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Egyptian Mau

Egyptian Mau History

The Egyptian Mau has a fascinating history and is one of the oldest domestic cat breeds existing today. Mau is the Egyptian word for cat. Experts believe that the Egyptian Mau is the cat domesticated from a spotted subspecies of the African Wild Cat by the ancient Egyptians. Evidence of the cats' pedigree can be found in ancient Egyptian art and architecture. A papyrus painting from 1100 BC shows the Egyptian sun god Ra as a spotted cat beheading an evil serpent. On a tomb in Thebes dating from 1400 BC a spotted cat is pictured retrieving a duck for an Egyptian hunter. These cats were not only cherished by the ancient Egyptians as pets and workers but also worshipped as deities and mummified at death.

The Egyptian Mau breed was developed in Europe in the 1900s by Italian, Swiss and French cat fanciers but after World War Two the breed became almost extinct in Europe. It was thanks to Princess Nathalie Troubetskoy that the breed was saved. The princess had been exiled from Russia during the war and when living in Rome she was given a small spotted kitten in a shoe box. She was fascinated by this vulnerable creature and researched into its history. Discovering the historical significance and beauty of Egyptian Mau she decided to rescue the species. Princess Troubetskoy moved to the United States in 1956 and took with her three Maus from stock that she had bred in Rome and one from Egypt via the Syrian Embassy. Troubetskoy began a cattery in the US and worked hard to promote the breed. To publicize her campaign she placed one of her cats, called Liza, on display at the Empire Cat Club show in New York City in 1957. She attracted fellow fanciers of the Egyptian Mau who helped breed the cat but the small gene pool and the fact that it was almost impossible to obtain the Mau from Egypt meant that this was a difficult task and some inbreeding and out crossing was necessary to continue the line in the US. The Maus were also bred selectively to eradicate temperament problems that were present in some bloodlines.

Egytian Mau Appearance

It is rumoured that ancient Egyptian women designed their eye makeup after the markings on the Mau's face. The Mau has two mascara lines gracing its cheeks, the first beginning one at the corner of the eyes and following the cheek to below the ear. It has the characteristic tabby marking “M” on its forehead this is known as the scarab beetle mark. This cat has quite large pointed ears which are very broad at their base and beautiful pale green almond shape eyes which slant slightly towards its ears. The Maus' shiny coat is medium length and comes in silver, smoke and bronze with silver being the most common and popular colour. One of the breed's most notable features is the random spots on its body, these can vary from small and round spots to large oblong ones. The Egyptian Mau has dainty paws and longer hind legs which make it look like it is standing on tiptoe when it is standing upright.

Egyptian Mau Character and Temperament

The Egyptian Maus were duck hunters in egyptian times and still love to play fetch. They have a soft tuneful purr and are not scared to tell you when they don't like their food! They love to 'chat' by making chortling sounds, waging their tails and treading with their feet. The Mau is a moderately active cat but when not reliving its hunting past it likes to laze about in the sun. This breed is a family loving cat and is fiercely loyal; however it takes a while for the Mau to warm to strangers.

  • Playfulness
  • Very High
  • Intelligence
  • High
  • Independence
  • Medium
  • Attention Seeking
  • High
  • Affectionate
  • High
  • Activeness
  • Very High
  • Friendliness to Children
  • Medium
  • Friendliness to other Pets
  • Medium

    Egyptian Mau Lifespan

    15 years or more

    Average Litter Size

    Egyptian Maus have litters of about six at a time and the kittens. Egyptian Maus usually experience an easy birth.

    Common Ailments

    Maus are very healthy cats and do not tend to suffer from any specific aliments. However, it is wise to give your mau an annual check up to check kindney and liver function and to check for tooth decay.

    Egyptian Mau Recognition

  • This breed has been given Championship Status by all respected Assosiations.
  • In 1996 the Egyptian Mau breed was ranked 22nd out of 36 breeds by the Cat Fanciers' Association (CFA).
  • User Comments

    Comment by fan, Friday 8th August 2008
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    how sweet!
    Comment by Hannah, Monday 30th June 2008
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    i love Egyptian Mau cats there my favourite breed. I donrt have one but im going to get one when im older. there soooooo cute xx
    Comment by Alexandra, Monday 23rd June 2008
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    My new kitten, Spike, we think may be half black and white tabby, and half Egyptian Mau. He has the Mau's markings, silver fur, and temperament, along with those distinctive skin flaps above his back knees. He has that brown/tan colored fur around his head that tabby cats normally have. He's also very talkative, and if he can't get the perfect "hole/spot" in the litter box he starts complaining. By the way, for those who want a Mau, they are very quick, and catching Spike is quite diffcult ;)
    Comment by Georgia, Friday 13th June 2008
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    OMG there soooooooooooooooooooooo cute
    Comment by nikki, Monday 2nd June 2008
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    Only just found this chat group. Yes, you can get this breed in England. Look up Egyptian Mau Club and go to the breeders list page or kitten page. I don't know of any breeders in Sweden but there is a breeder in Finland breeding silvers and smokes so it would be possible to get one from Finland rather than have the hassle of importing from the UK or America.
    Comment by serafina, Saturday 31st May 2008
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    I have a rescue Mau he is very demanding and doesn't like strangers. He needs lol and is always talking. I think he is a bit insecure and it will take him a long time to settle. He is lovely though and has had a tough start to life.
    Comment by Rebecca, Monday 5th May 2008
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    We have a Egyptian Mau Queen and she had 3 kittens last Oct we have kept the only boy from the litter and i agree with the comments made, The Mau is a FANTASTIC cat that enjoys playing but loves cuddles they make a fantastic pet!!!!
    Comment by SarahLove, Tuesday 22nd April 2008
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    I was watchig the movie cat woman. In that movie they mentioned the Mau cat. Well our cat has the same markings, including the "M" the mark of the scarab beetle. Its funny I knew this cat was special. We named him Mac due to the "M" on his forehead. He was a kitty that needed a home. Glad we took him in.
    Comment by shelby sambrone, Wednesday 26th March 2008
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    wow i love those cats yay!
    Comment by Elodie, Saturday 1st March 2008
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    Hi, I live in London, and I got my Egyptian Mau from London a year ago.
    Comment by sar.glastonbury, Thursday 14th February 2008
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    my favoutite cat breed. one day would love to share my home with a cuple of mau's! but i wouldnt swap my two moggies for the whole world!!x
    Comment by Kathy, Monday 28th January 2008
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    It took me sometime but I finally got my first 2 maus then I added a third. I now feel the more the merrier. They are great pets and love their people, and will spend as much time as they can with you both sleep or just sitting.
    Comment by ????????, Sunday 27th January 2008
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    Im eleven and this information was very useful for my school project all about Egyptian Maus
    Comment by Ellee Fossard, Thursday 17th January 2008
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    I've got an egyptian mau she is so adorable everyone should have one :)
    Comment by debbie rawling, Friday 7th December 2007
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    Where can I get an Egytian Mau in the UK and what price do they go for?
    Comment by Jess, Friday 16th November 2007
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    I just found out that my baby girl Pootie is an egyptian mau. I only came about finding this out because her markings, and her pattern are just beautiful, and I wanted to find out exactly what breed she was. She is the first cat that is solely mine, & even though I've only had her a short while I've already fallen in love with her. Oh and the ratings on their attitudes(playfulness, affectionate ect.) are all completely ture so far!
    Comment by Amy, Saturday 3rd November 2007
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    i have an egyptian mau named Stewie, we found him on the side of the road 2 years ago and fell in love with him. we have 2 other cats, and compared to them, he is CRAZY! he bites, and plays more than any cat i've ever seen. he likes to beat up on his cat brothers too. aside from the playfulness, he is loving. he's the only one of our cats who will curl up and lay with us while we sleep. he actually gets under your arm and lays his head on the pillow. he is a lovable, playful little guy.
    Comment by Sara Ghoniem, Sunday 21st October 2007
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    I am an Egyptian and I live in Egypt, I have two cats; one male Persian cat and one female Egyptian Mau. and I can tell that the female is much more active than the male, I play fetch with her a lot but they are both cute and I love them both..
    Comment by Fanny Nilsson, Sunday 2nd September 2007
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    Hello. I love Egyptian mau's, but I live in Sweden and we don't have many Egyptian mau's here. So i Wounder can I get the cats here or is it impossible?
    Comment by ashley, Thursday 30th August 2007
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    My best friend has 2 male maus. She got them for free and they're absolutely beautiful
    Comment by Catriona Smith, Tuesday 14th August 2007
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    i absolutley love Egyptian Mau cats there adorable an have such cute faces i just wish i could have one though but my mom can't have anything with fur :( but that doesn't stop them from being cute
    Comment by Jessica, Sunday 22nd July 2007
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    This breed sure is loving! *lol* But can be a pain when complaining. But besides that they are great pets!
    Comment by destiny, Tuesday 10th July 2007
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    lolz i got 6 of these cats 5 female and 1 male...all of th female are pregnant... the kittens are all due on the same day lolz from all 5 mothers :D CANT WAIT TILL DERE BORN WIPPIE!! so cute!!!
    Comment by savannah, Friday 29th June 2007
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    omg thay are sooo cute!!!!!!!!i love all animals!
    Comment by hannah joyce, Monday 25th June 2007
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    oh, they look cute, well all cats do
    Comment by lucy cowgill, Tuesday 17th April 2007
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    can you get these cats in england by any chance?

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