The Ocicats' Looks
The
ideal Ocicat is a large, active cat with an athletic appearance.
Ocicats are the largest all domestic shorthaired breed of cat. Males can be as large as 16-18 pounds and a foot tall at the shoulder, although 10-12 is perhaps more usual. The only larger cat in CFA is the Maine Coon, but of course they are long haired. It is a very solidly built cat with a short, tight coat whose satin
sheen shows off muscles and spots to their best advantage. The original
Ocicat was the unexpected result of an experimental breeding between
an Abyssinian and a Siamese designed to produce an Aby-pointed Siamese.
The first kitten was named an Ocicat because of its resemblance
to an ocelot. The Ocicat resembles a wild cat, but no wild animal
is used to produce this beautiful breed.
The Ocicats' Temperament
While
the Ocicat looks wild, its 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.
The Ocicats' Personality
An
Ocicat is a wonderful addition to any household - they generally
adapt readily to most situations, including children and other pets.
They are a beautiful, wild looking cat with the best domestic cat
personality, very active and ready to play, but willing to purr
on your lap
too.
The Ocicats' Health
Ocicats are
not prone to any genetic diseases. The genepool, while small, is
still developing because outcross breeding to the Abysinnian to
continue to develop the genetic diversity of the breed is still
being done. The Abyssinian/Ocicat hybrid is a CFA registered Ocicat.
The Ocicat was developed from 3 widely different breeds as well.
Genetic diversity provides immune system strength, as well as avoidance
of problems that can be concentrated by too small a genepool or "popular sire" syndrome.
Click
here to connect to the Ocicat information,
including the Breed Standard, on The Cat Fancier's Association's
site.
Interested
in more information about the Ocicat? Click this link for the Ocicat Information site.
Like
to check on the pedigree of an Ocicat?
For
more easily printed pedigrees, check out http://www.ocicat.f2s.com
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