Ocicat vs Ashera - Breed Comparison | Petzlover

Hailing from the USA, and looking similar to the Savannah Cat, the Ashera is a hybrid breed of cat - an exotic domestic cat known as a designer cat that came about by crossbreeding the African Serval and the Asian Leopard cat.

In fact, the cat was developed fairly recently through genetic manipulation and by the Lifestyle Pets laboratory. Also, some domestic cat was added to the mix as well, giving the cat a beautiful spotted coat similar to that of a leopard as well as some stripes.

Lifestyle Pets stopped producing these cats in 2008 so they’re hard to come by and are very expensive.

Virginia Daly was the first breeder of Ocicats, hailing from Michigan. She wanted to breed an Abyssinian-pointed Siamese in 1964 and the first kittens looked to be Abyssinian.

With the next litter, the Abyssinian-pointed Siamese and a spotted kitten, nicknamed an Ocicat. Further breedings produced more spotted kittens and became the basis of the Ocicat.

A breeding program was started for Siamese to Abyssinian, and the kittens bred to Siamese. Later the American Shorthair was introduced to the Ocicat and this brought in bigger boning as well as adding silver to the 6 colors of the Ocicat.

It was during the 1980s that the cat was accepted for registration in The Cat Fanciers' Association.

The Ashera cat has large ears with stripes and which are slightly rounded at the top. The eyes are a beautiful greenish-yellow shade.

It's a large cat and can weigh as much as 14kg. The length of the body is long too and can be more than one meter in length. The cat is tall and if it stands up on its hind legs, it will be able to put its front paws on the shoulders of an adult.

People have always fancied owning such a large ‘domestic’ cat. There are different kinds of Ashera cats – the hypoallergenic one, the common Ashera, the snow Ashera, and the royal Aashera which looks much like the common Ashera but just a more rare type.

Temperament:

The Ashera is a very intelligent, independent cat and likes to climb, being a very playful cat, enjoying the company of children.

Because of its wild side, it's always on the lookout for prey. In spite of the cat’s size, it is an amicable cat and will even enjoy going on a walk with a leash. It’s not your traditional aloof cat and is both sociable and vocal and some people liken them to dogs.

Even though the cat enjoys the company of its human family, it doesn’t mind being left alone.

Ocicats, with their wedge-shaped heads, are strong, large cats with muscular legs that have striped markings. The cat can weight between 4 and 7kg. The ears are large and pointed.

The cat has almond-shaped eyes. The fur has dark spots and there are many color variants that are approved by the major cat registries. The standard colors for the cat are chocolate, cinnamon and tawny.

Temperament:

These large cats have got personality traits from both cats – the Siamese and the Abyssinian. They are friendly, playful, and sociable cats, making excellent family pets, getting on well with children and other pets. Those who have owned them say owning such a cat is similar to owning a dog as they can be taught basic commands and tricks and even walk on a leash.

They are even known to swim with you. They’re cats that crave the attention of their human owners, but bond specifically with one person. It won’t do at all well in a household where it is left alone for long periods of time.

It's an intelligent cat and will most certainly need toys and a lifestyle that is stimulating.

The Ashera cat is beautiful alright but you might battle to get hold of one and they cost a fortune too, being the rare breed it is.

Hybrid cats mean that the breeding of cat species that would never have mated in the first place.

Wild cat breeds belong in the wild. They’re solitary by nature and if they battle to adjust to being in a social setting they land up in a shelter, abandoned as ‘bad news’. People aren’t clever tampering with nature particularly when it’s just to feed the ego of humans who want something unusual and exotic that nobody else has.

There are pet owners who are willing to spend enormous sums of money to own a rare cat such as the Ashera.

If you want an Ashera, there are just a few kittens being made available each year. One thing is sure, they make splendid pets, being playful, loyal, intelligent, and affectionate.

The Ocicat is a friendly, non-aggressive cat that is devoted to his human family. It’s a cat that thrives on being around people and won’t relish being left alone for long periods of time.

The largish cat is intelligent and easily trainable. He loves toys and it will be good to buy him some toys that require him thinking a little bit.

Highly energetic, he’ll love nothing more than for you to become involved in his games. Give him the attention he craves and he’ll become your best friend.

The scientists involved with the development of this cat tell us that it can reach up to 25 years of age.

It’s a new cat breed and at this time there are no common diseases that affect this beautiful feline.

Remember that these cats come with an insurance policy and this means that the cat’s veterinary visits will be covered for the entire first year of its life. Your Ashera cat will also be vaccinated and chipped and the cat will have been spayed or neutered before he comes to you.

Diet is a crucial part of being a healthy cat, There are many excellent commercially manufactured cat foods on the market and your cat might prefer the wet- or dry type of cat food.

The idea is to choose the highest quality cat food that is packed with meat and protein as your cat is a carnivore. One good way to choose a good cat food is to read the ingredients and make sure that the first ingredients are meat.

He wants chicken, tuna, liver and pheasant in his diet. Make sure that the food also contains taurine as this is an essential amino acid that every cat must have.

If in any doubt, speak to your vet as cats require certain vitamins and minerals to remain healthy. Always ensure a fresh supply of cool drinking water.

Your cat requires being vaccinated and dewormed.

Get to know a good vet in your area so that if your cat is sick, you don't have to waste precious time searching for a vet.

DIET

The Ashera doesn’t need any special food as they will eat the same cat food that your other cats eat. If you feed your cat commercially manufactured food, make sure its food that is of a high quality.

CARE

Those who have owned an Ashera cat, say tthat looking after an Ashera is much the same as lookijg after your regular domestic cat,

Bedding:

These cats like warmth so make sure you provide him with a warm blanket in his sleeping area.

You won’t have to worry about spaying or neutering your Ashera cat, as they are sterile. The ony place you can buy this cat is from the Lifestyle Pets laboratory. The laboratory implants a chip into the cat and they also undertake to vaccinate the cat for a year.

It’s a low maintenance cat and you can brush the short coat from time to time. Ensuring a good diet will bring about a lustrous, healthy coat.

The cat is intelligent so it will require toys that get him thinking and working things out. Also supply the Ashera with a scratching post.

They Ashera will need the best kind of cat food there is and you will want to ensure he has a good intake of protein and fats to maintain his gorgeous coat and his muscles.

Provide your Ocicat with companionship as these are cats that can’t be left for hours on their own.

Provide your Ocicat with a litterbox that is kept clean. Your ocicat’s dropping must be regularly raked up out of the litter box sand and removed. A cat won’t use a dirty litterbox.

Treat your Ocicat for parasites. In fact, treating parasites isn’t a once-off treatment but ongoing. You can consult with your veterinarian for advice on the best and safest way to treat your pet for worms, ticks, fleas, and mites.

Brush your Ocicat’s fur once a week. They have short fur so they are fairly low maintenance. You can use a rubber hand brush and you can even wipe the fur down with a damp cloth to remove dust. He will have to have his claws trimmed.

Nobody should buy a pet and then do as little as possible for it. Your Ocicat’s going to need daily exercise as well as mental stimulation and he will require this through interaction with his human family. Buy him stimulating toys to keep him busy, play games with him and buy a cat leash so you can take him on walks outdoors for a bit of sunlight.