The History of LIOC - Back in the 1950's, ocelots and margays were commonly sold in retail pet stores. People who knew nothing about the proper care and feeding of these non-domestic cousins to the domestic cat, sold them to others who were equally ignorant of their special dietary and environmental needs. This resulted in calcium deficiencies, intestinal blockages, unnecessary canine teeth removals, and worse. Something had to be done and Catherine Cisin, a caring lady from, NewYork, was the woman to do it. She formed the Long Island Ocelot Club, and designed it to be a clearing house of husbandry information.

Early LIOC newsletters depict an era long past. Back then, most ocelots and margays were jungle caught, and legally imported into America as kittens. The majority were a by-product of the fur trade, and the mortality rate was 50%. If left when their mother's were killed for their pelts, all would have perished.

Captive-breeding was in its infancy, a trial-and-error learning process. In the November 1959 LIOC Newsletter, Lillian Ward of California, shared the news of a pair of ocelots expecting the birth of their third litter in as many years. Her first litter a male ocelot was born December 1957 and twin ocelots were born in November 1958.

Yes, times were different, but wild cat ownership still created controversy, even though largely confined to the small felids, unlike today's larger felines. These jungle cats were different, interesting, and to some, frightening.

This was reflected in the human-interest stories published in national newspapers such as the one which appeared in the Daily News in Garden Grove, California on November 11th, 1958, entitled "This Fearless Pair Raises Ocelots." Or on August of 1958, the Daily Hampshire Gazette, in Massachusetts, entitled "Tame Cats Supplement Diet of Hamburger with Occasional Shoe, Bathmat, or Blanket." And The Ontario Gazette, in Niagara Falls, New York, published "Ocelot startles Residents as it Strolls in Falls." And in February of 1959, The Daily Breeze, in Redondo Beach, California, printed "Ocelot Angered, Holds Men at Bay." The unpublished punch line to that story was the fact that the ocelot was actually a 9 pound margay.

Moods were swinging, as moods always do, and now owners were getting defensive. In the February 1959 edition of the Westwood paper, New Jersey, was printed "Ocelots Don't revert to Wild, she says."

Undeterred, private owners continued their captive breeding efforts. Break-throughs appeared and by the late 1960's, a proud but humble beginning to the future of captive bred exotic felines was making LIOC headlines. In 1967, Chuck & Harriet Leake of California announced the birth of leopard cat babies. Exotic cats were becoming more common. The March/April edition of the LIOC Newsletter informed members, that Sears & Roebuck Company in Oakland,California offered a fairly young jaguar for sale at a cost of $1,100. In May of 1968, the National Zoo declared ocelots "semi-domestic" and therefore no longer worthy of exhibit.

The domestic births continued. In May of 1968, two chaus were born to second generation parents owned by Juleen and John Jackson; twin ocelots were born at Lydia Sportleder's in New York and a margay kitten at Marianne Howard's in Maryland.

Among the Newcomers in the September/October edition of the LIOC Newsletter listed 17 ocelots, 1 margay, 3 cheetah, 1 leopard cat, 1 bobcat, 2 lions, 3 cougars, and 1 jaguar. In November, Sadie Douglas announced another domestic born margay - the second for the parent pair.

The 70's in the LIOC were to mirror America's society in general and heralded in a decade of change like none before. A Commentary by Dr. Michael Balbo (LIOC's Director of Conservation) titled "Conservation Relative to LIOC," stated that LIOC members must develop successful breeding strategies, rather than continue to import jungle-born kittens. He asked the hard questions of "When will we grow up?" and "What about tomorrow?" he quoted current advertisements which stated "Furs all the Rage", and "Leopard is so chic." His extensive research into the plight of wild cat conservation revealed and unexpected and chilling possibility - wild cats were threatened with extinction!

Today, that's hardly surprising, and in many ways, we are faced with so many species facing extinction that we have grown numb. But back in the early 70's, it was a shocker. The age of innocence was over. In the 1970's private captive husbandry was in full swing. Ken and Jean Hatfield announce three ocelot births in 1971. Also that year, Floyd Houser offered captive born leopard cat kittens for $150. Robert Baudy's Rare Feline Breeding Compound produced 33 cubs representing 9 species. Snow leopards previously had only been successfully bred seven times in over 900 world zoos over the past 100 years, yet they bred at Baudy's compound in 1971. This compound also produced a litter of cheetah and the second ever breeding of black jaguars. Amurian leopards, native to west Korea and Siberia were also bred successfully, as were both Siberian and Bengal tigers.

In 1972, Arnette Barnet of New York shared the birth of a Asian Golden Cat via LIOC's Newsletter. Dave Salisbury's leopard produced an unheard of litter of 5. Domestic born ocelots were being sold for $500. It was in 1972 that LIOC held its first Convention in Dallas, Texas, hosted by the Southwestern Branch - one of fifteen branches in existence at that time. At this Convention, in response to a rapidly changing world, the motto of LIOC, which had existed since its conception was modified. Gone was the word "pet" in front of "ocelot" and instead, LIOC would now be "devoted to the welfare of ocelots and other exotic felines".

The year 1973 will always be highlighted by the passage of the Endangered Species Act, designed to protect threatened and endangered species, by prohibiting their importation from the wild, while encouraging captive breeding. LIOC supported it. In 1973, LIOC was memorable for its continued captive propagation of these newly designated "endangered and threatened felines."

Pepper Perry announced margay kittens. Carol Weinhart detailed the birth of leopard cubs. From 1970 to1973, the Hatfield compound produced 29 ocelots and 3 margays. From 1964 to1973, Barbara Bond of Florida produced 12 ocelots kittens, and Herman Brooks of Florida reported 13 ocelots in six years. Charles and Sadie Douglas, also of Florida produced 14 ocelot kittens and 18 margay kittens. Ironically, while these births proved that captive husbandry of exotic felines by private individuals was successful, and offered a suitable alternative to wild caught felines, they were now hard to place due to stringent rules imposed by the Endangered Species Act.

The framers of the Endangered Species Act can be forgiven for their assumption that endangered species could be saved simply by curtailing the fur trade and its adjunct pet industry. At the time the impact and extent of habitat destruction were not fully understood. The operations of U.S. Customs were far less sophisticated than they are today. Importation of wild-caught endangered species could not be stopped without serious legal impediments to the ownership of those species, whether captive-bred or not. But the close bond of love and trust that LIOC members had developed with their wards compelled them to extend that love to the entire species, and to be among the first to truly comprehend the seriousness of the situation. Captive breeding was more than a side show. It was imperative. When zoological institutions made the same realization, they turned to the LIOC pioneers for the priceless knowledge of successful animal husbandry, and it was freely given. Not only knowledge, but stock itself for many zoological collections was enhanced by LIOC member's contributions.

In 1973, LIOC published a membership listing by species owned. This fascinating piece of history revealed just how common the ocelot had become. Members reported 94 ocelots and 55 margays, far and away the most common exotic feline in private homes. Cougars numbered 26, bobcats 20, jaguarundi and leopard cats 13 each. And interestingly even rarer cats were reported, golden cat, kodkod, fishing cats, and cheetah. Today's common cats, were rare then. Only 1 serval, 1 jaguar, 1 geoffroy's, 3 tigers and 8 leopards.

In spite of the government's efforts to hinder sales of captive bred endangered species, LIOC members continued to breed their felines. Chuck and Suzi Kindt reported the birth of Golden Cats and jaguarundis; The Douglases reported the birth of twin ocelots as did Ethel Hauser. Susanne Ropeke's jaguarundi produced a litter of 4 kittens, the second such litter for this mother. And the Treanor's shared the details of a margay birth.

At the same time the disastrous effects of the laws were being felt in the zoo community. Bill Hodge of the Olympic Game Farm returned from the meeting of the American Association of Zoological Parks and Aquariums to report that their members were being asked to write letters to their Representatives, stating that they were being forced to separate breeding pairs because of the difficulties in placing animals caused by the new regulations. LIOC members were asked to do likewise.

By 1975, the Hatfields had become nationally recognized experts in the behavior and reproduction of ocelots. They reported 33 births, with 23 surviving that year, 15 ocelots, 1 margay, 3 geoffroy, 3 cougars and 11 jaguars. The Treanors announced a rare feat - oncilla births - two sets of twins as well as another margay kitten. Liz Ghent's golden cat kittens graced the May/June Newsletter cover. By July, Vic Huddleston announced another LIOC first, the birth of four black chaus. The Hausers ocelots produced twins and Stan & Jean Townes reported twin servals.