The exotic appearance of the Egyptian Mau is only the
beginning of the magic of the breed. Owners of the
Egyptian Mau find them unique in many ways in addition
to their striking spotted coat patterns. These cats display
exceptional intelligence and exhibit a fierce loyalty to their
owners. Even though domesticated, several characteristics of
their early ancestors have been retained. These include the
Cheetah gait and a loose skin flap that extends from flank
to hind leg, which allows the Mau remarkable freedom and
agility in twisting and jumping.
Most people are attracted to Egyptian Mau because of their
exotic good looks. They fall in love with them because of their
incredible, irrepressible personalities. All cats are characters,
but these, well, they’re absolutely enchanting. Like all cats,
they are individuals, one and all, but typical for the breed
they tend to take it to extremes. Friendly to everyone in the
family, they tend to be cautious with strangers and select
their “Special Person.” On their own territory, they tend to
be extremely outgoing with absolutely no fear and a ton of
curiosity. They make wonderful companions.
The Egyptian Maus are interactive cats. They dote on their
humans and expect to be an integral part of the family. Some
people call them the gentle cousins of the Abyssinian. While
they certainly aren’t hyper, legend has it that they have some
of the fastest reflexes ever seen in a feline. They are shoulder
riders, refrigerator vultures, and furry alarm clocks but
can definitely take a confident hand when handling. Most
Egyptian Maus have very distinct ideas about who can handle
them and when. They are sensitive, people-oriented cats, but
they like things on their terms and dote on their people.
When you look at an Egyptian Mau, or catch sight of one out
of the corner of your eye, they should draw you back through
the ages to something a little exotic, a little jungle, a little
breath-taking, and a little primitive. Make no mistake, these
are heartbreakingly beautiful cats. No picture or book can do
justice to the exotic beauty found in a silver Egyptian Mau’s
dazzling green eyes and shiny spots, the ghostly elegance
found in a smoke Egyptian Mau’s pattern, or the livingroom-
leopard grace of the bronze.
These cats give the impression of strength, substance, grace,
and agility. They are supposed to be a muscular cat with a
medium long lithe body. A truly exceptional example will
thrill the onlooker with its elegance and beauty. These are
ballerinas, not linebackers, and topping the athletic, refined
but moderate body is the crowning glory of the Mau: the
totally unique head with the large, expressive gooseberry
green eyes and beautiful medium to large broad-based ears
set so that there is ample width between.
Legend and mystery surround the origins of this ancient and
royal breed. Although time had obscured the true ancestry of
the modern day Egyptian Mau, when an Egytpian Mau poses
regally on a judging table and gazes out with its haunting,
imperious eyes, one can envision these creatures gracing
ancient Egyptian temples. And grace them they did. The
Egyptian Mau was worshipped by pharaohs and kings. The
word Mau meant cat or sun in Ancient Egypt, and there is no
question that the Egyptians revered the cat both as a god and
as a treasure. Papyri and frescoes dating back as far as 1550
B.C. depict spotted cats. Many documents found from the
dawn of the New Kingdom on make it obvious that the cat
was an integral part of daily life, as well as a worshipped deity.
Inherent to the Egyptian Mau is the word “natural.” The
Egyptian Mau is the only naturally spotted breed of domestic
cat. As such, these cats are limited to the colors that occurred
naturally – silver, bronze, smoke, and black – as well as the
dilute versions of these colors – blue silver, blue spotted, blue
smoke, and blue. Although the black and dilute Maus are
not eligible for showing, they make excellent pets, as do all
other Maus.
When looking for an Egyptian Mau, you should look for
a reputable breeder who will undoubtedly have a series of
questions for you, designed to make sure that you and the
Egyptian Mau are compatible. Do not be surprised if there is
a wait of some sort. These little treasures are worth it. Usually
breeders make kittens available between twelve and sixteen
weeks of age.
For more information, please send
inquiries to CFA at cfa@cfa.org.