| Country of Origin: | Egypt |
| Colors: | Silver, Bronze, Smoke |
| Average Size: | Weight: : 8-12 lbs (3.6- 5.44 kg) Length: medium |
| Life Span: | 9-13 yrs. |
| Coat: | Short |
| Personality: | Love to fetch, love any play activity that mimics hunting behavior |
| Characteristics: | Energy: High Talkative: Moderate Kid Friendly: Yes Allergic: No |
Dot striped patterns can be seen on many cat breeds, but only one can be considered a natural dotted breed of unintentional product of modern breeders. Egyptian Mau cat is one of the breeds that look very much like their ancient ancestors, the common ancestor of all domestic cats. “Mau” is a fitting name for the breed – in Egyptian it means “cat”!
Egyptian Mau cat came to the United States in the early fifties of the 20th century, and was brought by a Russian immigrant, Nathalie Troubetskoy, who while being in Cairo was mesmerized with dotted patterns of street cats that roamed the city.
In the 1953 the first pair of Mau cats, named Gepa and Ludol, arrived to the United States, but will take another 15 years before the first association of cat lovers – CFF officially recognized the breed, and another 10 years before the Egyptian Mau cat is recognized in Britain.
Mau is a slender and graceful cat, medium sized and muscular, and its body type is not dense or oriental. Also, their face is not rounded or wedge-shaped, and the nose is of the same width from the top to the forehead. On the head is clearly visible the “M” sign, and the intricate pattern of dots.
Unusually large, green eyes that change color from dark to pale green as the cat ages, are accentuated by a clear “line of mascara” resembling a bit of Cleopatra makeup what we see in the movies.
However, the most interesting part of their appearance are dots along the pelvic going in symmetrical lines to blend later at the beginning of the tail, where the points are converted into strips. Although judges in exhibitions require that the points on the hips are round and evenly spaced.
Accepted colors for Egyptian Mau cats are silver (black dots on a silver background), black (chocolate dots on a bronze background) and smokey (black dots on a gray background, with a silver undercoat). Smokey Egyptian Mau cats are different from other breeds of smokey cats because instead of a solid color with striped patterns, they are clearly barred. Silvery white undercoat can be seen just to create contrast, and nothing more.
Egyptian Mau cats are very friendly, although sometimes they can be pretty reserved!
