If you’re an ardent lover of cats and you’re looking for a unique breed to welcome in the family, the Egyptian Mau is an excellent choice.
Egyptian Mau is an interesting cat breed, and they’re one of the most fun cats to adopt. Before adopting a cat, it’s important to get acquainted with all the necessary information regarding the cat’s respective breed.
Don’t worry because we’ve got your back.
We’ve compiled all the essential facts that you might need to know about this amazing cat breed so that you can be fully prepared before embracing one in the family.
Egyptian Mau Cat Breed Information
The Egyptian Mau is an attractive and gorgeous cat breed. It is quite popular among cat lovers because of its playful nature and loving behavior. If you’re willing to adopt an Egyptian Mau, you might be curious about everything related to this cat- starting from its history to personality.
Here’s a quick overview of this delightful pet breed –
Characteristics
Egyptian Mau cats are very graceful when it comes to physical characteristics.
They are usually medium-sized cats with proportionate limbs and little round paws. Their bodies have a brawny and tough feel despite being so small and cute. These cats bear an anxious look on their face in terms of physical appearance.
The heads are wedge-shaped or slightly oblong. You can find ‘M’ shape or “scarab beetle” impressions on their forehead.
Adult cats have round almond-shaped eyes with prominent gooseberry-green color iris. Some kittens possess amber eyes that slowly take hues of green as they age. Their ears are fairly large and wide with forward-cupping.
They also bear a contoured nose and a slightly rounded muzzle that flows to the wedge or oblong shape of the head. Overall, they look gorgeous with so many fascinating physical characteristics.
Mau cats have a medium-length tail that tapers along the tip and runs thicker towards the base. Their front legs are smaller than their hind legs. So, when they stand up straight, it looks like they’re standing on their tiptoes.
Mau cats are fantastic jumpers because of their long rear legs and an extra skin flap that extends to their hind knees. They are known to jump as high as 6 feet, which is terrific compared to domestic cat breeds.
The best feature of Mau cats is their beautiful spotted coats – which makes these cats stand out more than other cat breeds. Mau cats share similarities with the Ocicats in terms of spotted coats.
However, Mau cats obtained their spots without any breeder. In other words, they derived their spots naturally while the Ocicats obtained them through a breeder.
Mau cats possess tabby markings, their spotted tabby coat make them so special. Their silky, fine fur is an attractive feature, which adds to their beauty. All they need is regular nail trimming and ear cleaning and no other form of high maintenance.
History
The history of Mau cat dates to around three thousand years back. These cats were at the heart of ancient Egypt. Bastet/Bast, the Egyptian goddess, was worshipped in the form of a cat, which is why ancient Egyptians considered cats as an indispensable part of their lives. In fact, the word “Mau” refers to a cat in the Egyptian language.
Many theories suggest that the Egyptian Mau cat came from the Nile Basin, while others strongly point towards Western Europe. Some theories assume they descended from the African wild cat.
There are very few facts on the breeding of the Mau cats in Western Europe prior to the Second World War. They were mentioned once in the 1940 French publication as a cat breed with traits like “foreign shorthair,” “modified long head,” and “spotted pattern.”
The Mau cats were also known to be imported from Egypt and the Middle East in the early 20th century and later bred in different parts of Europe.
Egyptian Mau’s actual existence came to be known when the Russian exiled princess Nathalie Troubetzkoy happened to acquire a silver spotted kitten from someone affiliated with the Middle East.
The princess was extremely curious about the origin of the kitten and wanted to protect its breed. She was determined to find out its origins and save its breed, so she used some of her diplomatic contacts in the Middle East, and acquired a black smoke male and a silver spot female cat, and obtained litter from their breeding.
Later in 1956, the princess moved to the United States and took her Mau cats with her, which later gained much popularity in the USA. The Egyptian Mau also achieved championship status in 1977 and the Cat Fanciers’ Association which led to the massive fame of the Mau cats back then.
Without the support and determination of the Russian princess, the Egyptian Mau cats would not be where they are today. The credit behind their recognition completely goes to the exiled princess without any doubt.
Personality
The Egyptian Mau cats are extremely loving and playful in terms of personality. They have a sociable and affectionate personality, and they are very fond of their owners.
Mau cats have high intelligence and playfulness. They exhibit strong loyalty and friendliness towards humans. These cats often attach themselves to a particular person, especially the one they spend the most time with, in the family.
They are pretty shy with strangers, but once you start to interact with them on a daily basis, they become very friendly with everyone.
Mau cats love jumping and observing things from a certain height. So, you can expect them to get over your refrigerator or study table if you don’t provide them with a high resting place.
Egyptian Mau cats love wiggling their tails when they’re excited and happy. It might also indicate that your cats are interested in playing with you.
These cats are equally friendly with other cats as they are with humans. You can also leave them alone in the house, and they can perfectly manage on their own.
So, if you’ve got an Egyptian Mau in your abode, you can live without any worries. The cats are friendly with children, seniors, and even dogs! Their energy levels are extremely high, and they shed moderately.
Egyptian Maus are very athletic and loves goofing around, climbing, and chasing toys. They convey their enthusiasm by kneading their paws and also use chortles to communicate with their owners. Apart from their playful attitude, they are very observant cats.
They quickly learn the sound of your footsteps, opening drawers, and the location of their favorite snacks in the compartments. However, they are also quite sensitive to strange noises and get alarmingly worried whenever unexpected events occur.
They love playing with dolls and toys, and they can easily pick a favorite toy and get attached to it. Mau cats are not highly vocal and only use vocalizations when necessary.
They use meows, whistles, and chirps to call out their owners and whenever they’re playful. Maus love being groomed, so consider doing it a few times a week.
Egyptian Mau cats prefer living in warm environments and cannot adapt well to colder climates. So, if you’re thinking about adopting a Mau cat, you should keep this information in mind.
Size
Mau cats are medium-sized cats with an athletic and muscular build compared to other domestic cats. The male Mau cats weigh between 8-12 lbs., while the females weigh between 6-10 lbs. Egyptian Mau cats can grow as tall as 10 inches.
Their lifespan is around 9-12 years. But in many cases, these cats can live up to 20 years! The kittens reach complete maturity at around 18 months of age. An Egyptian Mau kitten weighs around 6-8 lbs. and gets bigger as it grows.
Colors
Known for their gorgeous spotted coats, the Mau cats look breathtaking with their different colors and coat patterns.
The Egyptian Mau cat comes in six great colors – bronze, grey, silver, black, caramel, and pewter. Bronze, grey, and silver are usually the commonly available colors among the six colors.
The bronze coat bears a copper brown color falling on the warmer side and washing out to a pale hue. On the other hand, the gray coat consists of a faded silver undercoat edged with solid black or brown markings. The roots are pale silver or silvery-white in color.
Mau cats also have a unique silver coat that comprises pale silver ground color and charcoal grey markings. The underside of the coat dissolves to silvery white and looks brilliant with the ground color.
Solid black, caramel and pewter colors are the rare ones. Although solid black and caramel are the rarest, the pewter coats are still prominent among Mau cats. The pewter coats have a dilute blue ground color base with fascinating markings. It is one of the most beautiful ground colors that you’ll ever see in an Egyptian Mau cat.
The coats of Mau cats bear medium links and luster that make the coat colors pop out more. The coats look terrific and exceptional, especially when placed under the sunlight.
Health Issues
Egyptian Mau cats are one of the healthiest cat breeds out there. However, there are still a few prevalent diseases in Mau cats.
Mau cats are quite sensitive to anesthesia, so make sure you take proper precautions and consult with the vet before undergoing any major surgery or dental procedure. Any procedure that requires sedation can be dangerous for this cat breed.
So, it is important to inform your vet about this condition prior to the sedative application.
These cats are also sensitive to certain medications, so you must consult with your vet before exposing your pet to any drug.
A serious hereditary disease that can affect this breed is pyruvate kinase deficiency. Pyruvate kinase is an important enzyme that helps in red cell survival. The deficiency of this enzyme can result in severe anemia, which is life-threatening for the cat.
Symptoms of this disease include loss of appetite and fatigue. However, it is a completely preventable disease. Since this disease is a recessive gene trait, a cat can inherit it only if both of the parent cat’s genes are defective.
You can prevent this easily using a DNA test. Nowadays the vet clinics offer routine blood testing to prevent such hereditary diseases.
The Egyptian Mau cats also suffer from periodontal disease, leukodystrophy, urate urolithiasis, patellar luxation, etc. However, in their later years, these are not very alarming diseases and can be treated if diagnosed in due time.
Price
So, how much do Egyptian Mau cats cost? If you’re planning to adopt an Egyptian Mau from a rescue shelter, it might cost you around 100-150$. The price varies according to the adoption organizations and includes the prices for spaying and other medical services.
Since Mau cats are quite rare, they need to be bought directly from a breeder in most cases. If you’re thinking of getting one through a breeder, make sure it’s a responsible and trustworthy source. A Mau kitten can cost around 1000-1500$.
You also need to pay additional charges for the medical services, spaying, and all the supplies needed to take care of the cat. The supplies include a cat bed, nail clipper, carrier, litter box, litter scoop, food and water bowls, etc.
Apart from the supplies, you might also need around 100$ for vaccine shots, 400-500$ for teeth cleaning, and 300-400$ for spaying.
Final Words
In conclusion, it can be said that Egyptian Mau cats are one of the most charming cat breeds. Their docile personality and impressive physical features make them a unique cat breed out there. You will be thrilled to live with a delightful cat like the Egyptian Mau as your pet. If you pick one, be sure to check out our selection of egyptian cat names for a great name for your new cat!
