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Getting a Cat or Kitten
17 min read
| Family-friendly: | 2/5 |
| Playfulness: | 4/5 |
| Intelligence: | 4/5 |
| Tendency to Vocalise: | 2/5 |
| Likes Other Pets: | 3/5 |
| Grooming needs: | 2/5 |
| Shedding: | 3/5 |
Egyptian Mau
Small to medium-sized with a dense short coat, the Egyptian Mau is one of the few naturally spotted breeds of domestic cat. They are elegant and athletic looking, with neat rounded paws and a lean, muscular build. The striking markings and large round eyes give them the appealing if slightly worried look that is typical of the breed.
Lifespan
12 - 15 years
Weight
2.7 - 6kg
Colours
Come in six colours, silver, bronze, smoke, black, caramel and blue/pewter, however silver is the most common.
The need-to-know
- Benefits from an experienced owner
- Enjoys playing games and is active at home
- Highly active and inquisitive cat
- Independent but friendly
- Slightly talkative cat
- Lean and elegant cat
- Requires grooming once a week
- A bit of both indoor and outdoor space
- Not ideal for family homes
- Can be regularly left for a few hours
- Needs a calm environment
Generally healthy breed
The Egyptian Mau cat can be affected by:
- Pyruvate kinase deficiency which causes anaemia in other breeds but, so far, does not seem to adversely affect the health of the Egyptian Mau.
Testing available:
- DNA testing for pyruvate kinase deficiency which tests whether or not a cat has the potential to be affected by this condition.
Personality
Playful and fun-loving, the Mau has distinctly dog like characteristics, they will enjoy a game of fetch, learning to retrieve thrown toys, and they often adore playing in, and with, water! The Mau is also a loyal and very friendly cat, loving a lap to curl up on and particularly enjoying snuggling into any warm spot, laptop case, duvet, by the fire or anywhere else they can find one. Another feature of the breed is their musical voice, they will chirp and chortle, chirrup and chat away, not in a demanding or strident way but a familiar and conversational sort of sound whilst interacting with their favourite people.
Supposedly derived from the street cats of Egypt, the Egyptian Mau does bear a close resemblance to the cats depicted in ancient Egyptian art, however the breed was actually developed after World War 2. The feline genome data demonstrates that the Egyptian Mau belongs to a group of Western-derived breeds, including the Maine Coon, Korat and Turkish Angoras.
By the 1990’s there were breeders across the world, including the USA, Canada, Japan and Europe, however the breed did not appear in the UK until 1998. They were fully recognised by the Governing Council of the Cat Fancy in 2006 and remain a rare breed in Britain with fewer than 200 kittens registered each year.
The Mau will benefit from a fully secure garden, or built-on ‘catio’, ideally accessible at all times. This is a cat who has the skills to cope outdoors, but is far too friendly and striking in appearance to be given free, unsecured access to the great-outdoors.
The Egyptian Mau loves company and particularly helping, supervising and overseeing human activity, with commentary as needed. Providing cat-gyms, trees and climbing frames as well as a variety of snuggly warm sleeping areas will help meet their needs but the Mau wants to interact with you too, so try clicker training, using food dispensing toys that fulfil hunting and prey-capture behaviours, and ‘fishing’ toys, mice and feathers on strings.
Every cat is unique and each has their own particular likes, dislikes, and needs when it comes to food. However, cats are carnivores and every cat must obtain 41 different and specific nutrients from their food. The proportion of these nutrients will vary depending on age, lifestyle and overall health, so it's not surprising that a growing, energetic kitten needs a different balance of nutrients in her diet than a less active senior cat. Other considerations to bear in mind are feeding the right quantity of food to maintain 'ideal body condition' in accordance with feeding guidelines and catering to individual preference regarding wet or dry food recipes.
A groom through with a pin or stiff bristle brush once a week will keep the Mau in top condition and allow you to check for scrapes and minor skin injuries as well as being good bonding time with your cat.
Remember that a greasy coat can be evidence that your cat is no longer attempting to groom themselves, which can be indicative of poor or failing health. As with all cats, the Egyptian Mau will benefit from regular vaccination, parasite control and an annual veterinary health check.
A little too skittish and sensitive for the busy, boisterous family with very young children, the Egyptian Mau would suit an older family with someone home most of the time, and sensible older children. You’ll need to like a cat that actively involves itself in whatever you are doing, as this is no ornamental kitty!
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