Breed profile the Ocicat

Dr David Richardson August 2005

History of the Ocicat

The Ocicat is accidental cat.  The history of the Ocicat started in 1964 when Virginian Daly was trying to breed lynx point Siamese.  She crossed Siamese with Abyssinian and then crossed the kittens back to her chocolate Siamese.  One of the kittens was a beautiful chocolate spotted kitten called Tonga.  Tonga was neutered and sold as a pet, but when subsequent matings produced more similar spotted kittens Virginia decided to make a new breed called the Ocicat, because her daughter remarked that the spots were similar to that on an Ocelot.  Later the American Shorthair was introduced to add the silver colour.  The Ocicat breed was first accepted as a standard in the US in 1986.  It remains most popular as the breed in the USA.

Description of the Ocicat

The Ocicat is a substantial spotted cat of foreign body type.  It is available in six colours and their silver counterparts.  These are brown chocolate, blue, cinnamon, lilac, and fawn. In the silver: brown silver, chocolate silver, blue silver, cinnamon silver, lilac silver and fawn silver.  The Ocicat has a square muzzle though not so square as in the Maine Coon.  The ears are moderately large and set on the corners of the head. The eyes are large and almond shaped and slightly slanted towards the ears. All eye colours except blue are accepted. Neck is arched.  The body is semi foreign large and substantial. Coat is fine, close lying but long enough to carry several bands of ticking.  Abyssinian facial markings are desirable on the Ocicat including the mascara, the pale area around the eyes, the line going horizontally back from the eyes, and the M on the forehead.

The legs are moderately long, powerful and muscular leading to compact oval paws.  The tail is fairly long moderately slender and tapering slightly to a dark tip.

What I'm looking for when judging the Ocicat.

I am looking for a lithe and muscular cat of substantial size and semi foreign body type.  I am looking from clear well demarcated spots with the traditional vertical orientation.  I am looking for Abyssinian type markings on the face. I am looking for a square muzzle large ears sitting on the corners of the head, & almond shaped eyes.  These eyes must not be blue in colour.  I am looking for a cat in one of the six traditional colours (Brown, blue, chocolate, cinnamon, lilac or fawn) or their silver counterparts.

Scoring the Ocicat

40 points for the coat, 35 for the body, legs paws and tail, and only 20 for the head including 10 for eyes.