The Egyptian Mau Cat
A Cat Revered By Pharaohs

History

A beautiful feline that hails from Africa - the Egyptian Mau Cat. The word 'Mau' being the Egyptian name for cat.

This cat breed has an intriguing history, believed to be domesticated from a Spotted African Wild Cat sub-species. Paintings and murals depicting the Egyptian Mau can be seen in Ancient Egyptian artwork.

It appears that that Mau's ancestors were respected, cherished and even worshipped by Ancient Egyptians as their mummified remains have been found in the tombs of Pharaohs.

The modern Egyptian cat was brought to the USA by an exiled Russian Princess in 1956. She had acquired her first Mau from Cairo in 1953. Her breeding program was started with her Silver Mau and a Smoke Egyptian Mau from Rome.

At around the same time, British breeders also sought to develop the Egyptian Mau and today this cat is known as the Spotted Oriental, Oriental Shorthair and the Oriental Shorthair Tabby.

Characteristics

The Egyptian Mau cat is considered to be the only domestic cat with natural spotted markings.

Their bodies are medium long, athletic, very muscular and heavy boned, but still well proportioned and graceful. The legs are also muscular and the hind legs are longer than the front legs. The Mau has a medium length tail that is thick at the base and tapers slightly towards the end. The male cats are slightly heavier than the females with the average weight between 2.5 to 5 kg (5.5 to 11 lbs)

The head is wedge-shaped, the muzzle should not be short or pointed and the chin is firm and should not protrude or recede. Their necks are also muscular and arched. Their ears are medium to large, alert, slightly pointed, set wide apart and with Lynx tips. The Mau's eyes are almond-shaped and the color always a light 'gooseberry green'. Kittens may have amber eyes which change at around 18 months.

The Egyptian Mau's coat is quite distinctive in terms of markings. The 'M' shaped frown marks on the forehead, 'mascara lines' on the cheeks, rings on the tail, 'broken necklace' on the chest, and of course spots on the torso.

The coat is short with a lustrous sheen and lies flat against the body. The texture of the fur varies according to the color of the fur. The Silver and Bronze Mau's fur is resilient and dense and in the Smoke color Mau, the fur is fine and silky.

There are 3 recognized coat colors:

Smoke or Black Smoke

Smoke Gray ground color with Jet Black Spots (black nose and paws)

Bronze

Light Brown ground color with Dark Brown Spots (brick red nose, black paws)

Silver

Pale Silver ground color with Black Spots; (brick red nose, black paws)

To ensure that your cat complies with the cat breeds standards pertinent to your country (or region), then contact one of the following all breeds of cat governing bodies, associations, councils or federations.

Personality and Temperament

The Egyptian Mau cat is an intelligent cat, lively, playful and active. They are affectionate and gentle with their owners but can be shy and reserved with strangers. Maus can be possessive of their toys and owners but are exceptionally loyal. They do need to be taught at kittenhood that play does not include aggression as they do sometimes respond aggressively. The Egyptian Mau expresses its happiness by chortling (bird-like chirping), kneading and wiggling their tails furiously.

They love to eat, which if not controlled, your cat can become overweight.

Egyptian Mau cat can adapt to apartment life, but they do not tolerate solitude. They prefer an enclosed, escape-proof garden where they can explore and release energy.

The Egyptian Mau cat is a striking cat in every respect - with early training and mutual respect you are assured of a loyal companion!

Cat Grooming

The Egyptian Mau cat needs minimum grooming and is a low maintenance cat breed. We would recommend that you visit our cat care and cat grooming pages to assist with the proper care of your cat.

Egyptian Mau Cats - fast facts

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© Photographer Irene McCullagh www.irene-mccullagh.com