The Ocicat is a medium to large, well-spotted tabby cat of moderate type and despite its looks, absolutely no wild ancestry whatsoever. They were created by American cat fanciers who wanted to create a breed that looked wild but wasn’t, and they certainly succeeded. Abyssinians, Siamese, and American Shorthairs feature in its pedigree, and its personality reflects this: it is vocal and assertive, but athletic and powerful with moderate energy levels. The first Ocicat was the surprise result of an attempt to create an Aby-point Siamese in 1964; the breeder’s daughter was very taken with this kitten, saying it looked like an ocelot, but wasn’t...it was an oce-cat...an Ocicat! However this first kitten was neutered and sold as a pet; by chance, a photo of him was printed in a Detroit newspaper and a noted geneticist decided that they had to repeat the breeding. Their development was slow, but very much under the watchful eye of CFA; accepted for registration in 1966, they were accepted for championship classes in 1987.

Type & judging remarks
The Ocicat is a very athletic animal: well-muscled and solid, graceful and lithe, yet with a fullness of body and chest. In all accepted colours, the Ocicat has a distinct spotted tabby pattern with Aby-like warmth to the coat, causing even brown tabbies to appear browner and redder than they would in other breeds.