Anyone who has owned an Egyptian Mau will know that they are very special cats. So special that they have long been suspected of being the original Pharaohs' cats of Ancient Egypt which were universally worshipped and commemorated in their tombs. However, as with many other cats at Cairo Cat Rescue & Rehoming Champions' HQ, their history is complex and they have the further complication of sharing the same name as a recognised European/North American breed. Here we try to unravel some of their history and show how the two are indeed related.
Firstly, let us be clear that if you adopt an Egyptian Mau from our Rescue it will not be the same as those recognised as a breed. Indeed it may not even be a full Egyptian Mau, since over the generations, as with Shirazis*, cats have intermixed in Egypt. In fact full native Egyptian Maus are now very rare and found mainly in undisturbed rural areas. They are so rare that the Egyptian Mau Rescue Organisation has been set up to help preserve them. EMRO also stress that these cats are not pedigree Egyptian Maus; they are 'Egyptian and Arabian street cats of unrecorded pedigree that come from the Mau's region of landrace origin.'
The Egyptian Mau’s name is derived from the Middle Egyptian word ''mjw', which means cat. However, contrary to its name, it is unclear whether the modern Egyptian Mau actually originated in Egypt—even if it shares more than a passing resemblance to the spotted felines depicted on the walls of ancient palaces and temples. The word 'mau' for cat is used throughout the Arabic world and one theory is that it may originally have come from Abyssinia, another that it is a distant relative of the Maine Coon and/or the Turkish Angora.
Native Maus were very popular until the outbreak of World War II, when their population was decimated and they almost became extinct. In the 1950s Russian princess Natalie Trubetskaya, who lived in exile in Italy, was given a Mau which was reportedly imported from the Middle East. Trubetskaya emigrated to New York City in 1956, and took with her three Mau cats using them to establish the Fatima Egyptian Mau cattery. Once the Mau arrived in the US, fanciers from across the world continued the rare breed’s bloodline by outcrossing it with other cats, and imported more Maus from Egypt and India. In 1977, it was this version of the Egyptian Mau that was granted championship status by the Cat Fanciers’ Association (CFA), the world’s largest registry of pedigree cats.
The coat colour of the native Egyptian Mau was what is now called bronze (brown coat in various shades with dark brown/black patterns) and golden (red) together with some grey, black and blue. Since most of the Rescue's Maus are a Mau mix they can sometimes have patches of other colour too. Their distinctive pattern includes an 'M' or scarab on the forehead, a broken necklace on the chest, bands on the legs and random spots on the back. They are the only naturally spotted cat. Their eyes are various shades of green and amber and they have distinctive mascara marks around the eyes and down the cheeks. Physically, they have large ears, long legs, almond-shaped eyes and a very distinct straight profile from the forehead to the tip of the nose giving them the very recognisable outline of the 'Pharaoh cat'. The more of these features they possess, the more they resemble the original native Mau.
Their cousin, the pedigree Egyptian Mau, is only acceptable in three colours - silver, smoke and bronze, although colours such as black and blue do exist. As can be seen from the above photos, they have the same markings as the native Mau, but their faces are slightly rounder, the neck shorter and the ears smaller. Both are medium-sized athletic cats (the fastest domestic cat) with a penchant for roosting on high shelves and vocalisation. They love a conversation with their human owner or even the occasional serenade.
Compared with Shirazis or Domestic Longhairs, Maus are low maintenance but their natural curiosity and exuberance means that they are best suited to an indoor environment. They crave company, both human and feline, so are not suited to being left alone for long periods. That said, they make marvellous playful companions who assist you in your daily activities and revel in technology - it doesn't take long for Maus to find the button on your printer. Their best companion is another Mau since more laidback breeds can find their continuous energy a trifle irritating.
The interaction between Maus and humans is special. They can appear shy and distant, particularly to strangers, but once you gain their confidence they are yours for life. They have a habit of singling out someone in the household as their special companion and, if you are so selected, it's a privilege indeed. They don't just want your love, they want your soul. They sulk when they know you're going away, mope whilst you are away and serenade you all day when you return. They console you when you're sad and rejoice with you when you're happy.
If you're looking for your soulmate get a Mau. Or maybe two?
Please see our latest Blog on Egyptian Mau or Mau from Egypt - What's the Difference?
* see our previous Blog on our Shirazi cats
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We thank you in advance for considering this.