Lots of visitors to our site ask about the origins of our cats. Why do so many of them look like European or North American cats, yet they are found on the streets of Cairo? Why are there so many long-haired cats in a country with a hot climate?
In this series of blogs we're going to try to answer some of your questions starting with the most common cross-breed cats found in our Rescue:
Most people who are interested in cats will know that the most ancient breed of cat in Egypt is the Mau - in fact the name Mau means cat. We'll come to them in a different post.
Over the centuries, many people from all over the World came to Egypt and brought with them their own favourite domestic cats. The first visitors were from the neighbouring Arab countries who brought their own 'Maus' which had different patterns and colours. However, fashions began to change as they developed a passion for long-haired cats, like Persian, Himalayan, Turkish Angora together with other Oriental varieties such as Siamese. That passion continues today as long-haired cats look particularly exotic in the age of Instagram.
In Egypt there are no regulations concerning breeding. Different cats go in and out of fashion; there are no 'papers' to prevent inter-breeding of previously pedigree cats which leads to distorted features and different fur lengths. Many find themselves on the streets where they have inter-mixed with the native Maus. The problem has been exacerbated by the tremendous increase in the cost of living caused by the War in Ukraine and rescues now house literally hundreds of needy cats.
Our Rescue sees particular problems with long-haired varieties which are unsuited to street life in a hot climate, not just because of the heat, but because of the fleas which their coats attract causing disease. If left on the streets their life cycle is short because they are unable to fight disease and viruses as robustly as the others.
We rightly believe that these beautiful loving cats deserve the chance of a forever home where they will be valued. Their breed history may be varied but then so is the ancestry of most humans! You will have an 'Egyptian Longhair' or an 'Egyptian Shorthair' whose affection will be far more precious than a piece of paper.
Next time: Shirazi Persians
If you enjoy our Newsletters and Blogs please consider making a donation to help us. The price of a cup of coffee would do. We have 280 cats in our care, most coming from a background of hardship and abuse on the streets of Cairo. You can send via PayPal to catschampions4c@gmail.com.
We thank you in advance for considering this.
Thank you, I'm looking forward to the next post on Shirazi Persians as that is what my Latifa is ( she came from your wonderful charity) x