Ocicat vs Australian Mist - Breed Comparison | Petzlover

This beautiful cat, the Australian Mist was developed in Australia and is a cross between the Burmese Cat, the Abyssinian as well as domestic shorthairs.

The breed was developed in 1975 by Truda Straede looking to bring about a short-haired cat with a ticked or spotted coat. At first the cat breed was known as the Spotted Mist but this changed to Australian Mist in 1998.

This is also because cats with marbled coats as opposed to spotted coats were accepted as part of the breed. This is an Australian cat but today there are some in UK, America and Germany.

The cat is recognized by governing councils Australia. The cats have a large gene pool.

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.

There is nothing particularly unusual about these beautiful cats as the Australian Mist is a medium-sized cat weighing between 4 to 7kg. Its short coat comes without an undercoat and it is a low-shedding cat.

The coat can be spotted or marbled and the legs and tail come with a pattern of black rings. The cat’s coat is short and comes in a number of colors – gold, peach, brown, blue, lilac, chocolate and caramel.

The Australian Mist has large, bright, expressive green eyes with a rounded head and a furry tail.

Temperament:

The Australian Mist is known for its exceptional temperament, and they don’t mind being picked up and cuddled. For this reason they make great cuddly pets for first-time cat owners as well as homes with children.

He is more than willing to get on with other pets in the home as well. They’re lively cats and will not mind being put on a leash and going for a walk, although because they are such cats that thrive on human company, this cat is willing to spend the entire day indoors with their human family.

These companionable cats make excellent animal friends for invalids.

Desexing your Australian Mist will ensure that he likes to stay close to home and become a solid family member.

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 Australian Mist is capable of becoming the perfect pet for single people, couples, families, the sick, and the elderly.

They just thrive on human companionship and love the indoor life. You can expect to have your furry companion with you for a good time as their life expectancy is into the late teens – if you provide them with a happy, comfortable home.

Bring one of these wonderful fur companions into your home and you’ll see that the Australian Mist is ready to quickly become a member of your unique family.

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.

These are generally long-lived cats and with good health, these robust cats from Australia can live well into their teens.

The Australian Mist hasn’t got any particular health care issues, but as with every cat, it is a good idea to see that he gets to the vet for an annual check-up to make sure all is still well.

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.

Grooming:

They’re moderate shedders and the short lying coat of this cat won’t require much grooming. It is always a good idea to brush a short-haired cat like the Australian Mist at least just once a week to get rid of dust and loose hairs. Of course, the cat thrives on the attention that comes with brushing him as well.

Diet:

Because your Australian Mist is a fairly active cat you want to buy commercially manufactured cat food that is of the highest quality to maintain his health and condition.

These cats are prone to putting on weight and you want to ensure the right food portions to maintain his weight.

He should never be without a constant supply of fresh, cool water. A good diet for your cat can go a long way to eliminating- or cutting down on veterinary expenses.

If you’re unfamiliar with what to feed your cat, your furry friend’s basic nutrition needs will require having good protein from meat, fish and poultry. You always want to be sure that Taurine, an essential amino acid is always included in the food as well as other important vitamins, minerals, fatty acids and enzymes.

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.