Is my cat part Egyptian Mau?

by Marisa (Monroe Ny)

Cleo

Cleo

Introduction

There was a time on this website when visitors could write their own articles. Some visitors asked questions about their cat and whether they were a purebred cat or not. This is one of those articles. It begins with a question about Marisa’s cat. She wonders whether her cat is part Egyptian Mau. I answered the question and visitors to this website also answered the question. Correction, I don’t answer the question 😒😢. This is because at the time I did not think that the photographs gave me enough information. So, today, about 13 years later (now December 24, 2021) I would answer the question by saying that her cat is a beautiful tabby cat. It is almost certain that Marisa’s cat is a standard tabby cat (moggie).

Egyptian Mau street cat in Egypt
Egyptian Mau street cat in Egypt. Photo in public domain.

Of course, the Egyptian Mau is also a standard tabby cat. You will see Egyptian Mau street cats in Egypt today looking a bit like Marisa’s cat Cleopatra. They are not purebred by the criteria of the cat fancy. This is because the tabby cat is the original cat coat. And no doubt some of the tabby cats that you see in Egypt today have a history going right back to the beginning of cat domestication in the Middle East. We are talking about 10,000 years ago. And during the first several thousand years of cat domestication the only cat coat you would see would be the spotted/striped tabby; a reflection of the original wild cat coat.

RELATED: What Breed Is My Cat?

Marisa’s question

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 has the spots on her back and legs, with some line marks on her legs also. When I brush her hair back you can still see the spot on her skin. She is very loving and smart and often makes these noises not like meows, but makes sounds when she comes near, wants attention or when she jumps from things. It’s hard to explain its not a growl either but an inner sounding noise.

Her skin folds under the belly, and her front legs are longer than her back. If she is that would be really interesting because she is such a different cat, and the fact that I named her Cleopatra without even knowing this makes her even more special. I have more pictures if you need a better look. Thanks for this great site. Marisa

My response at the time

Hi Marisa. Thanks for visiting and asking. You may have seen some of the other pages where visitors ask whether their cats are purebred. You are wisely asking if Cleopatra is part purebred, which is more likely. Perhaps you might be kind enough to email me some more photos and I will then make a comment. You can see my email address here.

Best, Michael

Michael Avatar

Comments for Is My Cat Part Egyptian Mau?

Average Rating

Click here to add your own comments

Aug 06, 2010 RatingMy Beautiful Ellieby: Linda Ellie came to me by my daughter Aimee. Aimee brought Ellie home, and she refused to use the litter box, and it was very frustrating. Then one day Aimee flipped a hair bow across the room, and Ellie ran did a tumble, picked the hairbow up in her mouth, and brought it back to Aimee!!!!! From that day on for 8 years, Ellie will fetch hairbows… sometimes the hairbows are so big, she has to walk straddling them to return them. One day Ellie had kittens, and all died but one. We named that kitten, MING, because thats how her meow sounds. One day Meng brings me a turkey feather and lays it by my hand… and I throw it across the room…. next thing I know, Meng has brought the turkey feather back placed it next to my hand, and scratches my hand with her paw to throw it again, and we do this for hours. Genetics, huh? Isnt it amazing@!!!!! These are the smartest most lovingest cats I have ever seen!!!!! They are truly my family, and the joys of my life. They are special, I dont know if they dont know they are cats, or if they think they are human, but sometimes I think Ellie thinks she if my mother.HA. These are special spiritual cats, and none of them should be killed!!!! Maybe the bad people who are killing them fear something about these cats. Seems like whomever would harm them would be cursed and their children as well. Thank you so much. Linda {note from Admin: this is a submission under Egyptian Maus that I have converted to a comment}

Jul 16, 2010 RatingVery very close!by: Phil (London) Hi Marisa, I only just noticed this post so sorry for the late reply. Of all the ‘Is my cat an Egyptian Mau’ queries on the site lately, Cleopatra is the one that looks like a Mau the most! She may well have some, or a lot, of Mau in her genes – or she might be a tabby that has broken mackerel stripes that look like spots. As Finn mentioned, I do have two purebred Maus, but that doesn’t qualify me as an expert, so take what I say in the light of that. I would also point you towards the website of the Egyptian Mau Rescue Organization and their ‘Adoptions’ page; EMRO rescues cats from the streets of Cairo and other cities in Egypt, and many of these street cats are feral Maus, or as I like to call them, ‘egyptian maus’ (without capital letters) – many spotted cats there. It’s a bit of a muddy area really; as things stand, and as I understand things, an ‘Egyptian Mau’ is a purebred cat. However, the feral cats of Cairo can quite accurately be called ‘egyptian maus’, as mau is the Egyptian word for cat! She’s a lovely cat, by the way – what an amazing fluke in your choice of name!



 

Jul 16, 2010 RatingVery very close!by: Phil (London) Hi Marisa, I only just noticed this post so sorry for the late reply. Of all the ‘Is my cat an Egyptian Mau’ queries on the site lately, Cleopatra is the one that looks like a Mau the most! She may well have some, or a lot, of Mau in her genes – or she might be a tabby that has broken mackerel stripes that look like spots. As Finn mentioned, I do have two purebred Maus, but that doesn’t qualify me as an expert, so take what I say in the light of that. I would also point you towards the website of the Egyptian Mau Rescue Organization and their ‘Adoptions’ page; EMRO rescues cats from the streets of Cairo and other cities in Egypt, and many of these street cats are feral Maus, or as I like to call them, ‘egyptian maus’ (without capital letters) – many spotted cats there. It’s a bit of a muddy area really; as things stand, and as I understand things, an ‘Egyptian Mau’ is a purebred cat. However, the feral cats of Cairo can quite accurately be called ‘egyptian maus’, as mau is the Egyptian word for cat! She’s a lovely cat, by the way!

Jul 03, 2010 RatingCleoby: Maggie Sharp Your Cleo looks a lot like my mother’s cat, Mae. (see https://pictures-of-cats.org/marvellous-miss-mae.html Mae is simply a brown spotted tabby, and I think your Cleo is too. A lot of people come here asking what breed their cat is, when really their cat is a moggie. Which are far greater in number than pedigree cats.

Jun 30, 2010 RatingElegant Cleopatraby: Finn Frode, Denmark Hi Marisa. Your Cleopatra is a very elegant spotted cat – and loving too from what you tell. She looks like a real lady. That the spots are visible on the skin too is not so unusual – on the hairless Sphynx cats that actually looks kinda funny. I think you should also read the article on https://pictures-of-cats.org/what-breed-is-my-cat2.html – especially Phil’s comments as he knows this breed real well. He has two purebred Maus if I recall correctly. 😉 Whatever Cleopatra may be, you have a beautiful cat that has become special to you. And isn’t that all that matters? 😉 Finn Frode avatar

Jun 30, 2010 RatingLooks like a Mauby: Anonymous Pretty Kitty Looks like a Egyptian Mau



Click here to add your own comments

Leave a Comment

follow it link and logo