The Traditional Cat Association, Inc.©¹⁹⁸⁷®^TM Official Website
Founded 1987, by Diana L. Fineran 

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TRADITIONAL OCICAT©® (OC)

TRADITIONAL TABBY OCICAT©® 
(AKA, JUNGALA) (OCJ) FAQs

Link to Traditional Ocicat Breeders Listing

HISTORY - PERSONALITY - HEALTH

Copyright © Diana Fineran, January 2, 2007 

Photos Courtesy of Laurie of AbbysAngels

TRADITIONAL OCICAT HISTORY

This magnificent, agouti, spotted cat originated by mixing the Abyssinian, Siamese and American Shorthair breeds to become the only spotted breed selectively bred to mimic the cats of the wild. 

The very first, original Traditional Ocicat was unexpectedly produced in 1964 as a result of an experimental breeding between an Abyssinian and a Siamese.  The goal was to produce an Aby-Point Siamese, but an ivory kitten with golden spots and striking copper eyes was a surprise. Breeding a totally domestic cat, resembling a jungle cat was not the goal! The breeder was Virginia Daly from Berkley, Michigan. The breeds name came about due to their resemblance to the ocelot!

The origin of the breed was started by breeding Dalai Deta Tim of Selene, a male, Ruddy Abyssinian to a large, Seal Point, Siamese. female named, Dalai Tomboy Patter. All the kittens in the resulting litter looked like Abyssinians.  Mrs. Daly used only one female from that litter, Dalai She, a ruddy Abyssinian colored hybrid, who was bred to CH. Whitehead Elegante Sun, a large, well muscled, Chocolate Point Siamese with dark coloring. In all of their litters Abyssinian Pointed Siamese were produced along with Lynx Point, Mackerel Tabby, Classic Tabby and solid black kittens.  In their second litter of seven kittens an unexpected, spotted kitten was born.        

 Tonga, the first of the breed, was neutered, sold as a pet to a medical student named Thomas Brown for $10.00. Only once was Tonga presented at a cat show in Detroit on February 20-21, 1965 in an exhibit of 16 cats billed as “breeds of the future”.  The gorgeous spotted Tonga was then publicized in the Detroit newspaper.

Daly read an article by Dr. Clyde Keller of Georgia University and wrote to him about Tonga.  The Dr. became interested in the breed, so the original breeding was repeated to produce more spotted cats! His goal was to produce cats similar to the now extinct “Egyptian Spotted Fishing Cat”.  Other breeders followed using a broad genetic source. The introduction of the American Shorthair counter acted the Extreme Wedge Siamese characteristics by adding substance to the body, good boning and the silver gene.

The Dalai Cattery, owned by Virginia Daly, re-focused its efforts toward the Traditional Ocicat breed. Tonga’s dam, Dalai She and her sire, Sunny were bred again and produced the Tawny son, Dotson.  Darwin, Aruby and Jobecua Catteries joined the breeding efforts.  Produced were Darwin Vierdalai of Dalai, who sired Dalai Golden Phoenix and Dalai Sequin.  One of their decendants, Dalai Golden Cavalier of Ociville was the breeds first Grand Champion.

  This was the first effort to breed an entirely domestic cat that presented the spotted beauty of wild cats, yet maintained the docile nature of the domestic cat. 

TRADITIONAL TABBY OCICAT (AKA JUNGALA)

This is a Traditional Ocicat in every way except it comes in the Classic Tabby Pattern, without spots. They display all the majesty and clarity of the Classic Tabby Pattern of an American Shorthair, from which part of their ancestry originates. Their breeding, conformation and temperament are exactly the same. Their name was taken from the Sanskrit word for “Jungle”.

Since they come from the result of allowable outcross breeds between recognized breeds, the Traditional Ocicat and the Traditional Tabby Ocicat (AKA Jungala) can be mated together with the resulting kittens being registered as the “selected breed”. 

PERSONALITY

They steal the hearts of those fortunate enough to own one.  Even though they look “wild” their temperament is not ferocious.  In dog like fashion, they are absolutely devoted to their humans with their agreeable and amenable character.  Instead of being demanding and clinging, they are confident, dedicated and quite extroverted toward strangers. They joyfully check any new person in their household, and are not bashful to climb up to curl into a new lap. So loving toward human inter action, they will follow their humans from room to room to see what’s new!  Active and talkative, they are the perfect choice for those who love interactive cats. 

Intelligent, affectionate, athletic, curious, clever  and mentally bright, they can be easily trained to fetch, walk on a leash, respond to voice directions, enjoy traveling, and easily adapt to home rules. Some learn tricks and willingly perform them to an appreciative audience.    Their social nature makes them a good match to a home with other pets. Because of their dependency upon companionship they may not be the best choice for a single cat.  They don’t thrive in isolation.   

Their temperament and adaptability make them a truly enjoyable, loving companion and a welcome addition to many households.      

HEALTH

There is no special care needed for these easy keepers.  Their short coats need only the occasional grooming.  Their broad genetic back ground gives them health, vigor and vitality, so they are not prone to any particular health problem. Genetic anomalies or problems associated with inbreeding have been avoided due to such a diverse genetic base.  Females are easy to breed and experience few birthing problems. Litter sizes are constant and kittens are very playful.   

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