There is a saying amongst ocicat breeders and owners: ”An ocicat is a dog’s soul in a cat’s body.”
An ocicat is like no other cat you have ever met before. They are extremely friendly and get along great with both new humans and animals. They are highly intelligent creatures: they can be taught to walk with a leash, they will regularly want to play fetch, they understand their name and can be taught simple commands. All this we know from experience with our four furballs. While we haven’t yet managed to teach them to take walks with us, that is only our fault as we haven’t been regular enough with the training.
Toyo loves to play fetch with us. Say we are watching a movie, he will bring a small toy or ball, drop it close to our feet and then annoy us until we throw it for him. He will then sprint for the toy and bring it back to us, trotting smartly. And repeats the process over and over. Before we even have time to throw, he will often start running in the direction he thinks we’re most likely to throw the toy.
When we give them treats, we can single out which cat will be receiving the current yummy bit by saying his/her name. The named cat will show understanding that it’s his/her turn and the others will usually allow the named cat to get the treat unmolested. The exception being Silvana, of course, who believes all foodstuffs are hers by divine feline right. Of course, she NEVER misses when her named is called. We can also tell the cats to follow, to come to us and Toyo, being the smartest, has even learned to be coaxed to lay down.
All this to say that ocicats are very intelligent cats. Pair that with unbound energy and any feline’s natural curiosity and you get a handful. It is impossible to bring a new object in the apartment without the kitties making sure to sniff it over several times. And if it’s a bag, to open it and either to enter it or try to pull things out of it. If it has the general shape of a shoelace, thread or rope, it shall die. If it can roll, it shall be rolled and chased. If it was placed on a countertop or a table, can it be pushed down? And so on and so forth. For ocicats, the world is their playground.
The biggest difference between ocicats and other cats we have met is how absolutely loving they are. Cats are usually described as standoffish, but that is far from the truth for ocicats. They love their humans as openly and as unconditionally as any dog. They will constantly seek contact and will follow us from room to room at home, even if they will simply seek a place to sleep. With an ocicat, you are never alone. We even get to sleep with four cats in our bed! We have not trained them to do this, nor do we bring them to bed every night. When we lay down, they come of their own volutions within a few minutes.
Ocicats are just as loving towards each other. Should one cat start coughing up a furball, all others will rush over to keep an eye on him/her. If one mistakenly gets locked in the bathroom, the others will roam around outside the door. They love playing together, especially chasing each other, stalking each other and most of all, fighting.
Yes, fighting. They are not truly fighting to hurt each other, but there is nothing better than a good tumble or giving a sibling a good whack. Of our four, each has his/her own style: Play is a wrestler and a heavy weight, Toyo is agile, quick and smart, Silvana has a defensive style and Blue has little skill but much enthusiasm. Having another cat around is almost a must for ocicats to be happiest.
We were also sceptical to the idea that ocis c0uld be so different from all other cats we had ever met. But when all cats come rushing towards us every time we get home, whenever we can calm one of them by singing softly and every morning when we wake up with three cats at the foot of the bed and Toyo amongst the pillows... well, then there is no doubt in our minds that ocicats are unique and utterly wonderful companions.
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If it's on the floor and can be entered...
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Play Boy thinks Per's hand is a great toy
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| Take that, brother! And that one too! | Silvana's defensive stance: 4 slashing attacks and 1 biting attack per round. No one messes with this girl! |