All About Ocicat
by: Jack Devlin
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The first breeder of Ocicats 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 of his parents produced more spotted kittens, and became the base of a separate Ocicat breeding program. Other breeders joined in and used the same recipe, siamese * aby, and offspring * siamese. Today the ocicat is found all around the world, popular for its temperament but wild appearance.
Ocicats are a very outgoing breed. They are often considered to have the spirit of a dog-in a cat's body. Most can easily be trained to fetch, walk on a leash and harness, come when called, speak, sit, lie down on command and a large array of other dog-related tricks. Most are especially good at feline agility because they are very toy-driven. Some even take readily to the water. Ocicats are also very friendly. They will typically march straight up to strangers and announce that they'd like to be petted. This makes them great family pets, and most can also get along well with animals of other species. Ocicats make excellent pets for people who want to spend a lot of time with their cat, but they do require more attention than cats who aren't so people-oriented.
There are twelve colors approved for the ocicat breed. Tawny, chocolate and cinnamon, their dilutes, blue, lavender and fawn, and all of them with silver: black silver (ebony silver), chocolate silver, cinnamon silver, blue silver, lavender silver and fawn silver.
The Ocicat is a medium-sized cat, weighing in at 6-14 pounds. Its powerful, graceful mass is set on muscular legs. This breed's head has a distinct wedge shape, which is topped by large, Siamese like ears. These cats have eyes with a slightly Oriental shape that are surrounded by dark color. Many cat lovers say this rim of color makes Ocicats look as though they are wearing glasses. A long, gracefully tapered tail completes the wild appearance of this breed.
While the original Ocicat was ivory-colored with golden spots, there are now many additional recognized colors. You might discover these spotted cats in Tawny, Chocolate, Cinnamon, Blue, Lavender, and Fawn colors. In addition, Ocicats come in spotted tabby, spotted silver tabby, and spotted smoke patterns of all of the above colors.
If you are a busy person who is never at home, you should not own an Ocicat. These cats are highly people-oriented and become depressed and upset if they are left alone for long periods. This love of people makes this breed the ideal family pet. In fact, even visiting family and visiting relations will be happily greeted by these outgoing cats. While the Ocicat thrives on human attention, this sociable cat also enjoys compatible living happily in the company of other cats, making it an excellent breed choice for a multiple cat home.
These cats are very playful, so it's important therefore to keep your Ocicat happy, you should be sure to set out plenty of toys. However, this doesn't mean you need to go broke. Simple toys, like a big feather or a crumpled piece of paper, provide hours of entertainment for these sweet-natured animals.
The Ocicat is among highly intelligent cat breeds. You can easily teach your cat simple commands, such as how to come and fetch, but don't stop there. These fast learners have been able to learn to quite a many other commands, as well.
People who don't enjoy grooming their cats will be happy to know that the Ocicat does not actually need to be groomed frequently. A quick brushing once a week should keep your Ocicat looking sleek and healthy. But, since this breed enjoys the attention, you may want to groom your cat several times a week.
If one wants to take in a cat that looks as striking as the jungle cats, then you may just want to get an Ocicat. These cats provide the best of both worlds - a wild look and a sweet nature.
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