Egyptian cats are closely related to the history of the country whose name they are named. It is believed that it was there that they were domesticated. And according to some, they first appeared in Egypt, being a hybrid obtained from the cross of a reed cat and an African-European cat.
Considering the "good genius" of any housing, Egyptian cats were the guardians of this focus, and when they died their natural death, mourning was declared in the family, and all its members cut their hair. For animals, special cemeteries were provided where funerals were held with special honors. All this honor and respect is explained by the fact that Egypt, being an agrarian state, suffered great tribulations from rodents. And it was cats that helped save the crop from them. The mummies of these pets were found even in the tombs of some pharaohs. And today they can be found in large numbers on the narrow streets of cities.
About four thousand years ago, Egyptian cats were much larger than today, and at first they were quite wild. However, the Egyptians, apparently, selected the most affectionate representatives, received offspring from them and left them at home, gradually turning them into domestic ones.
The researchers found that during the domestication, Egyptian cats underwent some anatomical changes - for example, their brain became smaller, especially those areas that were responsible for the state of alertness. the adrenal glands producing adrenaline have also decreased, and therefore today the cat is no longer as aggressive and explosive as in those days.
The word "Mau" means in Arabic a cat. It is said that today's representatives of these baleen and clawed pets are Egyptian ancestors, from whom a new Egyptian breed of cats, which has medium sizes, a very graceful body and spotty color, began to count. By nature, these purring creatures are very energetic, agile, very fond of playing and always being in the company of their master, but they do not attract outsiders too much, showing caution and restraint towards them.
The cat breed Egyptian Mau in Europe appeared since 1956, when one of the cats imported from Egypt was crossed with a local cat. These are balanced, restrained and friendly animals that respond very well to training. Mau will get along well with those people who like to spend most of their time at home with their families. They are happy to lie on the lap of their masters, get along well with children. Their distinctive feature is a spotted skin that makes them look like little leopard cubs, as well as a “scarab” pattern on the head, an M-shaped pattern on the forehead and an inverted W between the ears. Another sign of the breed is two long strips from the cheekbones to the eyes. The coat color has three different shades - pewter, smoky and bronze.
When instituting a cat of the Egyptian Mau breed, it is imperative to take into account the fact that they do not adapt well to winter cold - after all, their ancestors have lived in countries with a hot climate for centuries, so those who nevertheless decided to purchase them should definitely monitor their health and in the offseason, and in winter.
Today, representatives of this breed are not found very often in Europe, they are mainly distributed in Germany, Holland, France and Italy. But in the US, Mau is very popular.
Being a short-haired breed, Mau are very fond of when they are looked after. Their coat is thin enough, so the owner is easy enough to do this. In order for your cat’s fur to shine, you need to bathe it regularly and feed it with special vitamins that help strengthen your teeth and the cat’s main weapon - claws.