The highest achievement in the CFA show ring is accomplished when a cat successfully earns the title of National Winner (NW). CFA established the title of Grand Champion in 1930 and the title of National Winner first appeared in 1971. In CFA, each year the top 25 cats in Championship, 25 Kittens and 25 cats in Premiership are awarded the NW title.
The Ocicat breed came about somewhat by accident... Mrs Virginia Daly, a noted CFA breeder of the time, was attempting to create an Aby-pointed Siamese cat. In the litter, one of the resulting kittens was a spotted kitten, which her daughter named an Ocicat, due to its resemblance to the wild Ocelot. Later, American Shorthairs were also added into the gene pool, to provide some substance to the breed.
The Ocicats were first accepted for CFA registration in 1966, but weren't advanced to championship competition until 1987. It wasn't until the 1991-92 show season that the Ocicats had their first National Winner - a chocolate spotted male named GC, NW Cinnful Chivas of Starspots, who was 22nd Best Cat.
In the 2002-03 show season, an Ocicat earned "Best" for the first time - GC, NW Wild Rain Firewater of Dotdotdot, a chocolate spotted male who was Best Kitten. 2005-06 saw another Ocicat kitten earn a "Best" - GC, BW, NW Dotdotdot's Stradivarious.
Below is a table with the national winning Ocicats including their name, color, sex, year of their win, and the award they earned.
If the cat's name is in blue text, you can click on it to see a photo of the cat. Championship cats names are on an orange background, kittens are on pink and alters are on a blue background.
Ocicat National Winners in CFA
| Year | Position | Cat's Name | Color | Sex |
| 1987-88 through 1990-91 |
No Ocicat National Winners | |||
| 1991-92 | 22nd Best Cat | GC, NW Cinnful Chivas of Starspots | Chocolate Spotted | M |
| 1992-93 | 6th Best Cat | GC, NW Echosofmaja Running Bear of Saga | Chocolate Spotted | M |
| 1993-94 | 24th Best Cat | GC, NW Saga Mouse Rustler | Chocolate Spotted | M |
| 1994-95 | No Ocicat National Winners | |||
| 1995-96 | 11th Best Cat | GC, NW Saga Diamond Rio | Chocolate Spotted | M |
| 15th Best Cat | GC, NW Maradot's Dolce Panettone | Chocolate Spotted | M | |
| 1996-97 | 24th Best Cat | GC, NW Alspots Desert Storm of Timberwild | Chocolate Spotted | M |
| 7th Best Kitten | GC, NW Saga Naked Gun | Chocolate Spotted | M | |
| 1997-98 | 16th Best Kitten | GC, NW Pawaw's Go Native of Saga | Chocolate Spotted | M |
| 1998-99 | 11th Best Cat | GC, NW Rabeau's Sunny Delite | Chocolate Spotted | M |
| 17th Best Cat | GC, NW Ociopia Godzuki of Saga | Chocolate Spotted | M | |
| 16th Best Alter | GP, NW Wild Rain Proud As A Peacock | Chocolate Spotted | N | |
| 1999-00 | No Ocicat National Winners | |||
| 2000-01 | 14th Best Cat | GC, NW Wild Rain Fire Storm | Chocolate Spotted | M |
| 2001-02 | 22nd Best Cat | GC, BW, NW Wildtracks Millenium Moon, DM | Chocolate Spotted | F |
| 2002-03 | 14th Best Cat | GC, BW, NW Wildtracks Millenium Mystic | Chocolate Spotted | M |
| BEST KITTEN | GC, NW Wild Rain Firewater of Dotdotdot | Chocolate Spotted | M | |
| 2003-04 | 7th Best Cat | GC, BW, NW C-N Spots Jacare of Tribal | Chocolate Spotted | M |
| 11th Best Cat | GC, NW Wild Rain Distant Drum of Dotdotdot | Chocolate Spotted | M | |
| 2nd Best Kitten | GC, NW Wild Rain Distant Drum of Dotdotdot | Chocolate Spotted | M | |
| 2004-05 | 7th Best Cat | GC, BW, NW Dotdotdot's Bugatti | Chocolate Spotted | M |
| 11th Best Cat | GC, NW Moirai Wedjat | Chocolate Spotted | M | |
| 18th Best Cat | GC, NW Tribal Kambara Puku of Spots O-Lot | Chocolate Spotted | M | |
| 22nd Best Kitten | GC, NW Wildtracks Sunquest of Ocigatos | Chocolate Spotted | M | |
| 11th Best Alter | GC, GP, NW Sunstone Morocco Reggae | Chocolate Spotted | N | |
| 19th Best Alter | GC, GP, NW Mosu's Gray Shadow | Lavendar Spotted | N | |
| 2005-06 | 2nd Best Cat | GC, BW, NW Dotdotdot's Stradivarious | Chocolate Spotted | M |
| BEST KITTEN | GC, BW, NW Dotdotdot's Stradivarious | Chocolate Spotted | M | |
| 2006-07 | 19th Best Cat | GC, BW, NW Sunstone Knubi of Sweetmewsic | Chocolate Spotted | F |
| 6th Best Kitten | GC, NW Dotdotdot's Thunderbolt | Chocolate Spotted | M | |
| 23rd Best Alter | GP, NW Ocigatos Meritage of Wildtracks | Chocolate Spotted | N | |
| 2007-08 | 10th Best Kitten | GP, NW Sunstone Five For Fighting | Chocolate Spotted | M |
| 4th Best Alter | GC, GP, NW Sunstone Serengeti | Chocolate Spotted | N | |
| 2008-09 | 8th Best Cat | GC, BW, NW Sweetmewsic Heat Wave | Chocolate Spotted | M |
| 2009-10 | 14th Best Alter | GP, NW Dotdotdot's Ditto of Laureden | Chocolate Spotted | N |
| 2010-11 | 23rd Best Kitten | GC, BW, NW Wild Rain Priceless | Chocolate Spotted | M |
