Breed of the week - The Egyptian Mau

Tracing its roots back thousands of years, this breed is considered one of the most “natural,” without crossbreeding assistance from mankind, and therefore remains a relatively rare and pure breed. With a gait similar to that of a cheetah, a silky fur coat decorated in glossy spots and eyes that can change from gooseberry green to turquoise blue depending on its mood, the Egyptian Mau cat is clearly an unusual breed.

While there isn’t any concrete documentation of the Egyptian Mau’s origin, it is speculated that the breed is a descendent of wild African cats. The modern day Egyptian Mau was “discovered” by an exiled Russian princess named Nathalia Troubetskaya in 1952. By 1968, the Egyptian Mau had achieved recognition at several different venues, especially in the USA.

Highly intelligent, the Egyptian Mau display a dog-like personality, greeting family members at the door, shadowing them and overall striving to be a people pleaser. This breed does get along well with small children and other pets, if socialized from a young age.

The Egyptian Mau's fur coat, which is short with a sil, fine texture, can be black, smoke, bronze, spotted tabby or silver spotted tabby. The breed weights on average 5 to 11 pounds.

Did you know ?The Egyptian Mau is the fastest of the domestic cats, with its longer hind legs, and unique flap of skin extending from the flank to the back knee, which assists in running by allowing the legs to stretch back farther, providing for greater agility and length of stride. Maus have been clocked running more than 48 km/h (30 mph).

Xoxo, Alice