Conference misery::feline_v1

      OOOOOOOOOPS!!!!!! I think that was an ABSSYNIAN that she bred to the
    Siamese---not a Himalayan.....but I'll check this tonite to make sure...
    
    JMcD

I believe that you're right.  I believe that it was an abby that she bred to a
siamese.  They are absolutely beautiful.  They had two of them at the show in
Concord.  Real sweeties!!

Holly

    By breed true, I assume you mean that all the offspring show the
    Occicat type.  I know for a fact that the offspring do not all show
    the Occicat pattern.  Gail Allen, a friend and Occi breeder once
    showed me a litter of her kittens, 5 in all.  There were a couple
    of spotted, a couple of smokes, and I think a solid.  She said that
    was normal, and that the Occi breeders are trying to get them
    recognized for showing (CFA).
                                        
    Might be fun for someone to find out more about this.  I haven't
    seen Gail in awhile.
    
    Jo

      All I did was report what the "Morris Report" said... I believe it's
    true that even Siamese, Birmans, etc...often throw a kitten that's a 
    throwback...a friend of mine had an all-black Siamese in one of her
    litters. I "think" what they meant was the every litter within the
    breed now PREDOMINANTLY consists of spotted kittens. It seems that the
    coloring isn't as important to the breed as the spotting is.... 
    
      Whatever....I STILL want one of those little gems....
      Wonder what the result of a Ragdoll/Ocicat mating would be....
    
    JMcD
    
        (Maybe leopards with points???)
    JM

      According to the "Morris Report" the Ocicat is now accepted for
    championship status by both CFA and TICA...this happened in 1987.
    
      At present there are 12 recognized color patterns. The wildest
    looking is tawny with black or brown spots on a ruddy or bronze
    background. The chocolate has light to dark brown spots on an ivory or
    golden background. The cinnamon is the brightest hue.. The blue
    features that color on a pale blue or buff background. The lavender has
    lilac spots on a pale buff or ivory coat.The spots of the fawn are on
    ivory, while the silver has black spots on a pale silver-white
    background. The other five colors are silvers mixed with the chocolate,
    cinnamon, blue, lavender and fawn on an exciting silver-white
    background. 
    
      Females weigh from 7 to 10 pounds, while males will get as big as 15
    pounds or more..
    
      They can easily be taught to fetch, sit-up, pray or bow, and they are
    very easy to leash-train..(Sounds like the Siamese parentage coming
    through..)
    
      Their diet is standard, and their short hair requires almost no
    grooming. They are gentle, sensitive animals, and are very responsive
    to their owners.
    
      The lady who developed them is Virginia Daly of Dalai Cattery in
    Michigan....Ms. Daly was a contributor to the creation of the red-point
    Siamese and the flame-point Himalayan, and was trying to produce an
    Abyssinian point Siamese when this breed emerged by accident.
    
      After Ms. Daly's success, someone bred an Ocicat to an American
    Shorthair by mistake, and this "accident" had the fortunate result of
    adding size, muscle and the beautiful silver colors to the breed.
    Although crosses to the Abyssinian are still permitted by CFA and TICA,
    an Ocicat may no longer be bred back to the American Shorthair. The
    breed must stand on its own by January 1995, when even the Aby will not
    be allowed.
    
    
       More information about these sweeties is available from:
    
                 Shana Otis-Kuhnert, Secretary, Ocicats of America,
                 18165 Mollie Lane,
                 Yorba Linda, Ca 92686
    
           Or...PH: 714-777-3745
    
    JM
                 
                 

    Just to clear up something, Birmans do not have "throwbacks" because
    they are not a man-made breed.
    
    I wasn't criticizing your information, I was trying to clarify.
    Color (or spotting in this case) is not what makes a breed, type
    is what makes a breed.  The Occi's without spots are still Occi's
    because they have the Occi type.  I just feel it is important for
    the members of this file to know this, just as it is important for
    people to know that not all Manx are tailless and not all Scottish
    Folds have folded ears.
    
    Jo

    Also, what I meant in .3 was that the Occicat breeders are trying
    to get the other colors and patterns (smokes, solids, and other
    tabby patterns)accepted for showing in CFA.  Right now, CFA only 
    allows the spotteds to be shown.
    
    Jo

    In CFF, Ocicats are only an experimental breed.  They are not accepted
    for championship status yet.  They are beautiful cats.  At the last
    show, there were two of them.  Both, absolutely georgeous.
    
    Holly

Showable or not...they are the most playful and mischievious adult cats
I've ever met...the kittens are so cute, luckily, that noone wants to
strangle them, but they are a handful!  I've a friend with Oscar, the
wonder cat, and I definitely will be adding one to the family when
the time feels right...

    Re .6/.7
      Geez...Lighten up..;-}..I ain't takin' it personal... 
    When my friend had the solid black kitten in her Siamese litter, the
    kitten was just that---a black Siamese. Probably wouldn't have gotten
    her a helluva lot of ribbons at cat shows, but she was surely a Siamese
    from all of her other traits...
    
    Re .8
      According to the Morris Report, the only two entities that are
    recognizing the Ocicat as a pure, championship-qualified pure breed at
    this time are CFA and TICA.
      What's CFF???? There seem to be dozens of these associations...
    
      JMcD

    Re .9
      Where are you located??? And more important than that...do you have
    any idea about prices for these beauties??? Do they seperate between 
    "pet" and "Show" quality as yet??
    
     JM

    CFF = CAT FANCIER'S FEDERATION

      I just called Shana Otis-Kuhnert and she's going to send me some 
    additional information on this breed. She said that these cats are
    typically larger than BOTH parent breeds are...she has a 10 month old
    male that's 14 pounds already!!
      She also said that about 80% of the litters from her cattery are now
    being born spotted, and they are trying now to get breed recognition
    for the tabby and ticked(like the Aby) ofspring, because they are the
    same in every other respect except coloring!!
    
      Prices: Non-spotted, pet quality===UNDER $200.00
              Spotted, pet quality=======$300.00 to $450.00
              Show quality===============$500.00 and up...average $750.00.
    
    
      She said they are VERY good travelers, and they can be sent by air to
    new owners....
    JM

    JM - they are great cats.  One of my Birman buyers has two show
    quality that she got from Duncan Knox out here in California.  There
    seem to be more and more Occicat breeders starting up out here.
    Gail Allen is another one.  Are you back east, or what?  I could
    put you in touch with some of the breeders that I know.
    
    Jo

    If anyone is interested in Ocicats - contact Werner (Doc) and Bobbi
    Beyer in Hudson New Hampshire - they have a couple of pretty
    babies.  603-882-8814.  They also have Oriental Shorthairs that
    are wonderful.
    
    E.T.

    Just came across this note.  I have an ocicat, silver with black
    spots and orange eyes.  He is from the Dalai Cattery and is just
    the treasure of my life.  He gives hugs and is very smart.
    
    I got him on a business trip and brought him home on the plane --
    not a sound.  I have moved several times since and he travels and
    adjusts well to new surroundings.
    
    There is only one sad note.  He is show quality, but before I knew
    what that was, I had him neutered.  The junior vet that neutered
    him didn't recognize his breed, when the senior vet found out what
    she (we) had done he had a fit.  I now know the value of a show
    quality cat.  But I still have all I ever wanted from Oscar and
    that's love.
    
    Cyndi
    

    Cyndi, you can still show your Ocicat even though he is neutered!
    Neutering doesn't make him any less show quality; in fact, it makes
    him a better cat if you never had plans to breed him!!  I think
    it is the alter class?
    
    /Roberta
    

    It also makes him a much better companion.  (Now I know how good
    Stripees is, Cindy, but isn't he rather unique?)  Boy I'm gladd
    Dundee isn't competing against him.  (Or will he?  Where are you?)
    

    RE: .17
    
    I think a while ago, someone mentioned that Ocicats are not recognized
    in CFF.  I don't know about CFA.  I don't think that Cyndi would be
    able to show her baby in CFF because he is neutered.  
    
    Ocicats are beautiful cats.  I can't see why they're not recognized in
    CFF yet.  Maybe if we got more people to show their whole cats in the
    experemental breed class, then it would be recognized.
    
    Holly
    

    Holly,
    
    I do believe that altered cats can be shown in the experimental class,
    and the same with the AOV class.  I'm not positive...do you want to try
    to find out??
    
    cin