Ocicat
Spotted like an ocelot with no wild ancestry at all: it came out of an Abyssinian and Siamese breeding by accident in 1964. Dog like and highly trainable.
Overview
The Ocicat looks wild and has no wild ancestry at all. It appeared in 1964 as an accident in a breeding programme crossing Siamese and Abyssinian, when a spotted kitten turned up that nobody had planned, and the breeder's daughter said it looked like an ocelot.
American Shorthair was added later for size and for the silver colours, so the breed is Siamese, Abyssinian and American Shorthair, and nothing else.
Temperament
Confident, sociable and thoroughly dog like. Ocicats greet visitors at the door, learn tricks, walk on a lead and often fetch.
They are among the most reliably outgoing cats there is, which is exactly what the Cheetoh's breeders were after when they used them. They are moderately vocal, highly trainable, and they do not enjoy long days alone.
Care and grooming
A weekly rub down for the short spotted coat and nothing else.
The Siamese and Abyssinian ancestry brings the conditions of both: progressive retinal atrophy in the rdAc form, which has a DNA test, pyruvate kinase deficiency, and amyloidosis in some lines. Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy also occurs.
Living and exercise
An active household with climbing structure and daily interactive play. Ocicats are athletic and they get bored.
They are excellent with children and with dogs, and they are one of the better choices for a busy family. Twelve to eighteen years is a realistic range.
Something here wrong or out of date?