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Egyptian Mau

Egyptian Mau

At a Glance

The Egyptian Mau is a colorful, elegant cat with an alert appearance that gives it a regal bearing. They are intensely loyal and are passionate about their families yet also happy to go about the business of being a cat. Mau’s are shy, sensitive cats that are easily upset by sudden loud noises. They are the only natural spotted breed of domestic cat. The active and playful Mau is a perfect choice for families with children and cat-friendly dogs. Their coat is medium in length and easy to maintain. Find out more about this breed and if the Egyptian Mau is right for you and your family.

Attending a cat show

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All About Cats

Printable Breed Introduction
Breed Standard
Pet Buyer’s Guide
Egyptian Mau - Cheops
Temperament

Playful

Height/Weight Range

Medium-sized cat.

Adult females
Adult males
Life Expectancy

10-15+ years, with proper care.

Colors

The Egyptian Mau comes in silver, bronze and smoke. All colors have “gooseberry green” eye color, a hallmark of the breed.

Similar Breeds

Opposite Breeds

About The Breed

Gentle and extremely loyal, the striking Egyptian Mau has many unique qualities that make the breed stand out among felines.

Their looks set them apart as a result of their brow line and characteristic eye set that gives the breed a naturally worried look. They are also the only domesticated cat with a naturally occurring spotted coat and have an “M” shape on their forehead called the mark of the scarab. Their “tiptoe” stance given by the hind legs being proportionally longer than the front legs, lends to the graceful look of elegance to the Mau.

They are powerful athletes among their fellow felines with an uncanny leaping ability and are considered the fastest breed capable of great bursts of speed.

Despite their amazing athletic ability and physical power, the Egyptian Mau is a gentle and reserved cat. They love being a part of a family, but are wary of others. Early socialization is essential otherwise they can be easily startled by unexpected noises or events. Maus communicate pleasure or enthusiasm with a wagging tail and kneading paws, and may converse with you in a voice that chortles and trills.

A devoted family companion, Maus make great family pets. They get along well with playful children and other cat-friendly pets as long as they can keep up with the Mau’s energy.

The Egyptian Mau is the only natural domestic breed of spotted cat. The body is graceful, showing well-developed muscular strength. It strikes a balance between the heftiness of the cobby and svelteness of the oriental types. It is an alert, active, strong, colorful cat of medium size. It should be well-balanced physically and temperamentally. General balance is more to be desired than size alone.

View Full Breed Standard

The Egyptian Mau is a moderate- to highly active breed. They are athletic and love to climb and jump, making a perch or cat tree essential, otherwise they will create their own perch on top of the refrigerator or bookcases.

They are smart and observant and tend to teach themselves how to open doors and drawers. They love to play with water and are smart enough to learn how to turn on the faucet.

Despite their high energy levels, they love to sit on laps and snuggle.

TICA Regions, Clubs & Rescues

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Click here to find a club near you and contact information for your regional director and website.

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Find Egyptian Mau

Mau is the Egyptian word for cat.

The “M” shape on the forehead is called the mark of the scarab.

Egyptian Maus are the fastest domestic housecat. They’ve been clocked running at speeds up to 30 miles per hour.

The Egyptian Mau’s hind legs are longer than his front legs, giving him a characteristic tippy-toe stance.

Breed Information & Characteristics

The Egyptian Mau’s impression should be that of a colorful cat of elegant type, having a very alert appearance that gives the cat what could be best described as a regal bearing. There are five unique physical features of the breed that should be apparent at a glance. One is the brow line and characteristic eye set that gives the breed a naturally worried look. The eye color of the Mau is described as gooseberry green. Another is a flap of skin extending from the posterior end of the ribcage to the hind leg, which lends the Mau an uncanny leaping ability and makes the breed capable of great bursts of speed. The final unique attribute is the “tiptoe” stance given by the hind legs being proportionally longer than the front legs. This stance lends a grace look of elegance to the Mau.

There is little doubt that Ancient Egypt was the birthplace of the domestic feline we call the Egyptian Mau. Their ancestors are highly visible in the artworks of the Ancient Egyptians. Many of their pictures were of heavily spotted cats bearing the distinctive mascara marking and barring seen on today’s Mau. Recent findings in research studies lead by feline geneticist Leslie Lyons, PhD has confirmed that cats first originated in Egypt. There is archaeological and genetic evidence to show that cats first originated in the fertile crescent. The Egyptian Mau arrived in the United States in 1956 when Russian Princess Nathalie Troubetskoy, with help from Richard Gebhardt, imported three Maus from Italy: Two silver females, Baba and Liza, and a bronze male called JoJo. The Mau was granted recognition in The International Cat Association in 1979.

The origins and history of the Egyptian Mau are important to understanding the ideal cat to which Mau breeders aspire. Through the years, it has been challenging to meet the standard while maintaining the distinctive qualities and characteristics of the breed. This was especially difficult due to our very limited gene pool. Recent imports have broadened this gene pool and helped improve the overall quality and uniformity of our cats. This has all been a challenge to our breeders and judges, but we have met it and now the Egyptian Mau is beautiful, it is healthy, and it is winning in the show ring!!

The Egyptian Mau has often been thought of as aloof and shy. To a certain extent, the breed can be, but the breed has a special affinity with its people. It is a close bond that is so different than with other breeds. A typical Mau will command your attention. It will not allow you to push it away, as it craves the touch of the special person(s) that are his and his alone. It is the center of your world, and the Mau knows that by this he takes over your life with his incredible, but gentle persistence of being the sole factor that has any reason for existing. The breed is intensely loyal and yet happy to go about his business of being a cat. But when it is ready for you, there is no stopping the love, attention, and adoration of the Egyptian Mau is going to bestow upon you.

The Mau has an extraordinary power of scent, hearing, and sight. They are a shy sensitive cat that is easily upset by sudden loud, unpleasant noises. If you plan to show them you must start working with them at birth so that they will accept sounds and handling of the ring.

The Mau is the only natural spotted breed of domestic cat, showing good contrast between the background color and pattern. The pattern is random with any size or shape of distinct spots. They have an “M” on the forehead, often referred to as the mark of the scarab, and a dorsal stripe travels the length of the spine to the tip of the tail. Legs, tail, neck and upper chest are barred with at least one broken necklace. The haunches and shoulders show a transition between spots and stripes.

The eyes are large and alert, shaped like a slightly rounded almond, with a slant towards the base of the ear. This eye set contributes to the characteristic “worried” look of the breed. The eye color of the Mau is gooseberry green. If you have never seen a gooseberry, a green grape comes close but isn’t quite the same.

Its head is a slightly rounded, wedge-shape of a medium length. The profile has a gentle concave rise from the bridge of the nose to the forehead, not to be dishy or arrow straight. The slightly flared ears are medium to large, alert, moderately pointed and broad at the base. The hair on the outer ear is very short and close-lying that results in an almost transparent look when combined with the delicate shell pink inner color.

The Egyptian Mau is a statuesque breed that often strikes poses on the judging table. The muscular, elegant body of this graceful feline athlete is hard and lithe. When standing, the Mau has a characteristic “tiptoe” stance, with hind legs longer than the front. The body rises gradually from the back of the prominent shoulder blades to the hips. The medium-length tail tapers slightly towards the dark tip. The hair displays a lustrous sheen on all three accepted colors: silver, bronze and smoke. Its coat is medium in length; in the smoke color the coat texture is silky and fine. In the silvers and bronzes the coat is dense and resilient to the touch.

Egyptian Mau is generally a healthy breed, with the only predispositions for disease being urolithiasis, pyruvate kinase deficiency (PK-Def), and leukodystrophy a neurological condition that may appear in kittens as early as 7 weeks of age.

The Egyptian Mau has a medium-length coat. The texture of the fur varies depending on the cat’s color. Cats with smoke coloring have silky, fine fur. Cats with silver or bronze coloring have fur with a more dense, resilient texture. Brush their coat weekly to keep it shiny and healthy.

The only other grooming the Egyptian Mau needs is regular nail trimming, usually weekly, and ear cleaning if the ears look dirty. Use a gentle cleanser recommended by your veterinarian. Brush the teeth frequently with a vet-approved pet toothpaste for good overall health and fresh breath.

As with all cats, it is important to give your cat fresh, clean water daily. Fresh, clean water is best, so cats don’t hesitate to drink. If you worry about your cat drinking enough water each day, here’s a tip from some cat behaviorists: place the water bowl at least three feet away from any food. Cats’ noses are sensitive, and an overwhelming smell of food may cause them to drink less. Filtered drinking fountains can also be used in place of a water bowl.

Egyptian Mau Breed Committee (2)

Name Email
Chair: Denise Sprakerdbspraker@comcast.net
Evelyn Grado-Wolyniesegradowoly@gmail.com

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