Egyptian Mau 101 : Breed & Personality

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In today's video, we are going to talk about one of the most ancient cat breeds out there. It is said, that Pharaohs from egypt used to own this lovable cat.

The Egyptian Mau.

Whether the Mau is a product of thousands of years of Egyptian culture is a matter of debate, but if fanciers of the strikingly spotted cats wish to claim, that they date to the times of the pharaohs, who knows? It could be true.

The Egyptian Mau, (mau being the Egyptian word for cat), is notable for being the only naturally spotted domesticated cat. In other words, the spotting pattern was not created by human manipulation of feline genes. The cats were known in Europe before World War II, but the devastation of the war left the breed in a perilous state.

The breed as it is known today, dates to a silver female kitten, given to Russian princess Natalie Troubetskoy when she was living in Rome. Depending on the story, the kitten was given to her by a young boy, who had been keeping it in a shoebox, or it's either she acquired one from an Egyptian ambassador in Italy. Troubetskoy named the kitten Baba. When she moved to the United States in 1956, Baba and two of her offspring came with her. Troubetskoy wanted to ensure that the Mau survived as a breed, so she wrote a breed standard and began breeding the cats under the cattery name Fatima.

The breed was recognized in 1968, by the Cat Fanciers Federation, followed in 1977 by the Cat Fanciers’ Association. Importation of more Maus in the 1980s, and again in 1991 increased the breed’s gene pool. Today the breed is recognized by most cat associations.

The Egyptian Mau is a medium-size cat of 6 to 14 pounds.

The Mau’s most striking characteristic is his spotted coat in silver, bronze or smokey pale silver tipped in black, closely followed by his large gooseberry-green eyes. He is a moderate-size cat with a muscular body, and a slightly rounded wedge-shaped head topped with medium to large ears. With hind legs slightly longer than the front legs, he gives the appearance of standing on tiptoe on his small, dainty feet. Their medium-long tail is thick at the base, tapering slightly at the end.

The medium-length coat has a silky, fine texture in the smoke coloration and a dense, resilient texture in the silver and bronze colors. The body is covered randomly with distinct spots that can be small or large, with all sorts of circular shapes. The forehead bears an M shape, the cheeks are adorned with “mascara” lines, and the tail is banded, ending with a dark tip. On the pale belly are dark spots that resemble “vest buttons.”

The Mau has the distinction of being the fastest domestic housecat, as she can run at speeds of up to 30 mph.

When the Egyptian Mau is happy, you know it. He vocalizes in a quiet, pleasant voice, swishes his tail rapidly, and kneads with his front paws. What makes him happy is being with his family, to whom he is fiercely devoted, or showing off his hunting prowess by chasing and retrieving a tossed toy, or stalking and pouncing on a wriggling lure at the end of a fishing pole toy.

This is a cat's activity level ranges from moderate to high. He likes to jump and climb and will appreciate a tall cat tree, a window perch or two, and a sturdy scratching post that allows him to stretch out to full height. The Mau also enjoys playing in water. Don’t be surprised to find him dipping a paw into your koi pond or aquarium, turning on the tap in the bathroom or kitchen, or splashing water out of your pool , or his water dish.

The Egyptian Mau prefers family members over anyone else. When he’s not playing fetch, he enjoys sitting in a lap and being worshipped, just as his ancestors may have been.

The active and playful Mau is a perfect choice for families with children and cat-friendly dogs. They love the attention they receive from children, who treat them politely and with respect. He’s smart enough to get out of the way of toddlers, however and pet birds or other small animals are probably not safe in his presence. Always introduce any pets, even other cats, slowly and in a controlled setting.