ocicats are very active and love to play with their peers and humans. The enormous jumping ability is impressive. The breed does not have any special care requirements, but it does demand a lot of attention from its owners. You should plan enough time for dealing with the room ocelot. Action toys such as laser pointers and catfishing rods are very popular. The animals are docile, imaginative and quickly find their way into the rhythm of their family’s life.
With all human affection, the Ocicat should not live as a solitary cat but have a conspecific at its side.
The coat care of the short-haired cat is consistently uncomplicated. It is sufficient if you brush off loose hairs with regular brushing. You use this opportunity to check outdoor cats for parasites.
Colors of the Ocicat
Ocicats are recognized in numerous colors. They come in black, blue, chocolate, cream, lavender, and cinnamon coats. There is a “silver variant” of each of these colors (the upper third of the individual hairs is silvery lightened). The cat has tabby markings on its face and its tail is ringed with a dark tip. According to the breed standard, white spots on the coat are not allowed. The characteristic polka dot pattern continues under the stomach and on the paws.
The History of the Ocicat
In 1964 the American Virginia Daily mated a Siamese cat with an Abyssinian. However, one of the kittens showed a completely unexpected coat color: It was golden-spotted. At the instigation of known cat friends, including a geneticist, Daily repeated the attempt, with success. The spotted Siamese-Abyssinian mixes from the second litter became progenitors of the Ocicat. To stabilize the gene pool, American Shorthair cats were subsequently crossed. The Ocicat has been an internationally recognized breed since 1992 but has so far not been widespread in Germany.
Peculiarities of the Ocicat
Many Ocicats are downright “water babies” who will splash around and, if the opportunity arises, will not shy away from a dip in a tub or pool.
According to the available data, the Ocicat is not known to be particularly susceptible to genetic diseases. Nevertheless, before you buy a cat, you should critically evaluate its pedigree, because inbreeding is a risk factor for all breeds. Some Ocicats have been shown to be more prone to tartar build-up.