The Home Ocelot

The ocicat is a remarkable breed of cat! It looks like the wild American predator the ocelot, but this is only an outward resemblance. In fact this breed is very sociable, outgoing and amicable.

Ocicats can be easily trained to fetch or to perform tricks. They are often considered to have the spirit of a dog-in a cat’s body. Some even take readily to the water.

The first breeder of Ocicats was Virginia Daly, of Berkley, Michigan (USA) 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 basis of a separate Ocicat breeding program. Other breeders joined in and used the same recipe, siamese to aby, and offspring to siamese. The Ocicat was initially accepted for registration in The Cat Fanciers’ Association, Inc. and was moved into Championship for showing in 1987. Other registries followed. Today the ocicat is found all around the world, popular for its temperament but wild appearance.

Siamese Cat

Abyssinian Cat