Ocicats: An amazing combo of wild looks and adorable temperament

If you are fascinated by leopard but wary of his temperament… get home an Ocicat, who has the look of a leopard and a heart of gold!

French writer Fernand Mery rightly said, “God made the domestic cat in order that humankind might have the pleasure of caressing the tiger.” And Ocicat, a new domestic breed, has been selectively bred from pedigreed ancestors to resemble a wild jungle cat and may be the answer to bridge the gap between the savage and the tame. Although still quite rare, Ocicat is rapidly gaining worldwide recognition and popularity primarily because of its striking wild-looking appearance and its possession of a temperament that’s anything but ferocious.

The first Ocicat…

The first Ocicat was Tonga, a breeding between a pedigreed Abyssinian and a Seal Point Siamese. People were amazed with this exquisite kitten with bright golden spots on an ivory background.

Looks that kill…

This cat in motion captures the dramatic presence of a wild animal with his large size, well developed musculature and suggestion of a stalking leopard. They come in 12 distinct colours ranging from the leopard colours of ivory with brown spots or reddish brown spots; cinnamon, which is ivory with bright red spots; tawny, that has a white to ivory undercoat with buff tips and black spots; to the more unusual coloured silvers that have a white background with ebony, red, or chocolate spots.

Attitude to die for…

And yet, in spite of their size and appearance, the Ocicat has a gentle and affectionate nature and is totally devoted to their people. The intelligence of the breed impresses their admirers. Most are capable of opening doors, walking on a leash, responding to whistled commands and learning to ‘fetch’. As a bonus, they readily adapt to household rules and are not “aloof ” as are many other feline breeds. Unlike his untamed counterpart, this cat will gladly roll over for a good stomach rub and won’t take your arm off at the elbow. This cat is quite extroverted, even around strangers, and they get along especially well with children of all ages, other kinds of cats and pets.

Sturdy body…

These cats have no associated diseases or genetic anomalies and are generally easy to breed and experience few problems during birthing.

Easy upkeep…

The Ocicat requires no special diet or excessive grooming and needs no special permits or licenses to own.

The Ocicat’s temperament, coupled with their intelligence and adaptability, creates for both one-cat owners and multi-animal households, a truly unique and loving companion.

Kalpaka: the amazing survivor

Our heart bleeds when we witness the life of our loved ones slip away from us. I also stared at the startling reality when my little white kitty Kalpaka fought with the messenger of death. But I was fortunate to get this bundle of joy back and fill my life again with happiness.

I met Kalpaka accidentally on the pavement when I was a volunteer with a local cat shelter three years ago. He was breathing hard from a severe upper respiratory infection and looked half starved. A man at the pavement teashop told us that he survived mainly on biscuits thrown to him. I picked him and brought him home and fed him. Slowly he started responding to medications and seemed to do fine. But soon, I noticed that his stomach looked enlarged, and his breathing laboured.

I rushed him to the vet and further investigations revealed that he had an enlarged liver and ascites. He had to be given small doses of lasex every second day to clear the fluids in his system. Since he needed personalized care, I didn’t have the heart to leave him at the shelter and so Kalpaka stayed with us.

With the help of my vet and a senior homeopath, Kalpaka returned to life like nothing had happened. What is more interesting, he did not seem to need the lasex anymore. From a heavy cat who puffed and panted every step of the way, he became more active (although he still prefers the lift to the stairs and is known as the lift cat!). We are quite sure it was the diet of biscuits (rich butter biscuits!) that made him ill, and the cat food that restored the balance gradually!

Today Kalpaka still purrs like a busy engine, loves to bully the younger cats, and has the softest corner in my heart!!