The Ocicat is a striking spotted cat that might look like it was bred from a wild cat but is very much a domestic, loving cat that makes a wonderful pet. They were actually named after the Ocelot, a medium-sized wild cat, because of the physical resemblance between the two, but they are not related in any way. The Ocicat was actually bred from the Siamese, Abyssinian, and the American Shorthair.
You will see the term ‘agouti’ mentioned a fair bit in association with their coloring. Agouti is the background color (not including the pattern) and is created by the hair that has more than one color. Each individual hair usually has 2 or more color bands and is commonly seen on Tabby cats.
The Ocicat has 12 classifications of colors, all of which sport the famous spotted coat, and they fall into 5 classes: Chocolate Class, Cinnamon Class, Dilute Class, Silver Class, and the Tawny Class.
The blue coloring falls in the Dilute Class, and you’ll see blue spots on a paler blue or buff (pale yellowish-brown) agouti background. The nose is usually pink lined with blue, and the paw pads and tip of the tail are also blue.
Not surprisingly, blue silver falls in the Silver Class and is one out of 6 colors that fall in this class. The Ocicat’s coat has blue spots but on a white/silver agouti background. The nose is pink and lined with dark blue, and the paw pads and tip of the tail are typically blue.
The Ocicat’s coat has chocolate-colored spots on a pale ivory/beige agouti background and falls into the Chocolate Class. They have a darker red nose lined with dark brown, the paw pads are a chocolate-pink, and the tail tip is chocolate.
Chocolate Silver is chocolate-colored spots on a white/silver agouti background. Like the chocolate color, the nose is pink and lined with dark brown, the paw pads are chocolate-pink, and the tip of the tail is chocolate.
Cinnamon is in the Cinnamon Class and is cinnamon-colored spots on a warm beige/ivory agouti background. The nose is pink lined with a cinnamon color, the paw pads are a pink or darker pink, and the tip of the tail is also cinnamon in color.
Another color in the Silver Class, there are cinnamon spots on a white/silver agouti background. The nose is pink and lined with a cinnamon color, the paw pads are pink or darker pink, and the tail tip is cinnamon.
The fourth color on our list in the Silver Class has black spots on a white/silver agouti background. The nose tends to be a dark red lined with black, and the paw pads and tip of the tail are also black.
Fawn is essentially a diluted cinnamon color, so this one falls in the Dilute Class. This one has fawn spots on a pale beige/ivory agouti background. The nose is pink, lined in a fawn color, the paw pads are pink, and the tail tip is fawn.
9. Fawn Silver
This one obviously falls in the Silver Class and has fawn spots on a silver/white agouti background. The nose is pink and lined with a fawn color, the paw pads are pink, and the tip of the tail is fawn.
This is the last of the 3 color categories that fall in the Dilute Class and is technically a diluted chocolate color that resembles a soft purple. This one has lavender spots on a pale ivory or buff agouti background, the nose is pink and lined with a darker lavender, paw pads are a lavender-pink, and the tail tip is lavender.
11. Lavender Silver
The last of the 6 colors found in the Silver Class is lavender spots on a silver/white agouti background. The nose is pink and lined with dark lavender, the paw pads are a lavender-pink, and the tip of the tail is also lavender.
Tawny is in its own Tawny Class and is essentially a brown spotted tabby. Here we have black or dark brown spots on a beige or bronze agouti background. The nose is a dark red lined with black, the paw pads are black or dark brown, and the tail tip is usually black.
Conclusion
The Ocicat is an eye-catching and unique cat that comes in 12 gorgeous colors but all sporting the striking spots. The coat is always short hair, so grooming will be easy, and the color does not have any impact on the Ocicat’s personality. These cats are relatively rare and will be expensive if you decide to buy a kitten through a breeder, but these gorgeous and energetic cats will bring lots of love to you and your family.
Christian is the Editor-in-Chief of Excited Cats and one of its original and primary contributors. A lifelong cat lover, now based in South East Asia, Christian and his wife are the proud parents of an 11-year-old son and four rescue cats: Trixie, Chloe, Sparky, and Chopper.
