Egyptian Mau

The Egyptian Mau (mau is the Egyptian word for cat) has been clearly identified in the artwork of the ancient Egyptians. This leads many experts to believe that the Egyptian Mau was domesticated by this culture from a spotted subspecies of the African Wild Cat.

The role of the Egyptian Mau in the religion, mythology, and everyday life of the Egyptian conveys the degree of affection and respect in which these cats were held. They were worshipped as gods, cherished as pets, protected by laws, and mummified and mourned upon their death. Their history in North America began with their importation in 1956 by the exiled Russian princess, Nathalie Troubetskoy.

The Egyptian Mau has the distinction of being the only natural spotted breed of domestic cat. An extremely intelligent animal, the Mau places a great importance on family, both human and their own, and is fiercely loyal in his devotion to them.

This moderately active cat has an elegant body that is randomly spotted, banded legs and tail and green eyes. They are medium sized and males tend to be larger than females.

The Egyptian Mau has medium length fur and comes in three show colors: silver, bronze and smoke. Other colors include solid black, blue silver, blue spotted, blue smoke and solid blue.

For more Egyptian Mau photos see our Egyptian Mau slideshow!