The Official Source
of The Ocicat Club
Welcome to "The Ocicat" page
Nothing is more awe inspiring than a beautiful wild cat manifesting feline grace, power and athleticism. Moreover, a spotted coat symbolises the very essence of a cat of the wild. It is these very spots which mark out and distinguish the Ocicat.
History
The Ocicat is a beautiful spotted domestic cat which has been selectively bred to emulate and encapsulate the natural cat of the wild. It has all of their virtues and none of their drawbacks. The first Ocicat occurred by accident in the USA in 1964 when Mrs Virginia Daly attempted to obtain an “Aby pointed” Siamese. However she found, in a second generation Abyssinian - Siamese Cross, a beautiful golden spotted male kitten. Her daughter remarked on the resemblance to a baby Ocelot and asked “Why don’t we call him an Ocicat?”. Tonga, as he was called, ushered in the new bred into the world.
Tonga himself was never used for breeding, but his subsequent mating produced his brother, a Tawny coloured Ocicat who started the breeding programme. The next step was the introduction of the American short hair which contributed body substance and the silver colour gene. It took over 20 years for official recognition of the breed in America but it came in 1986 and since then the Ocicats have become one of the most popular breeds in the States. Out crossing to the Abyssinian is still permitted, a valuable means of adding to the gene pool.
The beautiful appearance and wonderful coats of Ocelots, Leopards and Jaguars have captivated feline enthusiasts for centuries but never before has there been a successful attempt to breed an entirely new domestic cat. The Ocicat now offers the beauty of wild cats yet it retains a wonderfully predictable disposition of the domestic cat.
The exotic look of the Ocicat belies its affectionate personality and temperament, for there has been no wild genes used in Ocicat bloodlines whatsoever.
The body, head and spotted coat should be similar in appearance to that of a wild cat and the Ocicat moves in a natural fluid a manner, often keeping low to the ground as if stalking his prey. The Ocicat has a well-muscled, long body with an equally, proportioned long tail.
Many owners remark on the dog-like tendencies of the breed, in that they are devoted to people, are easily trained and respond well to the voice. Because of their adaptability they are a joy to be with, they are not demanding in any way and seem to take life in their stride. They are confident with children and quite extrovert in their own idiosyncratic way. Ocicats are reasonably vocal and do not like being left alone for long periods, but do make ideal companions for households with other pets.
Although known as an exotic breed, Ocicats require no special care
and are particularly healthy, the broad genetic background giving them a
robust vigour and vitality.
OCICAT STANDARD OF POINTS
| General | The Ocicat is a medium to large well-spotted agouti cat of moderate type, noted for its “wild" appearance. It is athletic and powerful, yet graceful and lithe. The spots are well scattered in a distinctive pattern on the sides of the body across the shoulders and hindquarters and extending down the legs, with a well spotted belly. The head accentuates the wild appearance, with moderately large ears and large expressive almond shaped eyes. The body is solid, rather long, with a well muscled chest and substantial muscle and bone development, surprising in this elegant cat. The tail is fairly long, not whippy, the coat is sleek and close lying. The Ocicat's temperament belies its wild appearance; though active, intelligent and demanding of attention, its agreeable nature makes an ideal companion to man and beast. |
| Head | Modified wedge, longer than it is wide, showing a slight curve from muzzle to cheek, with a gentle rise from the bridge of the nose to the brow. There is a slight dip in the profile. The muzzle is broad with a definite suggestion of squareness. A strong chin, firm jaw, and a moderate whisker pinch. Head carried gracefully on an arching neck. |
| Ears | Alert, moderately large and wide at base, set at a 45 degree angle, neither too high nor too low, with at least the width of an ear base between them. Tips gently rounded; vertical tufts from the ear tips are desirable. |
| Eyes | Large, almond-shaped, and angled slightly upwards with more than the length of an eye between the eyes. All eye colours except blue are allowed. There is no correlation between coat colour and eye colour. |
| Body | Solid, substantial bone and muscle development; long bodied (never Oriental) athletic appearance. The back should be slightly higher at the rear. Ideally males should be l2lbs plus, females 8lbs plus in weight. |
| Legs & Feet | Legs of good substance, well muscled, medium in length. |
| Tail | Fairly long and in good proportion to the body, no whip. |
| Coat | Short, close-lying and sleek with a lustrous sheen. |
| Colours | All colours should be clear with definite spotting, not blurred or feint. See Colours below for a full list. |
| Pattern | Eyes should be rimmed with the darkest coat colour and surrounded by the lightest colour, giving a “mascara" effect. The dark tabby “M" on the forehead extends over the head and breaks up on the neck and shoulders. Rows of spots along the spine to the tail, (which has rings/spots of darker colour and a dark tip). Scattered spots across the shoulders and hindquarters, flanks, belly and legs; broken necklaces at the throat. The larger spots form a “bull's eye" pattern on the flanks. |
COLOURS
There is a degree of variation in each of the colours, please click here to see photos of the different colours.
| Tawny | Black or dark brown spotting on a tawny ground. Nose leather brick red rimmed with black. Paw pads black or dark brown. Eye rims black. Tail tip black. |
| Chocolate | Chocolate spotting on a pale copper agouti ground. Nose leather pink rimmed with chocolate. Paw pads chocolate-pink. Eye rims chocolate. Tail tip dark chocolate. |
| Cinnamon | Bright cinnamon (Sorrel) spotting on a lighter cinnamon agouti ground. Nose leather pink rimmed with sorrel. Paw pads pink. Eye rims cinnamon. Tail tip cinnamon. |
| Blue | Blue spotting on a mushroom or pale blue agouti ground. Nose leather pink rimmed with dark blue. Paw pads blue. Eye rims blue. Tail tip blue. |
| Lilac | Lilac spotting on a pale oatmeal or dove-grey agouti ground. Nose leather pink rimmed with dark lilac. Paw pads lilac-pink. Eye rims lilac. Tail tip lilac. |
| Fawn | Fawn spotting on a pale oatmeal agouti ground. Nose leather pink rimmed in fawn. Paw pads pink. Eye rims fawn. Tail tip fawn. |
| Black Silver | Black spotting on a silvery-white ground. Nose leather brick red rimmed with black. Paw pads black. Eye rims black. Tail tip black. |
| Chocolate Silver | Chocolate spotting on a creamy-silver ground. Nose leather pink rimmed with chocolate. Paw pads chocolate-pink. Eye rims chocolate. Tail tip chocolate. |
| Cinnamon Silver | Cinnamon spotting on a cinnamon-silver ground. Nose leather pink rimmed with sorrel. Paw pads pink. Eye rims cinnamon. Tail tip cinnamon. |
| Blue Silver | Blue spotting on a blue-silver ground. Nose leather pink rimmed with blue. Paw pads pink. Eye rims blue. Tail tip blue. |
| Lilac silver | Lilac spotting on a lilac-silver ground. Nose leather pink rimmed with dark lilac. Paw pads lilac-pink. Eye rims lilac. Tail tip lilac. |
| Fawn Silver | Fawn spotting on a fawn-silver ground. Nose leather pink rimmed in fawn. Paw pads pink. Eye rims fawn. Tail tip fawn. |
SCALE OF POINTS
| Head | 5 |
| Muzzle | 10 |
| Ears | 5 |
| Eyes | 5 |
| Body | 5 |
| Size & Weight | 5 |
| Legs & Feet | 5 |
| Tail | 5 |
| Pattern | 25 |
| Colour | 10 |
| Contrast | 10 |
| Texture | 5 |
Withhold All Awards For:
- White markings anywhere. The face, lips, chin and upper throat may appear almost white especially in silvers, and this should not be penalised.
- Blue eyes.
- Reds, creams or tortoiseshells.
- Cats with very indistinct spotting.
Withhold Certificates and First Prizes in Open and Kitten Classes for:
- Oriental or British head.
- Oriental or British body type.
- Long, shaggy or rough coat.
- Small boned, fragile appearing animals.
- Whiptail.
- Any defect as listed in the preface to the GCCF SOP booklet
Faults
- Round or protruding eyes.
- Close-set or upright ears.
- Straight profile.
- Pointed muzzle.
- White markings anywhere.
- Oriental type.
OCICAT BREED NUMBERS AND COLOURS
| 73 | Tawny |
| 73a | Blue |
| 73b | Chocolate |
| 73c | Lilac |
| 73k | Cinnamon |
| 73r | Fawn |
| 73s | Silver |
| 73as | Blue Silver |
| 73bs | Chocolate Silver |
| 73cs | Lilac Silver |
| 73ks | Cinnamon Silver |
| 73rs | Fawn Silver |
|
|
|
Material Copyright © 2002 |
This site maintained for
the Ocicat Club, UK, by Stacie Shorten and Rosemary Caunter |
