Egyptian Mau

The Egyptian Mau is one of the few naturally spotted domestic cats, and one of the oldest-looking. Its name comes from the ancient Egyptian word for cat, mau, and spotted cats appear in Egyptian tomb paintings and temple art, which gives the breed a deep and romantic history.

The modern breed owes its existence to Princess Natalie Troubetzkoy, a Russian exile who met spotted cats in Rome and brought a few to the United States in the 1950s. From those few cats, American breeders built the Mau we know today, and the breed is still rare.

The coat is the first thing you notice. Silver, bronze or smoke, with randomly placed spots of different sizes on the body and bands on the legs and tail. The face has dark lines that sweep back from the eyes, called mascara lines, and a small M-shaped mark between the ears.

The eyes are the second. A Mau has large, slightly slanted eyes of a pale gooseberry green, and the effect is of a cat that is wide awake and watching. The body is medium, muscled and graceful, with hind legs a little longer than the front, which gives the cat a spring in its step.

Those hind legs are the secret. The Egyptian Mau is widely described as the fastest domestic cat, able to reach speeds near thirty miles an hour in a sprint. It is also an athletic climber and jumper, and it loves a chase, a feather toy or a game of fetch.

The temperament is loyal and a little shy. A Mau bonds fiercely with its family and is wary of strangers and sudden change. It is quiet but expressive, with a chirrup and a wiggle of the tail when happy. Grooming is easy. Ask breeders about heart health, and give the cat room to run.