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- Feral Cat – Egypt
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Introduction
The Egyptian Mau is famous for being one of the cat breeds with the longest recordable history, being perhaps the first domesticated cat. Of course the cat breed we see today in the West is not the same cat of ancient Egyptian times. But the Egyptian Maus persecuted on Cairo’s streets are certainly more closely related. A student in Egypt is doing research into this.
Want a quick tour? – the video above might do it.
Some experts say (in a recently published article – 2008) that the wild cat was domesticated some 9,500 years ago. If that were true the Egyptian Mau wouldn’t be the first domestic cat breed. Although at the time wild cats were domesticated there were no formally recognized domestic cat breeds.
It seems that the evidence that the Egyptian Mau is a domesticated sub-species of the African wildcat is to be found in ancient Egyptian illustrations (see video above of African wildcat). This may be fairly good evidence but probably isn’t conclusive. The African wild cat is certainly of similar size and appearance however. Indeed this recent article (4th Sept 2010) throws all the theories into the air: The Nile Valley Egyptian Cat
In any event since domestication some 4000 years ago and since being adopted by the Cat Fancy in 1953 or 1956 (and being selectively bred thereafter) its appearance has changed. Certainly the Egyptian Mau today does not have the appearance of a wild cat that has been domesticated.
This cat looks distinctly a domestic cat, although of medium to slender build (semi-foreign) and very athletic, it does not have the strong and slightly wild appearance of a wild/domestic hybrid cat, for example an F1 Savannah or the Ashera GD (the same cat incidentally).
However, two things seems sure, (a) the spotted coat has uniquely been acquired naturally (i.e. without our interference through cross-breeding) and (b) this cat is a very old established domestic cat breed. This cat has a conistent spotted pattern. It is possible that a spotted gene (Sp) produces this rather than this cat being a modified mackerel (striped) tabby cat. Careful selective breeding maintains the evenness of the spots.
Photo ©Helmi Flick | Photo ©Helmi Flick | Photo ©Helmi Flick | Photo ©Helmi Flick | |
Photos above are thumbnails |
History
Date | Event |
3,500 BC | Beginning of this breed in Egypt – uncertain. |
2000 BC | Allegedly first became a domestic cat. |
Pre- WWI | Shown in European shows. |
WWI & II | Negative impact of the World Wars on the development of this breed. |
1953 or 1956 | Egyptian Mau imported into USA by Princess Natalie Troubetskoy. Apparently she imported a female Cairo street cat to Italy and then mated the cat to a local tom1…. |
1955 | …Egyptian Mau exhibited at Rome Cat Show. This cat must have looked similar to the feral cats that inhabit Egypt today (see photo at base of page). Subsequently the princess travels to the USA with her three kittens, the offspring of the above mating. |
1968 | CFA recognize this breed. The cats that are breed in the USA are reported to be descendants of the three importations mentioned above. |
1972 | This breed wins Grand Champion in CCA Show (Canadian Cat Association). |
1977 | CFA Championship status granted (Full Status). |
Current | Recognized in the UK by GCCF. Full status in TICA. |
There is a nice connection between the goddess Bastet or Bast, the domestication of the wild cat and the Mau (which incidentally means “cat” in Egyptian). The African/Asian Wildcat still inhabits the region although obviously to a much less dense level than at the time of its possible domestication.
Bast was worshiped by a cult in the city of Bubast (or Bubastis) in the Delta region of the Nile (see below). Some experts say that this is the area that witnessed the beginnings of the domestication of the African wildcat.
In this area there is and was a high concentration of snakes so a good domestic working cat would have been very useful. See map immediately below for this location.
Photos of Starz (on left) and Luke © Helmi Flick
Appearance and Character
Considered to be the only natural spotted domestic cat, meaning not bred to be spotted. This is a medium sized short haired cat of elegance and distinction; looking extremely attractive and is described as being “semi-foreign type (see cat body types). The conformation is also described as “Modified Oriental”. Understandably, this is a very popular breed of cat, supported by the current poll on this website.
This cat has more than good looks, however, as she is claimed to be the fastest domestic cat breed (31 mph, 48 kph). This would seem to be anecdotal. Cats such as the tamed Serval (therefore domesticated on occasion) are bigger and have longer strides and are therefore, faster at 50 mph. In doesn’t surprise me that she is fast.
It would seem that the wild/domestic hybrids are very fast too. That said, all fit domestic cats can move extremely quickly for a relatively small animal. See also Cheetah Speed for some speed comparisons. The Egyptian Mau’s fur is apparently more “primitive” (evidence of the ancient origins) and cats of this breed are prone to face off danger rather than flee from it (evidence no doubt of her wild ancestor). The skin is spotted in the same pattern as the fur in common with all domestic cats.
If you look at the photographs of Starz and Luke you can see the outstanding gooseberry green eyes. Three colors are acceptable for the CFA Championship classes, Silver, Bronze and Smoke. You can see the Silver (Luke) and Bronze (Starz) above.
They have a distinctive voice, making chirping sounds and other sounds peculiar to this breed (other cats chirp too, such as the Maine Coon). The Egyptian Mau appears to demonstrate her ancient origins in some of the uniquely different anatomical features that she possesses. Apparently this cat is very sensitive to air temperature and understandably prefers very warm temperatures. She also has a longer than normal gestation period (as does the Siamese) The Egyptian Mau is recognized for her slightly worried expression, which I think you can see in the above photographs particularly Miuty (the header picture).
Update early Sept. 2008: The Wikipedia author writing an article about this cat breed makes a number of errors in my opinion. For example, he says that the Egyptian Mau is “significantly smaller than other breeds” but earlier on in the piece he says that the cat is “medium sized”. These two statements can’t be compatible and in any event this cat is not smaller than the average cat. See Largest Domestic Cat Breed for size comparisons. He also says that the Mau is the fastest of the domestic cats.
This is a very unscientific statement and almost certainly incorrect. This cat is probably a fast runner (maybe one of the fastest) but a number of other cat breeds are also going to be fast including cats that are not even breeds but plain moggies. The author’s sources are almost exclusively websites which are very incestuous in their sources of information. Great care should be exercised in using the internet for research.
He refers to the belly flap on this breed as a specific feature of this cat, which enhances running speed. Belly flaps are either loose skin related to fat loss or simply a normal feature found on many cats purebred or not -but see below. A feature of fast cats is the flexible spine (see the Savannah for instance, a cat that is almost certainly faster than the Egyptian Mau) and a lot can be learnt from the Cheetah, the fastest of land animals – see Cheetah Speed which explains why the Cheetah is fast.
Update: in relation to my comment above about the Egyptian Mau belly flap a visitor to this site, Athena, has made a valuable contribution, which I’d like other visitors to read and see: Egyptian Mau belly flap – it seems that I am incorrect – that’s fine.
He also says that the Egyptian Mau is a natural breed. It may have been but is not longer as selective breeding is very much part of the evolution of this breed. The Egyptian Mau is a feral cat in Egypt and wantonly neglected and in fact persecuted there. The coat patterns of the Egyptian Maus in Egypt are not the glamorous looking coats of the purebred American Maus but quite dull, although the basics are in place.
See a fantastic slide show of the best pictures of the Egyptian Mau cat.
Egypt
It seems that in Egypt, they are treated as plain domestic cats and not treated that well. Their future looks poor in Egypt. An Egyptian website concerned with the welfare of this cat breed in Egypt says that in ancient times it was an offense to kill or hurt this cat breed. Many were mummified.
The author says that times have changed and the Mau now faces persecution and extinction as they are not protected. There are many feral Egyptian Maus in Egypt that are being systematically poisoned by the local authorities (not much different to what happens in the West then).
What Other Visitors Have Said
Click below to see contributions from other visitors to this page…
I thought I got a snugly family cat!
I purchased a gray tiger striped kitten from a private party not knowing he was also apparently part Egyptian Mau. As he grew I began to notice the spotted…
Cairo & Isis
We adopted 2 beautiful Egyptian Maus from a breeder in Pittsburgh. They were brother & sister and spent hours sleeping together, playing and really seemed …
Egyptian Mau walks into my life
I have been interested in the Egyptian Mau breed since, funny to say, but, since the movie Catwoman with Halle Berry. I started reading up on them …
My Mau Isabella
A friend of mine said she had found a kitten in her garage. It was about six weeks old. She could not take care of it herself and was concerned that if …
Does my cat have Egyptian Mau (EM) genes in him??
Hello, I have had my cat since he was a few weeks old, he is now 7yrs of age. With all the research I’ve done it seems like he has quite a few EM traits …
My Mau, Satchamo
Hello all! At just 5 to 6 weeks of age, baby Satchamo was lost. Found in the woods, he was alone, hungry, and hissing at everything and anything that …
My Cat Attacks Visitors
We had some visitors to stay the night, but what we didn’t know was that my black Egyptian Mau cat called Mou had different ideas of the kind of people …
RW, SGC Maullenium’s Luke Mauwalker
RW, SGC Maullenium’s Luke Mauwalker, the silver mau pictured in Helmi’s pictures on your Egyptian Mau page , is our cat. We adopted him this past summer,…
Is Calla Possibly Part Mau?
I was astonished when brushing my cat that her fur was not black all the way through and I started researching. One of our cats Lily came from a rescue …
Is My Cat Part Egyptian Mau?
Hello..after seeing some pictures of Egyptian Maus I was wondering if my beautiful cat Cleopatra was part Egyptian Mau. She is small-medium sized, and …
Egyptian Mau Myths Exposed!
OK, this isn’t exactly a scientific expose, just a couple of observations based on my two Maus, who turned two a couple of weeks ago. A lot of common …
My Lovely Egyptian Mau in Egypt
A few months ago my cousin brought a cat she had a week that had been thrown in the street. Now she’s 9 months old and she is definitely an Egyptian Mau …
Egyptian Mau Kittens Lost Their Spots!
My two beloved girl Egyptian Maus are 10 yrs old. They have: Gooseberry eyes, long rear legs, abdominal skin flap, blue-gray fur with some white marking …
Is My Cat Part Egyptian Mau?
We just picked up this cat at a local shelter and she has calico markings but the shape of her head and body looks like a Egyptian Mau. What do you think….
Is my cat an Egyptian Mao? Genetic Testing?
Blue Maynard is, in my opinion, from internet research, an Egyptian Mau; he has all the characteristics and he is just plain beautiful. I believe I …
Is My Cat Part Egyptian Mau?
I think my cat is part Egyptian Mau but I’m not for sure. I think that she has the Gooseberry Green eye color and the spots and some of the face markings….
My mad Mau…
I think my cat Bibi is a natural Egyptian Mau. She’s a rescue cat – little did I know that this skinny, worm and flea-ridden “ratcat” would turn out …
Is This An Egyptian Mau?
I have this cat from a friend and I think it is an Egyptian Mau because his behaviour and look is just like this breed :). Is this cat an Egyptian …
Ninja The Black Fighter Cat
I have a all black kind of dark brown chocolate slightly striped cat. He is playful, not a talker, nor lap cat. I think he is a Black Mau… He is also …
My Thai Feral Cats Look Like Egyptian Maus
One morning there was a bony black and white cat…who came into my place, so I see she must be very hungry, so I give her some food, and from that time …
My Mutt Cat With White Feet and Belly Flap
At the moment I have been looking for what kind of cat my dear mutt is. I got her at a pet adoption fair and the woman from the shelter told me she was …
Now We Know Where Our “Duma” Got Her Lovely Spots!
We got Duma from an ad in a local grocery store! She was one of 2 females in the litter! We paid a whole $3 for her and wondered about and loved her …
Egyptian Mau Transformation
My partner and I went to a shelter to get two kittens but when we got to the top of the queue there was only one left. A lovely black and white short haired …
A Cat’s Cunning or Coincidence?
I have three wonderful cats, a seven and a half year-old moggie called Triftji, and a pair of Egyptian Maus, Sinbad and Napoleon, both eighteen months …
The Most Loving Cat
I just got two little kittens from an ad online – the mom had gotten out and got pregnant and the owners were dog lovers and very upset that they had more …
Max Our Egyptian Mau
My husband and I got Max as a 6 week old kitten from a pet store. I had no idea what breed he was, I thought he was an ordinary tabby. When we got him …
The Nile Valley Egyptian Cat
Yep, I’m the same Athena who sent you the info on the Egyptian Mau belly flap . The photo was my Ankhesenamen. A huge genetic study done in 2007 …
Cats101 – Egyptian Mau Not rated yet.I watch Cats101 on animal planet and to my surprise I saw a “Mau” who looked surprisingly like my Corsican Hybrid cat- to be honest nothing like a Mau….
My Domestic Cat Is Becoming Wild! Help Please Not rated yet .. Please see: My Thai Feral Cats Look Like Egyptian Maus and My Cat Attacks Visitors Hi, I’m not at home for days, only my wife and niece are at …
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Hi I believe my girl is Egyptian mau but I
Rescued her a year ago
If you rescued her, it is very unlikely that she’ll be a purebred Egyptian Mau. Sorry. She’ll be a regular, spotted tabby I expect which looks like an Egyptian Mau. In fact, Egyptian Maus are spotted tabby cats and you’ll see lots of then in Egypt where they are moggies. Thanks for sharing and take care.
My vet says my cat might be an Egyptian Mau mix. I know she isn’t a purebred but just wondering if she might be. She has striking almond shaped green eyes. Sorry for the bad picture but she is fast. She darts all over the place, leaping from the chair to the floor to the next chair and rarely stops
In truth it is probably more likely that she is a lively and athletic random bred tabby with an Egyptian Mau appearance. I don’t think there are any Egyptian Mau mix cats. There is no point in creating them. What that phrase means is a cat with a similar appearance to the Egyptian Mau, which is essentially a tabby cat refined by selective breeding. In Egypt you’ll see them in the street. Thanks for commenting. Your photo did not upload but I can guess what she looks like as I have been asked this question before. There is a page on this specific topic:
Is my cat part Egyptian Mau? Take care.
i luv it !!!!!!!!!!
I am in the process of adopting a 1 year old cat rescued from the shelter. She is a beautiful, long, lean, and graceful looking cat. I have been told she is a mix of Egyptian Mau and exotic shorthair with distinct tabby striping. I would post a photo but could not find that option.
Hi Jacki, thanks for the comment. Unfortunately there is no photo upload form on this site at the moment but you can upload the picture to another site like Flickr or Picasaweb and then link to it (these sites give you the code for that). Or just send email me the picture. If you want to write about your cat you can email me and attach a picture. My email is mjbmeister[at]gmail.com. Change the [at] for @. Your cat sounds lovely.