Egyptian Mau


      Egyptian Mau is a cat with spots or very short stripes that looks like the domesticated felines depicted in the art of Ancient Egypt. There are two forms, one artificially created and the other a natural breed taken from the streets of modern Egypt. They should be considered separately:
    1. The British program with the aim to recreate the cat of the ancient Pharaohs started in 1960s by Angela Sayer. For the purpose the tabby Siamese and Havanas were used. By the early 1970s the program was compeleted and the new breed became known  under the names Oriental Spotted Tabby, Oriental Shorthair Tabby or Spotted Oriental. 
    The British form has the build and personality of a Siamese, but with tabby coat. 

    2. The natural form was developed in 1950s in Italy by Princess Nataly Troubetskaya from Egyptian street cats, which were kindly brought to her by the Egyptian Embassador to Italy. The cats were silver spotted female and smoke spotted male. Their kittens were brought to the USA, where by 1968 they gained championship status with CFF. 
    This, natural form, of this breed has a rounder head and a less exaggerated, more muscular body.
    They are said to be good-tempered, calm, hardy, shy, agile, healthy, robust, reserved, quiet, loyal, affectionate, active, intelligent, with good memories. It is claimed that they man be walked on a collar and lead.
     Color forms for the Italian line are Silver (with charcoal markings); Bronze (with dark brown markings); Smoke (with jet black markings).


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