Literally hundreds of visitors have now read my Egyptian Mau Blog. Thanks so much. No doubt many have looked at it and concluded that a Mau from Cairo is not the same as the pedigree (or registered) Egyptian Mau of Europe and North America. In the Blog I explained the difference between the origins of the original Egyptian Mau and the 'manufactured' pedigree Mau and that one is the descendant of the other but has undergone a few breeding 'tweaks' to reach the colour and standard which is recognised for showing purposes.
So has the 'tweaking' meant that they are very different cats? As the owner of both pedigree Maus and two Maus from Egypt I've had a chance to draw comparisons between them and I'll share my observations with you below. You can then draw your own conclusions.
Differences
Coat colour - Pedigree Mau
When confirming the stipulations for an internationally recognised breed, the Cat Fanciers' Association in the USA decreed that only three coat colours would be recognised - silver (shown left) bronze and smoke.
This has proved to be quite restrictive to breeders who have 'accidentally' produced beautiful colours such as black and blue but these are not recognised. Of the three recognised colours silver is probably the most popular with bronze a close second. Ironically, the bronze Maus bear a slightly closer resemblance to their ancestors in Egypt.
Coat colour - Original Egyptian Mau
I've asked my two guys from Cairo Cat Rescue & Rehoming Champions to model for you and you can see that they are completely different to one another - at least at first glance.
Ironically, the guy on the left is closest to the original Pharaoh's cats of ancient Egypt, whilst the one to his right, is closer in shape and colour to the bronze version of the pedigree Mau.
The original Pharaoh's cats had coats of what is now called bronze (brown coat in various shades with dark brown/black patterns) and golden (red/orange) together with some grey, black and blue. It's interesting that black and blue have occasionally emerged in the pedigree breed. Through generations in Egypt the native Maus have intermixed with the other cat population so we now get Maus with patches of plain colour, mainly on their chest and feet. Original Pharaoh's cats are incredibly rare and found in lowly populated areas.
Profile and Markings - Pedigree Mau
The pedigree Egyptian Mau has retained the markings of its ancestors. The scarab on the forehead, the 'necklace' and the mascara. Also the stripes on the legs and the distinct spots on the back - it is the only naturally spotted cat.
The cat on the left is a juvenile; as he grows older his eyes
will change from blue at birth, to the current green/yellow and then to their final beautiful gooseberry. They are also almond in shape. His head profile will be straight, like his ancestors in the Pharaohs' tombs, but his neck will be a bit shorter and his ears slightly rounder.
He will be a medium sized cat of about 4kg, with long legs, a lean but muscly build (he is the world's fastest small cat) and a propensity to stay lean which will ensure he leads a long and athletic life.
Profile and Markings - Original Egyptian Mau
The original Egyptian Mau retains the markings of its ancestors - the scarab, the mascara, the stripes and the spots (though these may be less visible on a dark brown cat).
Note that my Mau, on the left does not have the necklace because he has patches of white, yet his shoulder markings lead to the place where the necklace would have been. Eyes of the original are usually green or amber and are almond shaped. The gooseberry of the pedigree version has been 'manufactured. through the years as part of the breed standard requirements. The head profile is usually straight, as depicted in Egyptian murals, and the ears and neck are sometimes longer and closer in resemblance to those of their ancient ancestors.
Original Maus are also usually a medium-sized cat but their body profile is much more akin to the distinctive profile of the cats of the statues and murals, with longer front legs and a curved back when sitting. This is different to that of their pedigree cousin whose overall shape resembles the more rounded lines of the domestic cat. Since original Maus have intermixed with the local cat population some can also be larger than the 4kg norm depending on inherited genes. They all have the same muscly build and propensity for activity.
Similarities
Personality - Pedigree Mau
There is lots of information on the web about the personality of the pedigree Egyptian Mau, some of it a bit conflicting.
They are intelligent, active, friendly cats but can be a bit standoffish until they get to know you, which will be on their terms. They thrive on the company of humans and other cats and love to supervise household chores. Technology is a challenge, buttons on printers, coffee machines, door handles can provide hours of amusement, as can dripping taps or anything to do with water. They can jump to great heights so don't be surprised to find one on top of your bookcase. Some sites say they are very trainable. Like most intelligent animals, they can be persuaded to do things, but only if they see the value of what they are doing.
To balance all this energy, they are lap cats and can become quite jealous when someone else grabs 'their' spot. They love cuddles, just like their distant cousin the Egyptian Shirazi (Persian) and will happily spend the night on your bed so that they are ready to escort you downstairs in the morning. They display pleasure by doing the 'Mau dance' where they stamp their front feet and twitch their tales. It's not a sign of aggression as claimed by some sites, but the complete opposite.
Finally, they are a vocal cat - you can have quite a long conversation with a Mau - and have a reputation for living a long, healthy, active life. That is if you keep them as an indoor only cat. They have no road sense whatsoever, let alone the allure of their value and beauty. So never let a Mau out - you'll have a job to get it back.
Personality - Original Egyptian Mau
It's in personality that the resemblance between the pedigree Egyptian Mau and its ancestor the original come into their own.
One can confidently say that all the traits described above apply equally to the Egyptian Maus at Cairo Cat Rescue and Rehoming Champions. They are intelligent, curious and active but also cuddly and devoted. They also recognise their own kind and form immediate bonds with them as you can see in the photo above. They are of course well socialised with other more laid back breeds of cat and generally get on well with dogs as long as they are supervised - it's usually the cats that get the upper hand in play with small dogs.
Some are particularly gifted at vocalisation as well as 'talking'. My guy above gives us an aria at daybreak every morning.
Why consider one of our cats?
The pedigree Egyptian Mau is becoming rarer, mainly because trends in the cat world are created by Influencers and Celebrities. The Egyptian Mau is a very beautiful cat but the current trend is for longer-haired (Persians, Angoras, Maine Coons, Ragdolls) or more robust, teddy-bear like cats (British Short Hairs, Scottish Folds). Until someone reverses this trend it will still be rare - and very expensive, often with long waiting lists.
We believe our cats should be considered and not relegated because they are a different colour - what is in fact the original colour. They too are becoming rarer because cat breeding in Egypt is following Celebrity trends and ignoring its own species. They are so rare that an Organisation has been set up to protect Maus but has now moved to other parts of Africa.
We hope, after reading this in conjunction with our 'Breed' Blog, you will consider them and give them a second chance. They will reward you in abundance - and they're also quite a talking point you'll find.
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.