The Egyptian Mau Origin
and History of a Mystifying Breed

The Egyptian Mau is a breed that is intertwined with lore and mystic history. The ancient Egyptians revered and worshipped the cat, and considered the species a personification of God on earth. These precious animals were treated as royalty and shown the utmost reverence and respect. Research suggests that the very cats that roamed the halls of Egyptian palaces can be traced to today’s Egyptian Mau cats. A look at ancient Egyptian archeology and history points to several hints that these cats kept company with the great Pharaohs of Egypt. Many scientists believe that the heavy eyeliner that the Egyptians decorated themselves with was done to emulate the markings around the eyes of the cats that they so valued. It has also been suggested that the “M” marking typical of the Egyptian Mau breed can sometimes resembles the scarab beetle. While no written proof has yet been found to determine if in fact the Egyptian Mau was companion to the Pharaohs, wall paintings from ancient Egypt seem to suggest a link.

The oldest of the spotted domestic cats, the Mau is in a class of its own. It is one of the few exotic spotted breed cats that have not been out crossed with wild cats. The Egyptian Mau made its debut in the United States when they were first brought here by Russian Princess, Nathalie Troubetskoy. As a gift, she received a little spotted kitten in a shoebox. Upon further inquiry she learned that the precious gift was an Egyptian Mau. Fascinated by these cats, she worked tirelessly to promote and breed the cat in the United States. While the Mau has gained more attention since the Princess first brought them over, the breed is still very rare compared to other breeds. According to CFA figures in 2008 there were a total number of 7,325 Egyptian Mau cats registered and in the same year only 288 new cats were registered.