Egyptian Mau

Egyptian Maus are a cat breed that few people have ever heard of. However, this fascinating cat breed deserves recognition by all cat lovers. I have never owned a Mau, but I grew interested in them after seeing their similarities to my cat Paka. I now have a theory that he is part Egyptian Mau. The Egyptian Mau is believed to be the descendant of the cats the Egyptians worshipped, and goodness knows my cat believes he deserves it!

Egyptian Maus are short-haired cats that come in silver, bronze, smoke, black, and blue colors, though the last two cannot be shown. All Maus have stunning spots on both their skin and fur. Maus are, in fact, the only domesticated cats to naturally have spots like leopards. According to the Catster, The Maus are medium-sized when full grown, weighing between six and twelve pounds. The Egyptian Mau is the fastest breed of domesticated cat, with the ability to run at more than thirty miles per hour (Egyptian Mau cat Breeders). All Maus are long and slender with a unique flap of skin between their hind legs. This flap allows for a larger stride. Maus have pale outlines around their eyes, and black tips on their tails. They also have black lines in the shape of an M on their forehead, which many common domesticated shorthairs also have.

Besides their beautiful appearance, Maus also have huge charisma. They are usually quite affectionate and enjoy interacting with their people, though they are occasionally shy around strangers. They are also usually energetic, faithful, and very intelligent. Maus are not talkative like Siamese, but they do chirp and chortle, especially when they are watching prey or to let their owner know when something is amiss. When they are happy, they wiggle their back ends. This action makes it look as if the cat is spaying, when in fact it is simply expressing joy. Maus enjoy water greatly. If given the chance, they will spend the entire day dabbling at water streaming from a faucet.

There are extremely few Egyptian Maus worldwide. Before they became well-known in the last half of the twentieth century, the Egyptian Mau was actually in danger of going extinct (The Cat Pages). Because there are so few Egyptian Maus, they can be quite expensive. However, black Maus are usually relatively cheap since they cannot be shown. Though it is not easy to see their black-on-black spots, and therefore not considered as beautiful, they still have the wonderful Mau personality. I highly recommend getting a Mau, if you have the resources. They are excellent companion cats because of their huge personality.

Egyptian Mau Cat Breeders: http://www.breedlist.com/egyptian-mau-breeders.html

Catster: http://www.catster.com/breeds/Egyptian_Mau

The Cat Pages: http://www.catpage.us/kitten-breeds/egyptian-mau.html