Mau is the Egyptian word for cat and this breed is fascinating for a number of reasons. Not only does it have a very formidable history, cats of this breed are also delightful to know and striking to behold. Images of these cats are seen everywhere in Egyptian art, reflecting their importance in the religion, mythology and everyday life of this ancient culture. As such, they were worshipped as deities, cherished as pets and mummified and mourned upon their death. It is believed that these cats were domesticated from a spotted subspecies of the African Wild Cat.
They differ from other cats anatomically, metabolically and in their behavior. They are, for example, very fond of warm temperatures and thrive best in that environment. They are also more sensitive to medicines and anesthesia and their gestational period is much longer than other cats (73 days). Their voices are very musical and their vocalizations unusual. When stimulated, Maus will chirp and chortle, but never meow. When Maus are happy, they show a “wiggle-tail,” which is produced by moving the back legs up and down, appearing to be marking territory.
Purebred Maus are relatively rare, numbering worldwide about 3.000. They come in five colors: silver, smoke, bronze, black and pewter. All Maus have green eyes. The body is muscular and of medium length, with hind legs longer than the front. This gives these cats the appearance of standing on tiptoes when upright. These longer hind legs are the reason they are so fast, and they can run up to 31 miles per hour!
In 2004, in the movie, “Catwoman”, the cat named Midnight was played by three Egyptian Maus as well as one computer=generated Mau.
Do YOU own an Egyptian Mau cat? Please share your experiences.
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