Which cat breed was originally developed in the United States as the California Spangled?

The California Spangled was originally developed in the United States as a spotted domestic cat breed.

The breed was created in the 1980s by Paul Casey, who wanted cats with a coat pattern that suggested a small leopard. The program used domestic cats rather than leopard ancestry. Casey promoted the breed partly as a way to encourage interest in wild-cat conservation, arguing that people might value spotted domestic cats instead of seeking wild-looking exotic pets.

California Spangled cats were bred in several colors and patterns, with a muscular body and prominent spots. The breed remained rare and never became as widely established as the Bengal or Egyptian Mau.

It is important not to confuse visual inspiration with genetic ancestry. The California Spangled was designed to look wild but is a domestic breed. The Bengal, by contrast, was developed using the Asian leopard cat, while the Ocicat was produced from domestic breeds and was not based on wild-cat ancestry.