Are the Abyssinian , Egyptian mau , chausie , and sphynx really from the heart of the Nile ?
Egyptian computed tomography breed are synonymous with hieroglyphics , ancient tomb , and the Egyptian goddess Bastet . Although technically not worshipped as folklore has us believe , fine felines from this region were still prized by pharaohs — so much so that many wereburied with them . In fact , ancient Egyptian computerized axial tomography mummy were domestic cats , not wild animals .
Does this think all cats come from Egypt ? Not exactly . Some breeds considered Egyptian are n’t even from the expanse ! More on that in a minute .
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The History and Mystery of Egyptian Cat Breeds
Rowyn Rose is a science communicating specialist withBasepaws , acat DNA testbrand . She tells Daily Paws that the oldest known archeologic deposits with Colorado - occurrence of guy and human stay date to 9,500 long time ago in Cyprus south of Turkey — around 5,000–6,000 year before the ancient Egyptian civilization existed .
" genetical study have find out that all domestic cats , include purebred and destitute - roaming cats , are descend from the North African , Near Eastern race , F.s . libyca , " Rose say . " Domestication likely come about in the Fertile Crescent ( the Levant , southern Turkey , and Iraq ) of westerly Asia . "
Rose adds that advanced - sidereal day cats rarely have ancestors of a defined breed , because the highly short history of human - driven selective CT procreation has yet to overtake the much retentive account of cats reproducing freely on their own .
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So this means that Egyptian cat breed ancestors are , in Rose ’s word , cur . " The selective breeding of cat for sure desirable traits — primarily aesthetical in nature — has a very light account of only 50 to 100 days , so our concept of the purebred or pedigree cat is a very Modern one , " she says . " This mean that the feline familial code has remained exceptionally diverse , even within establish pedigree breeds . "
Now that we have your curiosity piqued , let ’s take a closer look at some Egyptian big cat breeds , mixed strain — and one imposter !
Egyptian Mau
The Egyptian word for qat ismau — pronounce MAH - oo , which might voice likemeowsometimes ! A rare purebred , currently there are only 7,000 spottedEgyptian mausregistered with the Cat Fanciers ' Association ( CFA ) .
While all diachronic grounds suggests the mau is Egyptian , Rose pronounce DNA studies reveal that the strain we know today is actually mostly of European and North American line of descent . " Based on genetic analysis , the mau is very close related to theMaine coon , Korat , Turkish vanguard , and American Turkish Angoras ( not nativeTurkish Angoras ) , " she lend . Nevertheless , maus have roamed their namesake country for many millenary . In 2018 , theJakarta Postreported the find of a 6,000 - year - old pyramid complex , where archaeologist unearthed numerous ancient Egyptian maus in both mummy and statue physique .
Engaging and intelligent , Egyptian mau big cat are also sweet lovebugs , adore their human family and usually one person in special . Quite alerting , they especially savor surveying their world from on mellow , so make trusted theircat treeis tall — and they ’ve been lie with to spring to height of 6 feet with ease . Oh ! And they lovewater !
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Shirazi
The full origin of the Shirazi is unknown , but Rose state a commonly accepted story is that this motley breed was first brought to Europe in the 1620s by an Italian named Pietro Della Valle as a relic from Persia , now Iran . Although they likely have mau genes in their mixed pedigree , Shirazis might not be the most ancient Egyptian African tea breed .
In 1871 , Persians were presented at the world ’s very first cat show in London and won best in show . Interestingly , though , Shirazis are presently considered cross and are n’t registered with any formation .
You ’ll notice characteristics ofPersianlineage , especially with their long , flowing smooth coats in variegate pattern , such astabbyand blended bronze and golden . Shirazis are voguish , playful , and affectionate cats who have a place - back nature and are exceedingly fond of snuggles .
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Nile Valley Egyptian Cat
This pretty kitty , another miscellaneous strain , is a hard one to pin down ! Nile Valley Egyptian cats are believed to be aboriginal Egyptian maus , and Rose says some feline expert call up they ’re the missing tie-in between an African wildcat progenitor and the in full domesticize cat . They ’re considered one of the few small spotted cats course pass off ( not bred by humans ) in the world .
Rose sum up there are many reports of challenge they face in Egypt , which they mostly seem to populate as street cats and fight in cat colonies . A dedicated nonprofit , theNile Valley Egyptian Foundation , work to rescue these at - risk kitty and discover evermore homes for them in the U.S.
They portion out the mau ’s exchangeable legal tender disposition and curious nature but might need a slight additional making love ( OK , a lot ! ) andpositive reinforcement trainingto make the transition into theiradoptedhome environs a in effect fit .
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Chausie
" The name chausie ( pronounced CHOW - see ) derives from the Latin name for the jungle cat , felis chaus , " Rose say . " The chausie ’s massive size — one of the largest domestic cats in the humanity ranging 8–16 pounds — has inspired some interesting denotation to the stock , including that they resemble an Abyssinian on steroid and are the Arnold Schwarzenegger of cats . "
According to The International Cat Association ( TICA ) , these jungle - domesticated cat-o'-nine-tails hybrid explore the world , popping up hundred ago as far aside as Southeast Asia and India . But the first read measured nurture of the two occurred in 1990 . The chausie earned TICA groundwork registration condition in 1995 and Championship condition in 2013 .
No nook or cranny is secure from an inquisitive and clever chausie . He ’ll be an participating pet — and with theright harness , credibly the perfectadventure cat-o'-nine-tails ! Many purrballs are contented to log Z’s most of the day , but not this cutie . He ’s always up for nuzzlinghead buntsandengaging toy .
Lea Rae / Shutterstock
Abyssinian
This is the premier Egyptian cat breed , right-hand ? Profiled in all themastabas(houses of timelessness ) , papyrus curlicue , and ancient artefact — and believed to be the goddess Bastat in cat form . Except … They ’re not Egyptian aborigine . Whhaaaat ?
" According to theCFA , recent genetic science research provides insight into the potential origin of theAbyssinianbreed , tracing it to the coast of the Indian Ocean and areas of Southeast Asia , " Rose says . " Although the Abyssinian as a breed was rarify in England , its institution to that country and others may have been the result of colonist and merchants turn back in Calcutta , the major porthole for the Indian Ocean . “Additionally , the name Abyssinian comes from Abyssinia , now innovative - day Ethiopia .
No matter . This sleek associate will always be a regal feline representative in our eyes , and they ’re one of themost popular cat breedsin the world for a reason . Naysayers who exact cats are distant haveobviouslynever met the Abyssinian social butterfly . Almost click - like in their attention toward their favorite mankind , they’llfollow you around , unendingly concerned in what ’s give-up the ghost on andasking questionsabout this and that . await plenitude of pounces from this brilliant , acrobatic kitty when square off withinteractive toy , too !
Chaloemphon Wanitcharoentham / EyeEm / Getty
Savannah
This rarefied mixed - breed knockout prompts a raft of question , as she ’s comparatively raw to the cat world . Also technically not an Egyptian cat , she appeared on the setting in the mid-1980s as a crossbreed between the wild African serval kat and a domesticSiamese — hence the nameSavannah , a reference to the grassy plains servals call dwelling .
Truly a brilliant feline , it ’s best to keep a Savannah diverted . You ’ve heard ofclicker education for cat , right ? She ’s a top contender for that , as well as other on the face of it non - cat activities , such asindoor treadmillsorhiking . Build amulti - level catioto cater to her need for untamed geographic expedition . Savannah true cat are also extremely social , stick easily with humans and other pets .
Here ’s another interesting point . Rose says although all cats face a sure risk of developing some health issues that may be genetically inherit , there are presently no known genetic wellness status tightly associate with this exceptional breed .
Sphynx
Aha ! You know we ’d have to get to this bozo eventually ! Although often cerebrate of as an Egyptian hairless computed tomography breed , theSphynxis really a loveable imposter from the Great White North . " Sphynx cats in the beginning come from Canada , and completely incidentally , " Rose say . " One of the first ancestors to the democratic stock was Prune , a hairless kitten bear in 1966 in Toronto to ablack and whitedomestic cat , Elizabeth . "
Prune was bred with a EuropeanDevon rexto produce a hairless breed , once name to as the Canadian hairless computed tomography . But because they so closely resemble cat in Egyptian mythology , the name was changed to Sphynx . Myth : Busted ! Further engender to correct health issues created the sweet scrunch up pool we know today . They enter the CFA ’s Championship course in 2002 .
Here ’s another myth fall apart : they’renot entirely hypoallergenic(no feline is , really ) . Although they do n’t have fur , they still develop the allergen Fel d 7 in their saliva .
Just because they ’re snuggly does n’t signify they ’re only trying to stick around warm ( although they do lovesnazzy sweater ! ) Sphynx cat are devoted to their people and sometimes suffer fromseparation anxietyif you ’re away too long . So dedicate some quality ' you and kitty ' second each day toenrich their liveswith activities and playtime .
Vigne JD , Guilaine J , Debue K , Haye L , Gérard P.Early taming of the cat in Cyprus . Science . 2004;304(5668):259 . doi:10.1126 / science.1095335
Chausie at a Glance . The International Cat Association .
Abyssinian . The Cat Fanciers ' Association .
