Synthesis: All About the Ocicat!
Fact: I have been called a “crazy cat lady” many times in my life. While I do not live alone in a household of cats with milk saucers dotting the floor, I am a true cat lover. When I was younger I especially loved to read about different cat breeds, the domestication of cats, and the Ancient Egyptian’s fascination with the feline. One of my favorite breeds of cat is the Ocicat. According to the Cat Fancier’s Association, Inc.’s website, the Ocicat “is the only spotted domestic breed selectively bred to emulate the cats of the wild.” And do they! Ocicats look a lot like their namesake, the Ocelot, a wild cat that, according the National Geographic’s website, “live[s] under the leafy canopies of South American rain forests…and can be found as far north as Texas.”
An Ocelot, the Ocicat's namesake from the wild. Image from the National Geographic website.
The Ocicat is one of my favorite breeds, due to its wild fur pattern and its docile temperament. According to the Catiator’s Ocicats website, the Ocicat’s “temperament is anything but ferocious. The Ocicat is confident as well as dedicated to its owners. Most Ocicats are quite extroverted around strangers, not at all bashful about checking out the possibilities for a few playmates or a lap to curl up on when visitors come to call.” Cat Fancier’s Association, Inc. discusses the Ocicat’s temperament further by stating “Ocicats are quite bright and easily trained. Many will fetch, walk on a leash, respond to voice commands and readily adapt to household rules.” “The Ocicat”, an online article by Jim DeBruhl, Sonja Moscoffian, and Shana Otis-Kuhnert, goes on to explain how to care for your Ocicat. The article states “[e]ven the mature adult Ocicat requires no special diet or excessive grooming. Any well-balanced commercial cat food should provide and meet all the Ocicat nutritional requirements.” The Cat Fancier’s Association, Inc. agrees and states “[ocicats] diets are the same as any domestic and their short coats need only the occasional bathing and grooming. They are not prone to any particular health problem and their broad genetic background gives them vigor and vitality.” Overall, Ocicats are a gorgeous breed of cat, and display many sought after characteristics in a pet. While I believe it is important to support your local animal shelter and to adopt a pet in need of a home, if I ever choose to purchase a pure-bred cat, I will most likely go for an Ocicat.
An image of an Ocicat, from the Cat Fancier's Association, Inc.
Works Cited
“About the Ocicat.” Catiators Ocicats. Web. 15 Feb. 2010. http://catiators.ocicat.com/about.htm.
“Breed Profile: Ocicat.” The Cat Fanciers’ Association (CFA). Web. 15 Feb. 2010. http://www.cfainc.org/breeds/profiles/ocicat.html.
DeBruhl, Jim, Sonja Moscoffian, and Shana Otis-Kuhnert. “The Ocicat.” The Cat Fanciers’ Association (CFA). Web. 15 Feb. 2010.
“Ocelot (Leopardus Pardalis).” Animals, Animal Pictures, Wild Animal Facts. National Geographic. Web. 15 Feb. 2010. <http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/ocelot.html>.
jesmill said,
February 15, 2010 @ 1:04 am
I love learning about cat and dog breeds a lot too, I’m not sure why, maybe because I love pets but have never been able to any a cat or dog since my mom is allergic to them. Do you watch that show Dogs 101 or Cats 101? I love that show, haha.
Anyway, it’s really interesting this breed is actually very social because most cats that closely resemble a wild cat species are in fact closely related to a wild species, and are independent and standoff-ish like a wild animal. I know a cat breed called the Savannah, not sure what it is most related to, but it is actually illegal in many states because of it’s genetics and because it frankly looks and acts very predatory. And I know there is currently some breeding program to create a cat breed that is closely related to the bengal tiger, but that breed acts very much like an independent and anti-social animal. It’s sad, I think, because many people want a beautiful and exotic pet and instead they get some beautiful animal that will live in their house but basically dislikes them unless they are being fed.
Personally, my favorite cat is any huge, furry, smoosh-faced cat that looks angry all the time. I love them. Like a persian or himalayan. But I’d still take a smoosh-faced dog to a smoosh-faced cat. 🙂 Or I’d take a manx, the cat with no tail, because they remind me of a dog, haha.
ltello said,
February 15, 2010 @ 10:46 am
Jess, I have seen Cats 101!! That is a really neat show. 🙂 I agree, it is sad that people feel so driven to breed domesticated animals to look a certain way that they’re sometimes willing to create an animal that may be more wild than tame. The reason the Ocicat does not have these issues is due the the genetics of the breed. The Ocicat isn’t breed from any DNA from a wild cat, it’s actually a mix between Abyssinian and Siamese cats. The breeder who stumbled upon the breed was trying to breed and Aby-pointed Siamese, but the kittens came out spotted and looked like wild cats. You can learn more about this by visiting the Cat Fancier’s Association website if you’d like. Thanks for commenting! 🙂