Egyptian Mau Ancient Egyptian Cat Breeds

The egyptian mau is the fastest and only naturally occurring spotted breed of domestic cat.

Egyptian mau ancient egyptian cat breeds. Ancient egypt was the birthplace of this regal looking cat breed which we all know by the name egyptian mau. The egyptian mau mau being the egyptian word for cat is notable for being the only naturally spotted domesticated cat. Egyptian maus are a small to medium sized short haired cat breed. They are the only domestic cat that has naturally occurring spots giving them an exotic appearance.

This breed is the only domestic one of its kind with the other one being the bahraini dilmun cat which comes from bahrain. Mau is a fitting name for the breed in egyptian it means cat. The mau cat is probably the most popular of the egyptian cat breeds of which there are records in the murals that have been discovered about the past of this civilization. In other words the spotting pattern was not created by human manipulation of feline genes.

The ancestors of this cat were depicted in paintings sculptures and artworks of ancient egypt and had the unique spotted coats with kohl eyes and can be easily visible in today s egyptian mau. 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. It is considered a rare breed. The cats were known in europe before world war ii but the devastation of the war left the breed in a perilous state.

It s one of the most expensive cats in the world. In egyptian the word mau means cat this striking and dignified cat resembles the cats worshipped by the ancient egyptians. Egyptian mau physical characteristics. The egyptian mau is the most popular of all egyptian cat breeds.

This long graceful cat stands out in a crowd due to its unique spots and markings. The egyptian mau got its name from the egyption word for cat. The egyptian mau fascinates many cat lovers not only because of its rich history which began in ancient egypt but because of its good nature and unique appearance. They are one of the few naturally spotted breeds of domesticated cat.

The spots of the mau occur on only the tips of the hairs of its coat. Egyptian mau cat is one of the breeds that look very much like their ancient ancestors the common ancestor of all domestic cats. This intelligent breed generally gets along well with other cats and is considered a good choice as a friendly and loyal addition for homes with children. Mau is the word they used to call cats similar to the sound these domestic cats make.

These spots come in a variety of shapes be they round or oblong. The mau is a natural breed derived from the modern street cats of egypt. In ancient egypt around 4000 years bc small cats of the genus felis first began their close and long lasting association with man. More than that the characteristic mark of an m sits on this cat breed s forehead which looks similar to that of a scarab.

Similar looking spotted cats are depicted in ancient egyptian paintings and described in hieroglyphs suggesting that the origins of the mau go way back to when cats were first domesticated. Part of the attraction of the egyptian mau is the romantic history of the breed and the possibility that maus trace their ancestry directly back to the cats first domesticated by the ancient egyptians.