This male Cat is Ra himself, and he was called "Mau"
because of the speech of the god Sa, who said concerning him: "He
is like (mau) unto that which he hath made"; therefore, did the
name of Ra become "Mau".
(The Papyrus of Ani, 240 BC, The Egyptian Book of the Dead)
History
"Mau" is simply the Egyptian word for cat. By examining the mummified
cats found in Egypt, it has been shown, that the Mau is actually the
cat domesticated from a spotted sub-species of the African Wild Cat
(felix lybica). It is probably the ancestor of all our domestic cats.
The pictures in hieroglyphs are very similar to the modern Mau. Egyptian
Mau is the only naturally spotted breed of domestic cat. The earlier
modern Mau population was based on only a few cats imported from Egypt
to the United States in the 1950's. Since then, breeders have imported
new cats from Egypt to enlarge the genetic pool of the breed. This has
helped the breed to remain healthy and viable. The breed was accepted
by CFA in 1978 and by FIFe in 1992. In the USA the breed is more common
than in Europe. In Finland the breed has been very small but we are
hoping to increase it's popularity in the future.
Appearance And Characteristics
Egyptian Mau is a medium size muscular cat. Accepted colours are silver
(MAU ns 24), bronze (MAU n 24) and smoke (MAU ns) spotted tabbies. Black
Maus are acceptable in breeding programs in some organizations, but
they are not eligible for shows. Hair is short and shiny and very dense
in silver and bronze cats and softer and silkier in smoke. The spots
come in various size and shape but they have to be clearly separated
by the basic colour. One or more broken necklaces are seen in the chest.
Big almond shape eyes are gooseberry green in colour. In young cats
yellowish eye colour is acceptable until one and half years of age.
Ears are medium or large in size and continue the planes of the head.
The head is medium in length with gentle contour in the profile and
slightly rounded forehead. The overall look of the Egyptian Mau is alert
and well balanced. Egyptian Maus are said to be very intelligent and
affectionate to their family. At first they may be a little shy with
strangers. They get along well with other pets. Male cats are tender
fathers and help the female to take care of their offspring if allowed
to. Maus are often very fond of water. Most of them love to ride on
their owners shoulder.