How to Breed Ocelots in Minecraft

Guide Java Bedrock

Quick answer: Feed raw cod or raw salmon to each of two ocelots. A kitten spawns right away, the parents need 5 minutes before breeding again (1 minute in Bedrock), and you get 1-7 XP. Ocelots do not need to trust you to breed.

What you need

Raw cod or raw salmon
2 ocelots
A jungle-side pen

Step by step

Fish raw cod or raw salmon, or hunt them in rivers and oceans with a sword.
Find ocelots in jungles and bamboo jungles. They are shy: approach crouching and holding the raw fish, then stand still until they come to you.
Each raw fish you feed has a 1 in 3 chance of making an ocelot trust you - a trusting ocelot stops fleeing. Trusting is optional for breeding, but it makes penning them far easier.
Feed raw cod or raw salmon to each ocelot: hearts appear and a kitten spawns, plus 1-7 XP.
The parents can breed again after 5 minutes (1 minute in Bedrock). Kittens grow up in 20 minutes; each raw fish you feed a kitten cuts the remaining time by 10%.

Java vs Bedrock

Breeding works the same in Java and Bedrock except the parents' cooldown: 5 minutes in Java, 1 minute in Bedrock. In Bedrock, a bred kitten automatically trusts the player; in Java you must earn trust separately with raw fish.

Versions: Ocelots were added in 1.2.1 (2012) and could be tamed into cats until 1.14, when Village & Pillage split cats into their own mob. Since then ocelots stay wild: they trust, but never turn into pets.

Frequently asked questions

Can I tame an ocelot anymore?

Not since 1.14. Feeding raw cod or salmon can make an ocelot trust you so it stops running away, but it never becomes a pet cat. If you want a pet, tame a village or swamp-hut cat instead.

Why breed ocelots?

Mostly for the Two by Two advancement and for jungle-base decoration - trusting ocelots wander your base without despawning. They no longer scare creepers the way cats do; only cats do that.

Do ocelots fight or hunt?

Ocelots hunt chickens and baby turtles on their own, but they never fight for you. Keep them away from your chicken pens.