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Egyptian
Mau Cat
Egyptian Mau Cats
are a medium-sized short-haired cat breed. They are the only naturally
spotted breed of domesticated cat.
The spots on an Egyptian Mau cat are not
just on the coat; a shaved Mau has spots on its skin.
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Egyptian
Mau Cat
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The Ocicat
is very similar in appearance to the Egyptian Mau, but was the product of
selective breeding which led to its spots.
Another similar looking breed is
the Bengal cat, but this
breed tends to be considerably larger.
Egyptian Mau Cats are the fastest breed of
domestic cat, capable of running at 36 mph.
The next fastest breed is the American
Shorthair which has a top speed of 31 mph.
For comparison, giraffes also
run at 36 mph.
Egyptian Mau Cats are powerful cats for their size, alert and
active. Males are usually somewhat larger than females.
The Egyptian Mau Cats breed conformation is described by The
Cornell Book of Cats as
"a balance between the
compactness of a Burmese
and the slim elegance of a Siamese.
Its medium-length body is muscular, with the hind legs longer than the
front, giving the Mau the appearance of standing on tiptoes when
upright".
Egyptian Mau Cat has longer hind legs
being another reason for
the breed's startling speed.
The Egyptian Mau Cat also has a loose flap of
skin on the lower abdomen, similar to the cheetah,
which allows a longer stride while running, again contributing to its great
speed.
The recently developed American
Keuda breed also sports such a flap.
An Egyptian Mau Cat running at full speed is
impressive, with incredible acceleration.
Egyptian Mau Cats are thought by many to be
one of the progenitor breeds of the modern domestic cat.
They have
anatomical, metabolic and behavioral differences from other cat breeds which
could be considered as evidence of antiquity or at least uniqueness from
other cat breeds.
Besides those already mentioned, Egyptian
Mau cats are more temperature sensitive than most breeds - they are fond of very
warm temperatures. They are more sensitive to medicines and anesthesia.
Egyptian Mau cats also have an unusually long gestational period. The maximum
normal period for cats is 69 days, although Siamese may take a day or two
longer. For an Egyptian Mau Cat, 73 days is still considered normal.
Egyptian
Mau cats often possess very musical
voices. They are known to chirp, chortle and emit other distinctly unusual
vocalizations when stimulated.
Another behavior, quite common in happy Egyptian Mau Cats,
has been described as "wiggle-tail." The cat, male or female,
moves its back legs up and down, and appears to be marking territory, also
known as spraying, but it is not actually releasing urine. Even veteran
Egyptian Mau cat owners are known to check after a joyous Mau does this little
dance.
Purebred Egyptian
Mau cats are a relatively
rare breed.
Currently, the number of registered Egyptian Mau cats worldwide is
probably about 3000 (?).
Egyptian Mau Cats come in five colors: silver, smoke and bronze,
which are eligible for showing, and black and blue, which are not, but which
can be used in breeding.
All Egyptian Mau cats must have green eyes, but an
amber cast is acceptable in kittens and young adults, up to age 1 1/2 years.
In the 2004 movie
Catwoman, the cat
'Midnight' who brought Patience Phillips back to life as Catwoman was played
by three Egyptian Mau cats, as well as a computer-generated Mau.
The movie
reveals that the ancient Egyptian Mau cat breed has the (fictional) ability,
through its connection with the Egyptian goddess Bast, to revive worthy dead
women as super-powered Catwomen.
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