Why Ocicats Make Great Pets

Ocicats are a breed of cats that was discovered quite by accident. In 1964, Virginia Daly, a resident of Michigan, was interbreeding Abyssinian and Siamese and was surprised to find one of the second generation kittens to be covered in spots.

This special kitten was named Tonga and was neutered and sold as a pet. Continued breeding of Tonga's parents, however, produced even more spotted kittens, and thus the Ocicat breed was born. The term "Ocicat" was actually coined by Virginia Daly's daughter, who said the ivory, copper-and-gold-spotted Tonga resembled the wild Ocelot. Later, the Ocicat's distinctive appearance was further defined by the addition of the American Shorthair to the gene pool.

Ocelots, the wild cat from which Ocicats were named (see picture above right), sometimes called Painted Leopards, are found in Mexico and Central and South America. The spotted, nocturnal mammal is the largest of its Leopardus genus, reaching up to 3'2" in length, with tails up to 1'6" long and a weight of 25-35 lbs. They were officially endangered from 1972 to 1996, but have also been known to be kept as pets, such as by Salvador Dali.

Aside from their favorable personality traits (discussed below), Ocicats are also known for their gorgeous colors and markings. Ocicats are medium-to-large-sized sleek, muscular cats with short hair, long tails and large, wide-set ears. There are twelve colors recognized by the Cat Fanciers' Association who registered the breed in 1966 and elevated it to Championship status in 1987. The colors come from their Abyssinian, Siamese and American Shorthair lineage and include tawny, chocolate, cinnamon, blue, lavender, fawn, silver, chocolate silver, cinnamon silver, blue silver, lavender silver, and fawn silver. Their color is determined by the colors of the spots and the background fur color, and if there's any question as to which of the colors applies to the cat (as the colors are sometimes only subtly different), the color is determined by the shade of the tip of their tail.

As I've mentioned, our Ocicat was a compromise since I'm a dog person and my husband is a cat person. I had decided to research different cat breeds because I generally liked cats, but in my experience I had usually found them to exhibit very distant and sometimes quite mean personalities, and so were not what I was looking for in a pet.

Then I came across the Cat Fanciers' Association's description of a strikingly beautiful cat with a very compelling personality: the Ocicat.

The photos showed sleek, muscular cats covered in spots and stripes. These gorgeous, alert animals instantly intrigued me and after I read everything I could find about them on that website, I scoured the internet trying to find as much information and as many photos and stories and I could.

As soon as I introduced my husband to the information I had found, he was also excited about the prospect of owning an exceeding friendly cat that looked a little wild. We emailed the only breeder we could find in Germany (where we were living at the time) and were quickly provided photos of her new litter.

The kittens were adorable and I instantly fell in love with the small one that the breeder had named Madam Mim. She was chocolate spotted, with dark chocolate-colored spots and stripes against a warm, ivory agouti background color and ears that were too big for her little head.

Soon she was in my arms, and we renamed our kitten Charis, from both a Ben Johnson poem and the books of Stephen R. Lawhead. And after a bit of shyness and quite a bit of vocalization at her surprise relocation, she warmed right up to us. Within the first couple hours in her new home, she was sitting in our laps and within the first few nights she was sleeping in our bed with us.

Everyone who comes to our house is fascinated by this still initially shy but also very curious and vocal cat. She explores everything new in our house, including people. If you've been over our house more than once, don't be surprised when she curls up on your lap or tries to climb up your leg!

However, because of our limited choice of breeders, we weren't able to search around for a reputable breeder, as we really only had one choice. When we first held Charis we noticed she was dirty, and her travel case was filthy. A quick bath cleaned her right up, and we threw out the case, but the Veterinarian was nervous upon hearing of the condition in which we received her.

The Vet went on to explain that many people who buy animals from dirty and unkempt kennels or homes often find their new pets have serious diseases and many even die soon after the new owners accept them into their family. The Vet insisted on many specialized tests, including one for leukemia, and noticed that her rabies shot had been administered at too young an age to be effective and, thus, she also needed another round of shots. Luckily, Charis has been mostly healthy, with just a few colds and infections here and there, though this may also be attributed to the fact that she appears to have been the runt, as she was visibly smaller than her brothers and sisters.

Either way, before you start searching for your own kitten, Ocicat or otherwise, be sure to do your research so you can buy from a reputable breeder. One way for you to do this includes visiting the Cat Fanciers' Association's page that explains how to find a reputable breeder and provides a Fanciers Breeder Referral List. Also, be sure to ask your breeder lots of questions, such as "Do you show your cats?" and "At what age do you place your kittens in new homes?" which you can find by visiting the Fancier's Breeder Referral List "Thirteen Questions to Ask a Breeder" where they list 13 important questions for you to ask a breeder and what kind of answers you should expect.

So why do we enjoy our cat so much? Why do other Ocicat owners (parents) rave about this breed of cat? Quite simply: they're an absolute delight to have as a companion.

Ocicats are touted as the "cat for dog people," as they have personality traits more commonly identified with canines than felines. Ocicats are a very social animal and they hate to be alone. They are friendly with people and even children, as well as dogs and other cats. They can also learn tricks, and can often be taught to fetch, walk on a leash, or follow basic commands.

For example, some of our cat's favorite toys are soft hair bands because they easily slide over our wooden floors. She plays fetch with these, chasing after them and then carrying them back to us in her teeth so we'll throw them again. But she's still a cat, so we can't make her fetch just because we tell her to - she only does it when she feels like it. Though she does listen when my husband says, "get out of the kitchen," while pointing the way. Or if I tell her to "get off the table," she may meow once or twice in defiance, but then jumps down on her own.

Ocicats are also very vocal, similar to Siamese cats, from which they were bred. They'll chatter and chirp away or talk to you when they want something. Our cat often calls to us when she can't find us and announces herself when she enters a room. She meows every single time she jumps down from a couch or chair or bed, as if she's annoyed with gravity. When she's hyper she runs through the house, with a very bushy tail, making a growling-sounded meow, and when she's trying to vie for our attention, or she's just overly excited about something, she'll sometimes emit a howling cry of a meow to make sure we're listening to her. She's continuously purring, and even has varying sounds between her soft, sleepy purrs and her excited, body-shaking purrs.

The naturally playful Ocicat is also known to be comfortable in the water and to enjoy swimming. They can also enjoy traveling and riding in the car, as well as climbing up to your shoulders and perching there as you walk.

Our little Ocicat, actually, hates being wet, abhors riding in the car, and is afraid of heights. But that's just a part of her individual personality, as, inevitably, not every single Ocicat is going to fit the long list of traits meant to describe the breed. She's cute as can be, though, and we love her for her for who she is - not just what she's supposed to be. And everyone who meets her is enamored by her friendliness and playfulness and beauty; even people who dislike cats have complimented her.

Another important factor for me (someone who can't stand brushing) is that Ocicats are low-maintenance. Brush her and clip her nails every now and then, give her a once-in-a-blue-moon bath, and she's good. Sure, when her thickened winter coat sheds, there's a little extra cat hair around the house, but normally her shedding is minimal. Friends with cat allergies have told us they experience little or no discomfort around her, and though I haven't seen much to corroborate this in regard to other Ocicats, it's a benefit I find important enough to mention.

As I said earlier, there are many reasons Ocicats make great pets, and a few of my favorite reasons include the following: Ocicats are fun, friendly, energetic, curious, talkative, playful, intelligent, social, outgoing, low-maintenance, exotic in appearance and, generally, a wonderful pet and companion.

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Buy at AllPosters.com