Cat About from Catoninetail Cattery
A STAR IS BORN
by Kate Bynum
The story of the creation of the Ocicat is fascinating, born completely by accident on a challenge. At one time or another every Cat fancier has pondered these thoughts before. What if, they wondered, would happen if I crossed this breed and that breed? What are the definitive answers to "what if" for cat fanciers? For Michigan's Virginia Daly, Ocicat history unfolds in the following order.
In 1950 nearly fifty-years ago Virginia Daly of Dalai Cattery produced ACFA's first Redpoint Siamese female grand champion. She also produced by crossing a Red Persian and a Siamese-the grandmother of the first All-American Flamepoint Himalayan kitten. Along the way she produced a few waves among breeders who raised their eyebrows with skepticism while analyzing her feline creations. "A sidekick of mine," Daly reminisced, "viewed my 'mongrels' with complete disgust." One day she said to me, "Why the next thing you know you'll be making Abyssinian-pointed ". "Until then I had never dreamed of such a thing," chuckled Daly. "But I decided to take up the challenge." So she mated a Sealpoint Siamese female named Tomboy Patter, to a Ruddy Abyssinian Champion named Dalai Deta Tim of Selene. Their kittens looked like Abyssinians, but Daly reasoned, they looked like Abyssinians on the outside (phenotypically); but on the inside she had a genotypic full house, they ought to be carrying the Siamese point pattern. She took a female from this litter and bred to a champion Chocolate point. A year later Dalai She, a female from this litter, was mated to a Chocolate Point Siamese, Champion Whitehead Elegante Sun. From this breeding seven precious kittens were born, much like an Easter basket, this litter contained a mixture of varicolored kittens. There were blacks, chestnuts, sealpoints, chocolate points, lynx points, both mackerel and classic tabbies all courtesy of Patter's daughter. An unanticipated kitten surprised Daly, this tiny little kitten nestled among the rest had dazzling golden spots on an ivory-colored background. This astonishing kitten is known today as Tonga the first born Ocicat. Dalys daughter was delighted with this little kitten, and chose the name Ocicat because he so resembled the spotted jungle Ocelot.
Daly never considered the possibility that Tonga might be a new breed of cat until after he had been sold-for $10, with a neuter agreement-he was sold to a medical student named Thomas Brown, obviously a young man with exquisite taste. A week later she read an article, by Dr. Clyde Keeler of Georgia University, describing the extinct Egyptian Spotted Fishing Cat in this article he expressed the hope that somebody would try to reincarnate the long extinct Egyptian spotted fishing cat. Realizing then what Tonga might represent, Mrs. Daly wrote to Dr. Keeler revealing to him what she had and that she had just sold the cat (Tonga), as a pet kitty to be neutered.
Dr. Keeler suggested that Tonga be left whole and bred back to his mother. However, Tonga was never available when his mother, Dalai She, was in season. Tonga's father was, however, and a subsequent breeding between Whitehead Elegante Sun, and Dalai She produced a subsequent Ocicat-Dalai Dotson.
Tonga was put on exhibition in Detroit, Michigan cat show February 20 and 21, 1965, and listed just this way.
#171 . "TONGA," the Ocicat by Dalai.
Said to be a reincarnation of the extinct "Egyptian Spotted Fishing Cat."
Sire: A purebred Siamese. Dam: A Hybrid Abyssinian Siamese.
The late CFA Judge, Jane Martinke, took a fancy to Tonga at the 1966 Detroit Persian Society show. Daly never knew for sure, but suspected that Martinke played a hand in the event that followed. Soon after that show, in the Minutes of a CFA (Cat Fanciers' Association) annual appeared the words (paraphrased): "The Ocicat is a breed to be recognized for registration and is made up of Abyssinian and American Shorthair; which was not the correct combination so, when advised of the error, CFA simply added 'Siamese'." This fortunate mistake was a blessing in disguise. It added size, muscle and the spectacular silver colors, to the Ocicat breed.
In the late '60s Daly took into her home, her elderly invalid aunt, which made the cats wait in the background for a while (about eleven years). The Ocicat was right on the door step of obtaining provisional status in 1966-but due to Dalys ailing aunt, the door remained closed until February l986.
Having been on exhibit in the Miscellaneous class for twenty years prior to Championship status, the Ocicat was granted Provisional status in May of 1986. The breed council recommended cutoff dates of January 1986, for outcrosses to Siamese and American Shorthair, and January 1995 for Abyssinian outcrosses, these new regulations were passed and became effective for American Ocicat breeders May 1, 1986. Ocicat breeders were enthusiastic, dedicating their weekends to exhibiting Ocicats in all regions, the Ocicats popularity in the cat fancy grew at an unbelievable speed. Championship status was granted in May of 1987 the very next year.
The ideal Ocicat is a large, active animal with an athletic appearance, solid and well balanced, has a short tight coat with a satin sheen that shows off muscles and well-defined spots to their best advantage.
While Ocicats are wild and athletic in appearance, they have retained the ingenious, people-oriented personality of the Siamese. Unlike leopardettes (known today as the Bengal cat) and most of the other cats, created by breeding domestic to feral cats, the all domestic Ocicat is thoroughly trustworthy and nonaggressive.
All Ocicats competed in a single color class with The Cat Fanciers'Association, until May 1, 1993. Each Ocicat is now shown in its individual color class. At present, twelve colors are recognized for show. The most predominant show colors are chocolate and cinnamon spotted, but a number of breeders are acquainting our society with the eye-pleasing wild looking tawnies and shimmering silvers. All eye colors are allowed except blue that is seen solely on the "ivory Ocicats," throwbacks to the Siamese ancestor. Ivory Ocicats, are no longer accepted for registration, with The Cat Fanciers' Association. By popular breed council vote, CFA lengthened the time period that Abyssinian x Ocicat breedings will be permitted. Our new cut off date is January 1, 2005
Indeed, the lovable spotted Ocicat is getting more popular with every passing year. It's hard to ignore statistics. Today, cats are the number one pet in the nation. It's easy to see why. They're self-sufficient, absolutely unpredictable, and just the best company you can have when life's not going your way. Whether you are owned by a cat (preferably an Ocicat) or just a fan of felines . . . congratulations! You're in the best of company.
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