Collection: Personalised Ocicat Gifts

Despite how they look, the Ocicat is entirely domestic and doesn't contain any wild DNA in their gene pool. Developed from the Abyssinian and the Siamese, these cars are named for their aesthetic resemblance to the wild Ocelot cat. Developed in the US these cats have been popular because of the combination of their wild looks and domestic temperament.

The first breeder of the Ocicat was Virginia Daly. They were initially trying to make an Abyssinian-pointed Siamese. The first generation born around 1964 appeared to be full Abyssinian. The second generation was much more fruitful with some Abyssinian-pointed Siamese, however one of the kittens had a spotted coat. He was named Tonga and Virginia's daughter nicknamed him "Ocicat". Tonga was neutered and later sold as a pet, however his parents went on to breed more spotted kittens, which went on to be the start of the breed. Other breeders began to start making their own Ocicats. In one of history's wonderful mistakes an error was made by the Cat Fanciers Association and so breeders ended up introducing the American Shorthair which means we now have six colour varieties of Ocicat. The Ocicat was accepted by the CFA to move to the championship showings in 1987, with other registries following suit. The Ocicat is now all around the road and still bears the name that Virginia's daughter gave little Tonga.

They are affectionate and sociable with some having been known to greet guests at the front door. They are generally tolerant of cat friendly dogs and children, however children must be taught to respect them to make sure that the risk of accidental scratches is reduced. Some people have described Ocicats as "Canines in a cat's body" with some being able to learn fetch and other typical "dog" commands. Because of this breeds intelligence and their affectionate nature they don't always deal well with being left alone and need plenty of mental and physical enrichment to lessen boredom based behaviours. They may well appreciate an animal companion if their owners must be away for longer periods of time, however they may not get on with smaller mammals or birds.