I wanted to try something new so here it is - dog/cat breed a week articles! The idea of doing this is information and displaying some Deviant's works that you might not see otherwise Please feel free to suggest the next breed to be featured! I will be alternating between dogs and cats so week 2 will be a dog breed! Please post your requests before Thursday night.



                                                                                       The Egyptian Mau

                                                                                            



                                                                                               History

                                                                                             

The Egyptian Mau is a short haired domestic cat that is thought to have the oldest and most interesting history. It is believed that they are were domesticated from a spotted subspecies of African Wild Cat and their pedigree can be traced back through Egyptian art and architecture, a papyrus from 1100 BC shows Ra as a spotted cat killing an evil snake. Like pet owners to this day they were cherished pets and were even mummified when they died and worshipped as deities.
The Egyptian Mau was first developed in Europe in the 1900s but were almost driven to extinction during World War II. Thanks to a woman named Princess Nathalie Troubetsky, a princess exiled from Russia during the war the breed lived on - she brought with her to Rome a tiny spotted kitten in a shoe box. She began researching the breed, fascinated by the beauty and historical significance behind the Mau she decided to try and rescue the breed. When she moved to the United States in 1956, she took 3 Egyptian Maus from her stock that she bred in Rome and one from Egypt. She founded a cattery in the US and worked hard to promote the rare breed and in 1957 she exhibited her cat (Liza) at the Empire Cat Club show in New York City. Cat fanciers throughout took interest in the breed but struggled due to such a small gene pool and the difficulties of obtaining such a cat from it's country of origin. Some inbreeding and out crossing occurred and they were selectively breed to remove temperament problems that were found in the bloodlines.



                                                                                             Appearance

                                                                                              

It is thought that the ancient Egyptian women designed their eye makeup to reflect the markings on the Egyptian Mau's face. When looked at from the front two "mascara" lines around their cheeks - the first begins at the corner of the eyes and follows the cheek to below the ear. Because of their breeding with tabbies to try and broaden the gene pool they have the characteristic "M" on the forehead which was named the scarab beetle mark. This cat breed has rather large pointy ears that are broad at the base and pale green almond shaped eyes that slant towards the ears slightly. The Egyptian Mau's most beautiful characteristic is the random spots littering its body. This cat has three main colourations which have the usual spotted patterning that is often associated with tabbies. The spots should be well defined, the base colour is made up of banded hairs with black tips. They should have at least two bands on each hair. The female always tends to be slightly smaller and more slender than the males. This is the fastest cat among the domestic breeds, long hind legs and the unique flap of skin that runs from flank to back knee contribute to speed.

                                                                                               Colours

                                                                                    Bronze -
                                                                            Black Smoke -
                                                                                        Silver -


                                                                                      Character/Temperament

                                                                                                

The Egyptian Mau is very dog-like in it's behaviour and once served as duck hunters in Egypt. They have been known to play fetch and even wag their tails - they are the easiest to leash train too! They have really soft voices until they do not like something and will tell you if they do not want something. They are extremely talkative and have a large range of vocal sounds. Egyptian Maus are an extremely family orientated and loving cat but will take a while to warm up to new faces.
If introduced to the outdoors at a young age this breed is rarely killed or in danger because of their intelligence and built in reponses, they are usually too busy catching mice and rats. As kittens they are known to test their ability to scratch and attack things so should be provided with long, dog toys so they can practice. They tend to do better as lone cats or with a sibling as they do not often like other cats or animals in their home.


                                                                                                 Health

                                                                                               

The Egyptian Mau is more sensitive to temperature change than other breeds and tend to prefer the warm. They are also more sensitive to medication and anesthesia so be aware of this when you talk to your vet. Other than this they are a rather healthy breed and there are no concerns linked to this breed.

                                                                                          Breeding and kittens

                                                                                                

According to research, Egyptian Maus have an unusually long gestation (pregnancy) period, around 73 days. The maximum with normal breeds is 65-67 days. The usual litter size for a Mau is between 2 and 6 but can be 1 or more. They tend to have easy births but problems can occur with any breed.

((Please feel free to check out the Deviants who's works have been used in this post )

Why not post your pictures of Egyptian Maus?