Egyptian Mau

An organization in Egypt, ERMO, rescues homeless cats from the streets. They call the rescued cats “Egyptian Maus.” However, most of those rescued cats are mixed breeds but are called Egyptian Maus because mau means “cat” in Arabic. The rescued cats in Egypt and the Egyptian Maus in the United States are not the same thing, a common misconception in the cat world.

Common Characteristics

  • Size: 1 to 20 pounds
  • Lifespan: 16 to 25 years
  • Pet purchase cost: $1000+
  • Allergies: Severe
  • Shedding: Moderate
  • Primarily suited for indoors

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Common Reasons for Surrender

Egyptian Maus have an abundance of energy and demand attention. Younger Maus will need a lot of exercise. A bored Mau is likely to get into trouble. Many people adopt an Egyptian Mau without knowing anything about the breed and their care. When they realize how high energy and demanding a Mau is, they surrender their cat to a shelter or a rescue.

Pros

Egyptian Maus are an interactive, intelligent breed that loves their families, making them an ideal companion. The breed has earned a reputation for being similar to dogs because of their personalities. Most enjoy entertaining their humans with their antics and are affectionate and playful. Typically quiet, the Egyptian Mau requires little grooming.

Cons

The Egyptian Mau’s intelligence is often a double-edged sword. A Mau who doesn’t get enough exercise and who becomes bored will get into trouble. Many will open cupboards and sliding doors. They generally do not do well in a home with children, especially young children, as they tend to be skittish. A young child darting around, yelling, and being a typical child will scare a Mau.

Diet

Feed your Mau, particularly a male, a high quality canned food that contains added water, which will reduce the risk of urate stones and a urinary tract blockage. Many Maus gain weight very quickly after being spayed or neutered, so treats should not be given often. Small pieces of boiled chicken are popular treats as are commercial treats such as Temptations and Pounce.

 Exercise

The more exercise your Mau gets the happier she will be. Egyptian Maus can run at speeds of more than 30 miles per hour, making them the fastest domestic cat in the world. Maus love to run, to hunt, and to play with cat toys like wands and laser toys.

Possible Health Issues                                                                                               

While generally a healthy breed, Maus are prone to bladder stones. Be sure your Mau, especially a male, gets plenty of water in his diet. Canned wet food is good for ensuring a Mau gets the extra water he needs.

Grooming

Egyptian Maus require very little grooming. Brush your Mau daily to minimize shedding. Running your brush through your cat’s hair a couple of times is sufficient.

Training

The Egyptian Mau’s intelligence makes training fairly easy. Most will play fetch without ever being trained to do so. In fact, the breed recently earned the top spot at the Cat Fanciers’ Association agility competition.

Entertainment

Give your Mau a toy with a wand, and she’ll have a blast leaping in the air and chasing after it. Maus enjoy hunting, so find games during playtime that allow your cat to run and to pounce. Fetch is a popular game with most Maus.

We want to thank KairoKats Egyptian Maus for help with this profile.

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