Elegance and grace are the hallmarks of the Egyptian Mau. Its beautifully marked coat and well balanced temperament recommend it as a pet and, being the only natural breed of spotted cat, it also has rarity value.
Did you know that the Egyptian Mau particularly seems to enjoy being walked on a leash. A harness will give you more control.
History
Thought to have originated naturally in Cairo, the Egyptian Mau (mau means cat_ may be a descendant of the venerated cat of ancient Egypt. The American breed is based on just three animals imported from Egyptian stock in 1956 by an exiled Russian princess, Nathalie Troubetskoy. Until recently, Egyptian Maus in the US and Canada all traced their ancestry to two of those original imports, but other animals have been brought in recently to broaden the available gene pool. The breed gained championship status in the US in 1977.
Description
The graceful, muscular body of the Egyptian Mau is medium in length and size and is very strong. The head is a slightly rounded wedge, medium in length. It is not full cheeked and the profile shows a gentle contour from the bridge of the nose to the forehead. The ears should be medium to large and somewhat pointed, continuing the planes of the head. The rounded, almond shaped eyes are large and alert, slanting slightly toward the ears. In adults, they are vivid green but the color develops as the cat matured.
The slender legs are in proportion to the body, with the hind legs longer than the front ones, the dainty feet are small and slightly oval. The medium length tail tapers from a wide base, but is never whip like.
The lustrous coat hair is medium length with a high shine. Little grooming is needed apart from a regular combing or rub over to remove dead hair.
Varieties
The Mau comes in four colors, silver, bronze, smoke and black. The black Mau is not eligible for championship showing, but can be used in a breeding program. In silver and bronze, the hair is dense and must accommodate two or more bands of ticking. In the smoke color, the hair is fine and silky.
The silver ground color is a pale, clear silver, lighter on the underbody. Markings are black and contrast strongly with the ground color. The eyes are vivid green, the paw pads are black, and the nose leather is brick red.
The bronze ground color is a pale warm bronze, with a lighter beige on the underbody. Markings are dark brown and contrast strongly with the ground color. The eyes are a vivid green, the paw pads are dark brown and the nose leather is reddish brown.
The smoke ground color is a silvery white with jet black spots. The silvery white hairs have black tipping in the spotted areas and gray tipping in between, giving the coat a sooty look. Both feet and paw pads are black, and the nose leather, lips and vivid green eyes are outlines in black.
Temperament
Very devoted, the Egyptian Mau is not an easy cat to transfer to a new owner. It is extremely intelligent and loyal and is thought to have a good memory. Active and playful, it indicated happiness by talking in a soft, melodious voice. The tail is also expressive and is wiggled at great speed to show delight.
On ancient Egyptian Manuscripts and murals, a cat is depicted that looks very much like the modern breed of Egyptian Mau.
The breeder wanted to replicate the cats of the Pharaohs, and founded the breeding line from a native Egyptian breed that seemed to have evolved spontaneously in the Cairo region. The first Egyptian Mau Cat (the name is ancient Egyptian for a sacred domestic cat) kitten was shown in Rome in the 1950s. Its owner emigrated with her cats to America, where the breed was granted recognition by the Cat Fanciers’ Association in 1977.
Spotted cats very similar to this were illustrated in ancient Egyptian manuscripts and murals. The M shaped mark on its brow is said to echo the pattern on the back of the scarab beetle, which was sacred to the Egyptians.
It is now available in Silver (charcoal markings on silver), Bronze, and smoke (black markings on charcoal/silver underlay) varieties. The bronze, with dark brown to black markings on a warm bronze undercoat, is closest in apperance to the cat depicted on Egyptian murals. Europe did not recognize the breed until 1992. A spotted cat bred from Siamese lines in England during the 1960s was originally called Egyptian Mau, but later became established as the Oriental Spotted Tabby.
The well defined spots are the most important features of the Mau. This bronze is probably the closest in color to its spotted Egyptian forebears.
The Egyptian Mau Cat is a medium sized, muscular cat, pleasing to the eye, easy to groom, and with an extrovert personality. It tends to bond with just one or two people, and is not averse to elarning a trick or two, or to walking on a lead. Its head is slightly oriental in shape, with large, alert ears, although its muzzle is well rounded. The conformation is generally graceful, with hind legs slightly longer than the front legs, and a well balanced tail.
Egyptian Mau Cat breed information
coat – medium length, dense, lustrous, silky
eyes – large, alert, almond shaped, slightly slanted, light green
other features – spotted coat
grooming – easy, regular gentle brushing to remove dead hairs
temperament – affetionate, lively, may be aloof
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