Mary Allen
The Egyptian Mau is something very special. And not just because she has wonderful eyes. Another thing that makes them really unique.
The idiosyncratic name arouses curiosity. Is the name Egyptian Mau just about the origin of the animal? Or is it perhaps a special sound? After all, it’s not far from “Mau” to “Miau”.
Today we know two things with certainty:
- The word may come from Egyptian and means nothing else than a cat.
- Like the wild cat – the common ancestor of all domestic cats – this breed originated in Egypt.
Visual representations confirm that this cat has accompanied people for several thousand years.
If you’re curious about the Egyptian Mau, then you’ve come to the right place: find out what fascinates this oriental cat breed.
Where does the Egyptian Mau come from?
The ancestor of all our house tigers – the Egyptian wild cat – was not domesticated to be cuddled or petted. She ensured the survival of her owners by hunting mice and thus protecting the granaries.
Thousands of years old paintings from Egypt show that the cat was greatly revered. They show the wildcat in a variety of ways… but not just her! The Egyptian Mau also finds its place in these paintings. It is easily recognizable by its special physique and big cat-like spotted coat.
So we know today that these cats did not appear in the 1950s, but in ancient times.
If the sources are to be believed, it was a Russian princess who discovered this breed at the Syrian embassy in Italy. She was so fascinated by the cat that she started breeding it.
In the 1960s, the breed was presented at various exhibitions and quickly gained many followers. In Europe, however, the cat has only been bred since 1988.
What does the Egyptian Mau look like?
The Egyptian Mau has a very special appearance. Not only does it stand out, but it also makes them distinctive in the cat world.
The body
These cats belong to medium-sized cat breeds. Her body is slim and graceful, yet is described as extremely athletic. Some cat lovers compare them to a cheetah because of two characteristics:
- the fur with the characteristic pattern,
- the sequence of movement.
Cheetahs have light-colored fur with black spots. They are known to be among the big cats with the greatest speed and the longest legs. So imagine a mini cheetah in your living room and you have a good idea of the Egyptian Mau.
Another distinctive feature of these cats’ bodies is a fold of skin that extends from the abdomen to the hind legs. It probably gives them greater freedom of movement. This allows the cats to run faster and jump higher like cheetahs. The slightly longer hind legs serve the same purpose. In fact, speeds of up to 40 km/h have already been measured in Egyptian mice.
The fur
The Egyptian Mau is a shorthair cat. Lovers recognize their favorites primarily by the fur and its pattern. It is – atypical for domesticated cats – spotted. “Tabby” is a pattern in different colors. It is predominant in this cat breed. What is special here is that the tabby in these cats was NOT created through breeding. It evolved through natural matings over time.
Three variants are allowed according to breed standards:
- Bronze: brown with dark brown to black spots (brown spotted tabby)
- Silver: Silver with black spots (black silver spotted tabby)
- Black Smoke: gray to almost black, with silver tinges and black speckles
Breeders of these cat breeds rarely succeed in obtaining such a dark basic color in the offspring that the spots can only be guessed at. With a certain incidence of light, however, they are clearly visible.
The head
The small, rounded head has medium-sized, inconspicuous ears.
The eyes
This cat’s eyes are larger than average and almond-shaped. The color is called gooseberry green. Some viewers of the cat breed describe the gaze as piercing, very alert, or overly concerned.
How big is an Egyptian Mau?
As mentioned, the breed is one of the medium-sized cat breeds. The females are between 18 cm and 23 cm high, tomcats can reach 30 cm.
How heavy is an Egyptian Mau?
The weight varies between four and six kilos.
Temperament and nature of the Egyptian Mau
The Egyptian Mau is extremely people-oriented. However, she is cautious and shy towards strangers. But when it comes to her family members, her entire cuddliness and attachment are revealed. Almost like a dog, the animal needs attention, stroking, and support for stable physical and mental health.
Once the cat has accepted you as its main human, it will accompany you at every turn on walks through the garden. Some owners also tell of an extremely loving greeting when they come home after work. It is not for nothing that the Egyptian Mau is compared to a dog in many ways.
Another nice thing about the Egyptian Mau is their special social skills. Other cats in the family pack are no problem for them after initial shyness. On the contrary: only the exchange with conspecifics enables social cat breeds like this to lead a species-appropriate life. This allows her character to fully develop. Even gentle, sensitive children are no problem for cats like these. However, if children are too wild, the noise-sensitive animal quickly becomes afraid. You should definitely take this into account in your posture.
Proper posture of the Egyptian Mau
The cat has a great urge to move, which is why it should not be kept in a small space. It is one of the most active cat breeds. She, therefore, feels most comfortable in a large space, ideally in a garden with many trees and opportunities to jump, climb and run.
Understandably, this wonderful cat is, therefore, more suited to being outdoors. As a pure indoor cat, it would be too restricted in its urge to move. If the apartment is big enough and offers space for several climbing and scratching possibilities, the apartment keeping can also work and make everyone happy.
The more time you devote to your purring housemate, the more you will notice her ability to learn and her intelligence. Take time every day to learn new tricks or how to use cat toys. Reward your animal with treats and you will see what top performance it is capable of. Be sure to try intelligence games for cats with your spotted sweetheart. We’re keeping our fingers crossed that you won’t get bored of them too quickly.
This velvet paw is not just a lap cat! She needs movement and action, but definitely not in connection with noise. She is skittish and fears noisy surroundings. Therefore, always offer her the opportunity to withdraw where she can find peace from disturbances and noise.
When it comes to nutrition, they are no more demanding than other domestic cats. They need a high proportion of meat in their feed and possibly occasional additions of food supplements. A balanced diet and plenty of physical and mental exercise will keep your cat healthy for long, happy life.
What care does the Egyptian Mau need?
Because it is a short-haired cat, its coat requires little grooming. Weekly brushing or combing is sufficient. Only during the change of coat can you increase the care and comb or brush them more often. You help yourself with this because there is not that much cat hair lying around in the apartment. You’re also doing your cat a favor because it doesn’t swallow too much hair when washing the cat.
Grooming gloves for cats or dogs do a good job when grooming the coat and undercoat. Your cat will learn to love this kind of attention and enjoy the time together. If she initially refuses to be cared for, put her at a time when your darling is already a bit tired and relaxed. After grooming, reward your four-legged friend with his favorite treats.
What are the typical diseases of the Egyptian Mau?
The Egyptian Mau is one of the oldest cat breeds with stable health. Breeding errors are not known here.
As far as diseases are concerned, it is Krabbe disease in particular that can afflict the Egyptian Mau in a few cases. The function of the nerves is impaired because the “white matter” (neurites) is broken down. The disease, also known as leukodystrophy, leads to movement and behavioral disorders.
As with all cat breeds, an animal-friendly diet with good cat food, regular vaccinations, and a visit to the vet for check-ups are important to ensure that the cat stays healthy for as long as possible.
How old does an Egyptian Mau get?
With good care and nutrition, this breed usually lives between 9 and 11 years. In good health, she can also live to be 13 years old.
How much does an Egyptian Mau cost?
The rarer cat breeds are, the greater the demand and the longer the waiting times for kittens. Logically, the demand also determines the price. Therefore, a small Egyptian Mau from the breeder currently costs between 1,000 and 1,500 euros.
Our tip: Thanks for the fact that you can also visit the animal shelters in your area when you are looking for a kitten. It often happens that home visitors fall in love with an abandoned cat so much that they suddenly don’t care about the breed or breeding papers. They are often mixed breeds that look similar to the original cat on the outside.
The best thing about it is that mixed-breed kittens are usually more long-lived and have more stable health due to the greater genetic diversity.
What makes the Egyptian Mau so special?
This cat is the only spotted pedigree cat in the world. Among the big cats, it is the cheetah that is the only one to have contiguous spots and not ringed spots like the leopard or jaguar.
From this point of view, you have a genetic peculiarity at home with an Egyptian Mau. She is living proof of the success of this millennia-old species.