EGYPTIAN MAU

This spotted cat with lovely mascara markings was deified in ancient timesMau 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.

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.
Body:Moderately long, between foreign and cobby types. High, angular shoulders. Heavy-boned. Very muscular.
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.