Egyptian Maus are a small to medium-sized short-haired cat breed. They are one of the few naturally spotted breeds of domesticated cat. The spots of the Mau occur on only the tips of the hairs of its coat. It is considered a rare breed. Egyptian Maus are considered by proponents to be one of the progenitor breeds of the modern domestic cat.[2] The breed conformation is described as "a balance between the compactness of a Burmese and the slim elegance of a Siamese. Its medium-length body is muscular, with the hind legs longer than the front, giving the Mau the appearance of standing on tiptoes when upright."[2] The Egyptian Mau is the fastest of the domestic cats,[3] with its longer hind legs, and unique flap of skin extending from the flank to the back knee, which assists in running by allowing the legs to stretch back farther, providing for greater agility and length of stride. Maus have been clocked running more than 48 km/h (30 mph).[3] One of the most important recognizable traits of this breed is a long, dark, dorsal stripe that runs from its head to its tail along its spine.[citation needed] Maus come in six colours. From most to least common, these colours are silver, bronze, smoke, black, caramel and blue/pewter.[4][5] Black and pewter Maus cannot be shown, but may be used in breeding. All Maus must have green eyes, but an amber cast is acceptable in kittens and young adults up to eighteen months old.[6] The Mau is known for having what is considered a loyal, playful and friendly personality.[7] Maus are more temperature sensitive than most breeds—they are fond of very warm temperatures.[2] History: Historical evidence points to the Mau being an Egyptian breed. The feline genome data published in the Pentascope document shows the Egyptian Mau to be very closely related to the Maine Coon, Korat, and American Turkish Angoras (not distinguishable from native Turkish Angoras).[10] The phylogenetic tree published in PlosOne demonstrates that the Egyptian Mau belongs to the group of Western-derived breeds.[11] The East Mediterranean/Anatolian group is omitted because breeds that supposedly originate in that geographic area do not do so. The Mau achieved championship status in some organizations in 1968. There were attempts by British breeders to create Maus from cross-breeds of Abyssinians, Siamese and tabbies, however, these did not resemble the true Maus. This mix became the basis for the Ocicat. Egyptian Maus will have either a "scarab beetle" or "M" marking on their foreheads.[12] Those with the latter tend to be from the United States.[13] A Bengal breeder named Jean Mill also made some contributions to the breed.
The Egyptian Mau is the fastest of the domestic cats,[3] with its longer hind legs, and unique flap of skin extending from the flank to the back knee, which assists in running by allowing the legs to stretch back farther, providing for greater agility and length of stride. Maus have been clocked running more than 48 km/h (30 mph).[3] One of the most important recognizable traits of this breed is a long, dark, dorsal stripe that runs from its head to its tail along its spine.[citation needed] Maus come in six colours. From most to least common, these colours are silver, bronze, smoke, black, caramel and blue/pewter.[4][5] Black and pewter Maus cannot be shown, but may be used in breeding. All Maus must have green eyes, but an amber cast is acceptable in kittens and young adults up to eighteen months old.[6] The Mau is known for having what is considered a loyal, playful and friendly personality.[7] Maus are more temperature sensitive than most breeds—they are fond of very warm temperatures.[2] The Egyptian Mau is the world’s fastest cat reaching up to speeds of 30 miles per hour Mau is the Egyptian word for “cat”
