Portraits of popular breeds at home and throughout the world: Egyptian Mau

The Egyptian Mau is said to be a direct descendant of sacred cats from ancient Egypt. These cats are most noticeable for their special spotted pattern. They are quite demanding companions with heaps of energy.

Mau means a cat in Egyptian. The spotted pattern of this breed was not created as in other cross-breeding, it has existed since ancient times. It is also one of the oldest cat breeds. It was esteemed in Egypt long before Christ. The various depictions of cats found during excavations very much resemble the Egyptian Mau. 

The first Mau cats were imported from Egypt to the United States around the 1950s. They were owned by a Russian woman who emigrated to America and established a breeding kennel named Fatima. She bred the Egyptian Mau cat in silver, bronze and smoke. While the breed was recognized across the ocean as early as in 1968, in Europe it was not until 1993. 

The Mau is an energetic, active cat. They like to play, even in their older age. They need lots of options for playing and climbing at home. They also need lots of attention and suffer when alone for long periods of time. They are very affectionate cats that never turn down an opportunity for cuddling and stroking. However, they don't make friends with just anyone. They are quite reserved towards foreign visits and certainly wouldn't climb onto their lap. 

Their figure is similar to that of the Abyssinian cat, with a charming oriental appearance. Looking at it, you will notice that its rounded wedge-shaped head has relatively large ears. Its fur is short, silky and shiny. Its striking spotted pattern is immediately noticeable. The spots are round and shouldn't merge stripes. 

Maintaining their fur requires minimal care. It only needs to be brushed once a week. However, if you want to emphasize its shine, you can go over it with a suede cloth after brushing. In addition to the colors mentioned above, it is also bred in a tin, and very rarely in red or blue.

Have you ever seen an Egyptian Mau? It's certainly not a pet for people who spend a lot of time away from home or who like their own peace and quiet. On the other hand, you'll never be bored with this cat.

Related articles

History of the domestic cat I.

Did you know that the domestic cat which is now kept as a pet all over the world, is probably a domesticated form of the wild cat, specifically of its subspecies the African wildcat, European wildcat and Asiatic wildcat?

What do cats have under their fur or cat's anatomy

Cat is a perfect tool for hunting. It owes it to the dozens of years of evolution. While in dogs, their physical signs have been emphasised or suppressed, cats got to keep, apart from several exceptions, their main anatomical features unchanged. In...

How to behave at dog playgrounds

It's no longer a strange thing when a municipality sets up a dog park or a dog playground. Due to frequent regulation of off-leash movement of dogs, this should, however, often be obligatory. Do you know how to behave in such places so that you...

How to travel safely with a dog in the car

Vacation time is finally here and many of us are planning where they will be headed this year. If you decide to go for an adventure by car and to take your dog friend with you as well, a bit of advice might come in handy on how to provide safety for...

How to teach a dog to swim

Of course that we won’t talk about how to teach a dog the swimming technique. We want to talk about how to teach the dog to get used to water and how to make swimming a positive experience for it. Since not every one of them trusts water and some are...

How to choose the right equipment for a cat

If you’re planning to bring a new addition home and it doesn’t matter whether it’s a kitten or an adult cat, it is necessary to prepare the flat for it as well. Do you know what will the animal need and what you shouldn’t forget about or how to choose...

First aid for poisoning - Pesticides

No matter how thorough we are with the prevention, a situation might come up when a dog or a cat will get to a poisonous thing, whether it’s by our inattention or it's somebody else’s fault. That’s why it’s not off-topic to prepare yourself for the...