Jungle-Bob vs Ocicat - Breed Comparison | Petzlover

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.

This hybrid cat is a cross between a Chausie and a Pixie Bob.

What is notable about this cat is that it can have a Bobcat like tail or it can have a full-length tail. They’re a fairly new breed and have been bred since the early 1990s. The whole purpose of breeding the cat was to develop a jungle cat hybrid with a spotted pattern.

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.

These are big cats and can weigh between 6 and 10kg. The leopard-spotted coat comes in all shades – brown, tawny, gold, silver and black with you not likely to see solid shades.

The coat can be short or medium-length. The cats have a thick muzzle and he has hooded eyes. The ears are fairly large and placed high o the head. They’re well muscled with long legs with the hind legs being fairly longer than the front legs

Temperament:

The Jungle-Bob loves his food. He loves interactive toys that hold the food and encourage him to think about how to get the food out.

He loves his human family and bonds strongly with them, loving to play rough and tumble games with the kids. He gets on well with children as well as other pets in the house.

You may find your Jungle-Bob being shy and not wanting to be friendly with strangers. They’re intelligent cats and have been known to learn how to open certain doors and cupboards. They can also be taught to walk on a leash.

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.

Your Jungle-Bob, just like all cats with a wild side, should have a largish outdoor cage. Keeping a hybrid cat like the Jungle-Bob is far more challenging than keeping a regular domesticated cat.

Hybrid cats like these are always active and they require lots of exercise. They can learn to walk on a leash.

Hybrid cats like this are made up of many species and they come with lots of interesting fur patterns. but that shouldn't be your motivation for buying one.

Think carefully before you own one of these cats as they’re beautiful for sure, but sometimes they become too much for the owners and then they land up in shelters. Be informed before you invest in one of these cats.

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.

Even a trip to the vet can be a challenge and it can be a frightening experience for a hybrid cat. They may even need to be sedated before the vet can examine them.

Also, did you know that in terms of rabies, which can be a fatal disease, it is not positive that these vaccines even work with a hybrid cat? So if your pet is exposed to rabies, it could spell great danger for you and your hybrid pet.

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.

Before you invest in one of these hybrid exotic cats do research because they’re different from your regular domestic cats.

Because they have a wild side, they’re not suited to small apartments. Apart from being both an indoor and outdoor cat, he will require a fairly large outdoor cage with one part dedicated to shade and shelter for him.

Even though you will buy your Jungle Bob a litter box for indoors, remember that even though you train your cat to use it, the wild part of the cat means that he will spray and do his business on your carpets or against your furniture as well.

This is precisely why so many cat shelters are full of these cats. They become a handful for their owners, and their owners just hand them in as a bad experience.

A hybrid cat like the Jungle-Bob has a digestive system not quite the same as your regular domestic cat. It is absolutely imperative that these cats receive a meat diet as they are carnivores.

Keeping such a cat as a pet means you will need to invest in high-quality protein foods that sit well with this cat’s digestive system. A good guide for the Jungle Bob-cat is to steer clear of carbohydrates and feed your cat a protein-rich diet.

It is also a wise move to feed your new kitten the food that he has been eating at the breeder and then to make a gradual change to the best food protein there is.

Speak to your vet if in any kind of doubt. There are excellent high protein, high-quality commercial cat foods available on the market that make feeding a cat convenient as well.