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5/6/09

Egyptian Mau Cat



The Egyptian Mau cat breed is an ancient, rare breed of cat known for the distinctive spotted coat as well as being the fastest running housecat breed.

Egyptian Mau Behavior/Personality

Source: Wikipedia

The most striking behavioral features of Egyptian Maus are their great running speed, and their voices: they have been said to chirp, sing, and chortle. They are also said to strongly prefer warm temperatures.

Egyptian Mau Breed Standard/Physical Description

Here are some facts on the Egyptian Mau breed based on information in Wikipedia

The Egyptian Mau cat breed is the only spotted-fur officially recognized cat breed to have developed in the wild rather than due to selective breeding. The spots extend beneath the fur: shaved cats also have spots on their skin. They are also the fastest of the housecat breeds; the fastest Maus have been clocked at 36 miles/hour (this is also the speed at which giraffes run!). Their hind legs are longer than their forelegs, which is largely the reason for their impressive speed. Their lower abdomens have a loose skin flap which also allows them to run faster, since it permits a longer stride.

There are five fur coat colors for Egyptian Maus: silver, smoke, bronze, blue, and black. The last two colors are not considered "show" colors, though cats with these coats may still breed. Adult Maus all have green eyes.

Egyptian Mau History

Source: Wikipedia

Egyptian Maus are arguably the oldest cat breed, going back thousands of years in Egypt, where they roamed feral for most of that time. Some people speculate that Egyptian Maus were the ancestors of modern housecats. Today, purebred Maus are relatively rare; there may only be 3,000 of them anywhere on earth. In the 1980s, Egyptian Maus were one of the cat breeds included in the breeding program for the new cat breed, the American Keuda.

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