Egyptian Mau

Egyptian Mau Cat Breed

Appearance:

• The Egyptian Mau is a medium-sized breed with a sleek and muscular body.
• They have a graceful and elegant appearance, often described as "wild-looking."
• Egyptian Maus have a short, dense coat that comes in three recognized colors: silver, bronze, and smoke.
• One of their distinguishing features is their spotted coat pattern, with random spots or "rosettes" on the body, reminiscent of a wild leopard or cheetah.
• They have almond-shaped eyes that are typically green but can also be amber or gold in color.

Temperament:

• Egyptian Maus are known for their active and athletic nature. They are fast runners and excellent jumpers.
• They are intelligent and curious cats, often exploring their surroundings and engaging in interactive play sessions.
• Egyptian Maus form strong bonds with their human companions, although they may initially be reserved with strangers.
• They are typically gentle and enjoy being petted, but they also have a playful and mischievous side.

Care and Health:

• The Egyptian Mau's short coat is low-maintenance and requires minimal grooming. Occasional brushing helps to remove loose hair and keep the coat in good condition.
• They are generally a healthy breed with no specific breed-related health issues. Regular veterinary check-ups are still important to monitor their overall health and well-being.
• Providing a balanced diet, regular exercise, and mental stimulation through playtime and interactive toys are essential for maintaining the health and happiness of Egyptian Mau cats.

The Egyptian Mau is a captivating and athletic breed known for its striking appearance and active nature. Their wild-like appearance and playful personality make them wonderful companions for those seeking an energetic and visually stunning feline friend.

History

Whether Mau is a product of millennia-old Egyptian culture can be debated, but if lovers of the eye-catching spotted cats want to claim that they were from Pharaoh's time, who knows? It could be true

The Egyptian Mau (Mau is the Egyptian word for cat) is remarkable for being the only naturally spotted domesticated cat. In other words, the spot pattern was not created by human manipulation of cat genes. Cats were known in Europe before World War II, but the ravages of war left the breed in a dangerous state.

The breed as it is known today goes back to a silver honey kitten that was given to the Russian princess Natalie Troubetskoy when she lived in Rome. Depending on the story, the kitten got her from a boy who kept it in a shoebox, or she bought one from the Egyptian ambassador to Italy. Troubetskoy named the kitten Baba. When she moved to the United States in 1956, Baba and two of her descendants accompanied her. Troubetskoy wanted to make sure that Mau survived as a breed, so she wrote a breed standard and started breeding the cats under the kennel name Fatima.

The breed was recognized by the Cat Fanciers Federation in 1968, followed by the Cat Fanciers' Association in 1977. Importing more mice in the 1980s and again in 1991 increased the breed's gene pool. Today, the breed is known by most cat associations.

Size

Mau is a medium-sized cat from 6 to 14 pounds

Personality

If the Egyptian Mau is happy, you know. He vocalizes (called giggles) with a calm, pleasant voice, waves his tail quickly and kneads his front paws. What makes him happy is to be with his family, which he is passionate about, or show off his hunting skills by hunting and finding a discarded toy or throwing himself on a twisting bait at the end of a fishing rod.

This is a moderate to very active cat. He likes to jump and climb and will appreciate a high scraper post, a window sill or two and a hefty scraper post that he can use to extend to full height. Mau also likes to play in the water. Do not be surprised if he dips a paw in your koi pond or aquarium, turns on the faucet in the bathroom or kitchen or splashes water out of your pool or bowl.

The Egyptian Mau prefers family members above all others. When he's not playing fetch, he likes to sit on his lap and be adored, just as his ancestors could have been.

Mau differs from being the fastest domestic cat because it can run at speeds up to 30 miles per hour.

Health

Both pedigree and mixed breed cats have different frequencies of health problems that can be genetic. Egyptian mice are generally healthy, but ask a breeder about the presence of health problems in their ranks and what tests have been done on genetic mice.

Care

The Egyptian mouse's fur is easy to care for by combing it every week to remove dead hair and distribute skin oils. A bath is rarely necessary.

Brush their teeth to prevent periodontal disease. Daily dental hygiene is best, but weekly brushing is better than nothing. Cut their nails every two weeks. Wipe the eyes with a soft, damp cloth to remove any discharge. Use a separate area of the cloth for each eye so that you do not risk spreading an infection. Check your ears every week. If they look dirty, wipe them with a soft, damp cloth dampened with a 50-50 mixture of apple cider vinegar and warm water. Avoid using cotton swabs, which can damage the inside of the ear.

Keep the litter box completely clean. Bathroom hygiene is very important for cats, and a dirty drawer can cause them to move to other places around the house instead.

It is a good idea to keep an Egyptian Mau as an indoor cat just to protect it from diseases transmitted from other cats, attacks from dogs or coyotes and other dangers that cats face when they go outdoors, for example z. B. to become hit by a car. Keeping him indoors also protects local birds and wildlife from this avid hunter. An Egyptian mouse that goes outdoors also risks being stolen by someone who wants such a beautiful cat without paying for it.

Fur color and grooming

The medium-length coat has a silky smooth, fine texture in the smoke color and a dense, resistant texture in the colors silver and bronze. The body is randomly covered with various spots, which can be small or large and round, elongated or otherwise shaped. The forehead is M-shaped, the cheeks are decorated with "mascara" lines and the tail is banded and ends with a dark tip. On the pale stomach there are dark spots reminiscent of "vest buttons".

In addition to the colors silver, bronze and smoke, Maus can be found in black, blue silver, blue (a thinner version of bronze), blue smoke and solid blue, but these colors are not allowed in the exhibition ring. But these different colored cats make nice pets and share all the other Mau characteristics.

Children and other pets

The active and playful Mau is the perfect choice for families with children and cat-friendly dogs. He plays pick-up like any other retriever, learns tricks easily and loves the children's attention who treats him politely and respectfully. He is smart enough to avoid toddlers, but loves school children because they are up to his energy and curiosity. Nothing scares him, especially dogs, and he will be happy to be friends with them if they do not cause him any problems. However, he is a skilled hunter, and pets or other small animals are unlikely to be safe in his presence. Always feed pets, including other cats, slowly and in a controlled environment.

Characteristics

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