|
 Exploring
the Egyptian Mau's history takes you almost to the dawn of
civilization and the earliest bond between humans and cats.
Experts generally recognize small African wildcats as the most
likely forerunners of today's domestic cat. Felis libyca ocreata,
found in Ethiopia, fits the bill as the most tamable. Shortly
after 3000 B.C., Egyptian art depicts cats in a domestic role,
helping to fish, hunt and catch rats. By 2000 B.C., cats found
themselves at the center of a cult that placed high value on
felines.
The cat-headed Egyptian goddess, Bastet, presided over all things
feminine, especially childbearing. Her representatives were
worshipped as deities, protected by laws and mourned greatly after
death. A person who willfully planned a cat's murder faced death.
Someone who accidentally caused a cat's death faced huge fines
determined by the priests. When a privately owned cat died, the
owners shaved their eyebrows as a sign of mourning and embalmed
and mummified their companion, burying it in a sacred ground
dedicated to cats.
Native Country
Egypt
Breed Description
Head: Wedge-shaped with slightly rounded contours
and no flat surfaces. Slightly rounded forehead. Slight stop or
slope between the nose and forehead. The cheeks are not full,
except in adult males. Muzzle neither short nor pointed. Nose as
long as it is wide.
Eyes: Large, almond-shaped, neither round nor
Oriental type, set at a slight slant. Light green, gooseberry
green. Amber is allowed in young adults up to 18 months.
Neck: Very muscular and arched.
Body: Moderately long, between foreign and cobby
types. High, angular shoulders. Heavy-boned. Very muscular.
Paw: Hind legs longer than forelegs. Muscular.
Small, slightly oval paws.
Tail: Moderately long, thick at the base,
tapering slightly to the tip.
Coat: Short, fine, silky, resilient, lying very
flat against the body. At least two bands of ticking on the ground
color. Coat naturally spotted tabby. Dark, round, evenly spaced
spots on the trunk and belly. Stripes on the extremities. “M” or
scarab marking on the forehead, mascara lines on the cheeks, rings
on the tail, broken necklace on the chest, and broken rings on the
paws.
History
This
spotted cat with lovely mascara markings was deified in ancient
times Mau is the Egyptian word for cat. In fact, the ancestors of
this breed were protected, worshipped, and represented on the
monuments of ancient Egypt. Nathalie Troubetskoy, a Russian
princess exiled in Italy, obtained Egyptian Maus from Cairo in
1953, including a female named Baba and a kitten named Lisa who
were shown in Rome in 1955. In 1956, when the princess emigrated
to the United States, she brought her cats and founded the Fatima
Cattery. Baba was awarded in 1957. This rapid success encouraged
others to breed Egyptian Maus, and the breed was recognized by the
C.F.A. and by T.I.C.A., which published a standard in 1988. That
same year, the Egyptian Mau was also bred in Europe, where it is
still quite uncommon. The F.I.Fe. approved the breed in 1992. The
spotted tabby Oriental Shorthair, developed in Britain, is often
mistaken for the Egyptian Mau.
Behavior
Lively, playful, active, and well-balanced, Egyptian Maus are
neither aggressive nor nervous. They do not like agitation.
Reserved toward strangers and sociable around other cats, they are
gentle and very affectionate toward their owner. They have a soft,
pleasant voice. They require only weekly brushing. |
