Ocicat vs Cheetoh - Breed Comparison | Petzlover

The Cheetoh is a beautiful cat whose parent breeds are the Ocicat and the Bengal.

It was in 2001 that these two breeds were crossed by breeder Carol Drymon. Drymon was wanting to develop a new cat that would have characteristics similar to that of a wild cat but that would behave like a domesticated cat.

The Cheetoh became a recognized and registered breed with the United Feline Organization in November of 2004.

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.

For a housecat, the Cheetoh is a muscular and large breed. In fact, this is one of the largest breeds of all the domesticated cats, with males being bigger than females. They can weigh anything between 7 and 10kg.

People want to own an animal that looks like a wild cat and the Cheetoh looks like a Cheetah. The coat of the cat can be several different colors and can be in different patterns with spots and stripes. He gets the spots from both the parent cats - the Ocicat and the Bengal. He definitely getd the longer legs from the Ocicat.

The purpose of the Cheetoh breeding program was to create an exotic, intelligent cat with a wild look and that would also be larger than your regular domestic cat. You could say it's the cats wonderfully soft, a velvety coat that makes it such an attractive cat.

Also, another notable feature with the cat is the way it walks - it looks as though it is stalking and prowling.

The cats are bred in 6 colors referred to as the black- or brown-spotted sienna, the black-spotted smoke the black- or brown-spotted gold, the black-spotted silver and the gold-spotted.

Temperament:

Your fascinating Cheetoh is a fun-loving cat, being playful and energetic and he will require a large yard and require being exercised.

They’re gentle cats but are talkative, being quietly friendly and social.

They make great family pets. They become devoted to their human family, being loyal and companionable. He is an affectionate, loving cat and his intelligence allows him to learn some simple commands and tricks.

He is the kind of cat that will do well in a family with kids and pets as he loves playfulness and fun, but he also wants to receive lots of love and attention.

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.

Cheetohs are a wonderful breed of cat and will love a busy household of adult humans, kids, and other pets.

Remember that because of their wild side they have a high prey instinct and might like the idea of going after your small pets such as fish and birds.

Intelligent and playful you will need to keep your Cheetoh entertained and exercised with both mentally and physically stimulating puzzle-type games. One thing is for sure, with a Cheetoh in your home, you're never going to have a dull moment.

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.

Whenever you buy a pet, particularly an exotic type of pet where you’ve spent a lot of money, make sure to check out potential health issues from the breeders.

Always make sure to buy your cat from a reputable source to avoid health issues that could drastically shorten your Cheetoh cat’s life.

As with all cats, there are potential genetic problems in their ancestry that might reveal itself in your cat.

Certainly, if you suspect something is wrong, get your cat to the vet immediately.

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.

Although the Cheetoh is considered to be a hypoallergenic cat, no cat is really so, but nonetheless the coat is lovely and velvety and is shiny and short, being low shedding as well.

He will need lots of exercise, but luckily with his dog-like attributes, he can be taught to walk on a leash,

Ensure your cat has a nice dry, warm sleeping area.

Diet:

These are energetic cats and he will need a complete commercially manufactured cat food that is high in protein, after all this is a carnivore and they require meaty diets.

If in any kind of doubt as to what to feed your Cheetoh, speak with your veterinarian if you have any concerns.

Make sure that your cat is never without a constant supply of fresh, cool water. A water fountain, with moving water, always encourages water drinking with cats.

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.