As cats with a baronial heritage and an visual aspect that ’s evocative of an ancient past , the Egyptian mau is the only naturally occurring breed of spotted domestic cat recognized by the Cat Fanciers Association ( CFA ) . When you see cats depicted in ancient Egyptian art , you ’re looking at the more - or - less unmediated - line of merchandise ancestor of the Egyptian mau .
Striking to await at and as beautiful as she is rare , the Egyptian mau is a breed that stirs the imagination with her shiny , spotted coating and gorgeous , gooseberry green eye .
Appearance
Much like theocicat , the Egyptian mau is noteworthy for her spotted coat . Unlike the ocicat , however , the mau was n’t created by a stock breeder . Instead , the Egyptian mau come in about her spots naturally .
These foresightful , skimpy , muscular qat have a truthful jock ’s soma . Their hind legs are slightly longer than their front legs , give them the coming into court of standing on tiptoes when they ’re tolerate flat up . Those longsighted hind leg , coupled with an additional pother of hide that runs from their wing to their back knees , make them incredible jumpers and the fastest of the domesticated cat breed .
In place of traditional tabby marker , the mau is bless with those far-famed spot as well as a gloomy dorsal banding running from the top of her head word to the tip of her tail . Mau coats derive in six colors : silver grey , bronze , sess , black , yellowish brown , and naughty / pewter , with the last three being the rarefied . Their heads are slightly oblong and traditionally sport either a " scarab mallet " mark on their frontal bone or an " M " shape — the latter is more common among North American maus . Their ears are broad - based and coiffure fairly wide aside , and their slightly almond - regulate eyes are a stunning bright green .
Courtesy of baguette_mau / Instagram
Temperament
The Egyptian mau is a majestic , intelligent cat . They are very loyal to their citizenry and often bond most powerfully with one particular person , but areaffectionate and loving with everyonein their family unit , say Sandra Woodley , chairwoman ofThe Egyptian Mau Club . She says they can be a small standoffish to strangers at first , but will usually warm up quickly .
" Generally , they may be a little shy at first and even run and hide , " Woodley say . " But move over time , they will shortly be approaching the alien for a cuddle . "
PlayfulEgyptian maus are good with childrenwho recognise how to properly interact with cat , and this affectionate nature does n’t end with two - legged crime syndicate members . When she ’s socialized with other cat-o'-nine-tails andcat - friendly dogsfrom an early age , an Egyptian mau lives well with four - legged family members as well .
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While a mau is n’t as talkative as , say , aSiamese , Woodley enjoin these prettykitties can be very talkativeand use a stunning array of sounds . Meows , chirp , whistles , and chortles are all common Egyptian mau vocalizations . Maus also have a curious bit when they are activated : Colloquially referred to as " wiggle tale , " they shake their extend tail in a way that resemble spray or marking dominion , though — rest assured — not a drop is being rout .
" The Egyptian mau make a wonderful family dearie , " Woodley say . " They are playful and have an endearing sense of wit , they oftenlearn to retrieve miniature have for them , and manyhave an unusual love of water , testify no veneration as they mystify their top dog under a running tap . In a safe environment , they will jazz going outside . "
Living Needs
If you ’re looking for a calm lick bozo that will snooze in the sun all 24-hour interval , look elsewhere . The most important thing you could do to make your Egyptian mau happy is to provide ways for her to tire herself out . These are athletic , active cats , and they need playtime with their hoi polloi , cat Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree to climb up , andcat wheelsto run on . Do n’t be afraid to get your mau out of the sign , too — Woodley says these intelligent kitties can betrained to take the air on a harnessfor safe outside escapade .
Egyptian maus love being above the action , surveying thing from a stature . So if they are n’t put up with a high-pitched cat perch like a bozo tree , ledge , orhammock , they ’re probable to make their own on top of a refrigerator or bookshelf .
As social kitties , Egyptian maus need Lot of tending from their mob . But they are self-governing enough to do well on their own if you need to be out of the sign for extended periods of fourth dimension . Still , if you ’re systematically away from home , look into getting your mau a furry friend to keep her company and stopseparation anxiousness from constitute . If she does n’t get enough care and playtime , your Egyptian mau might startscratching your furnitureorknocking cups of water off of tablesto snaffle your attention !
Care
Egyptian maus shed enoughto be excluded from the"hypoallergenic " cat tilt , but they are also fastidious enough that you do n’t have to do much in the way of preparation . They are a breed thatenjoys being brushed , however . So doing this once or twice a week is a good path to both stay on top of their shedding and orchestrate some particular soldering clip .
Like all computed axial tomography , take guardianship when bringing home an Egyptian mau kitten . ensure she hasa warm bottom , aclean litter box , and solid food andwater bowls .
" As with any newfangled kitten or cat , they may be a petty reserved at first and should be given space to settle in , " Woodley says . " It ’s a salutary mind to arbitrate with the stock breeder around what they have been eating and offer the same to avoid tummy upsets . It ’s a dependable musical theme to use the bedding they are familiar with , as a sudden change could swage your kitten and cause her to deflect the litter tray completely . "
Health
The miscegenation done with the Egyptian mau since the 20th century has done a great job of pushing most common cat complaint to the screen background , according to the CFA.While still prostrate to conditions like patellar luxation orperiodontal diseaseas they age , none of them are high - percentage concerns for this breed .
To keep your mau in tip - top shape , keep up with unconstipated veterinary date . You should alsoclean her ear , brush her teeth , andtrim her nails regularly .
History
The mau is a long - standing Egyptian breed . Much of the ancient Egyptian artwork featuring spotted big cat is call up to portray root of today ’s Egyptian mau , according to The Egyptian Mau Club . While it ’s out of the question to nail where the Egyptian mau arrive from — hypothesis postulate everywhere from the Nile drainage basin to western Europe — there ’s no denying that cats strongly resembling the mau have been depicted in art for at least 3,000 years .
The cat first came to more widespread attention when deport Russian princess Nathalie Troubetskoy bring three Egyptian maus with her , first to Italy and then to New York City in 1956 . From there , the breed ’s international reputation develop steadily .
The stock received Championship recognition by the CFA in 1977 . While Egyptian maus continue to be democratic among show proprietor and breeders because of their beauty and state of grace , theyremain a rare breed , with only about 200 Egyptian mau kittens registered every year .
Courtesy of leo.and.kleo / Instagram
Fun Facts
The Egyptian Mau . The Cat Fanciers ' Association .
Luxating Patella in Cats . VCA Animal Hospitals .
Feline Dental Disease . Cornell Feline Health Center .
Sel_Sanders / Shutterstock
