Domestic

Type

12 - 15 years

Lifespan

Medium

Size

3 - 6 kg

Weight

20 - 25 cm

Height

Playful, intelligent and affectionate

Temperament

15 mins 3x a day

Exercise

Low maintenance

Grooming

Egyptian Maus are easy to identify by their spotted coats. The coats come in three breed standard colours with random spots: silver with black or grey spots, bronze with dark brown or black spots, or smoke a dark grey with black markings. Other colours that can be seen are blue smoke, blue silver and solid black or blue. Their tails are banded with a dark tip.

They also have beautiful, large almond-shaped gooseberry-green eyes. An M shape on their forehead, described as a &lsquo;scarab beetle&rsquo; or &lsquo;mask of scarab&rsquo;, is another distinctive feature. They also have small, dainty feet.

What is the average Egyptian Mau lifespan?

Egyptian Maus generally live to the age of 12-15 years which is average for most cat breeds.

Yes, the breed is quite rare in the UK. Numbers are low and there are only a couple of hundred registered with the Governing Council of the Cat Fancy each year.

What is the Egyptian Mau's temperament like?

The Egyptian Mau has a playful and affectionate temperament, known for its energetic nature and strong bond with owners. While curious and intelligent, it can be reserved around strangers.

No, the Egyptian Mau isn&rsquo;t hypoallergenic and despite being a short-coated breed, they&#39;ll still shed hair. No cat is completely hypoallergenic. All cats produce the glycoprotein Fel d1 in their saliva that is responsible for cat allergies.

That’s All You Need to Know About Egyptian Maus

Elegant, with spotted coats, Egyptian Maus may look like the cats of Ancient Egypt but are descended from the crossing of Egyptian street cats with Italian domestic cats after World War II. Intelligent, affectionate, and playful, they’re low maintenance and form strong bonds with their owner. They’ll always be up to something so if left alone all day, they may need a companion cat to keep them from being lonely and bored.

Elegant, with spotted coats, Egyptian Maus may look like the cats of Ancient Egypt but are descended from the crossing of Egyptian street cats with Italian domestic cats after World War II. Intelligent, affectionate, and playful, they&rsquo;re low maintenance and form strong bonds with their owner. They&rsquo;ll always be up to something so if left alone all day, they may need a companion cat to keep them from being lonely and bored.

<ul>
	<li>Vetstream Ltd (online) Egyptian Mau. In: Vetlexicon Felis. Vetstream Ltd, UK. Website: <a href="https://www.vetstream.com/treat/felis/freeform/egyptian-mau" target="_blank" title="Link to Vetstream's Egyptian Mau cat page">https://www.vetstream.com/treat/felis/freeform/egyptian-mau</a></li>
	<li>Michael Day, Urs Giger, Kerry Simpson (online) Pyruvate kinase deficiency. In: Vetlexicon Felis. Vetstream Ltd, UK. Website: <a href="https://www.vetstream.com/treat/felis/diseases/pyruvate-kinase-deficiency" target="_blank" title="Link to Vetstream's cat pyruvate kinase deficiency page">https://www.vetstream.com/treat/felis/diseases/pyruvate-kinase-deficiency</a></li>
	<li>Vetstream Ltd (online) Pyruvate kinase deficiency. In: Vetlexicon Felis. Vetstream Ltd, UK. Website: <a href="https://www.vetlexicon.com/treat/felis/client-information/pyruvate-kinase-deficiency" target="_blank" title="Link to Vetstream's cat pyruvate kinase deficiency client information page">https://www.vetlexicon.com/treat/felis/client-information/pyruvate-kinase-deficiency</a></li>
	<li>Serena Brownlie, Phil Fox, Philip K Nicholls, Penny Watson (online) Heart: hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. In: Vetlexicon Felis. Vetstream Ltd, UK. Website: <a href="https://www.vetstream.com/treat/felis/diseases/heart-hypertrophic-cardiomyopathy" target="_blank" title="Link to Vetstream's cat heart hypertrophic cardiomyopathy page">https://www.vetstream.com/treat/felis/diseases/heart-hypertrophic-cardiomyopathy</a></li>
	<li>Vetstream Ltd (online) Cardiomyopathy in your cat. In: Vetlexicon Felis. Vetstream Ltd, UK. Website: <a href="https://www.vetlexicon.com/treat/felis/client-information/cardiomyopathy-in-your-cat" target="_blank" title="Link to Vetstream's client information cardiomyopathy in your cat page">https://www.vetlexicon.com/treat/felis/client-information/cardiomyopathy-in-your-cat</a></li>
	<li>Rachel Burrow, Jacqueline Davidson (online) Congenital hernia. In: Vetlexicon Felis. Vetstream Ltd, UK. Website: <a href="https://www.vetstream.com/treat/felis/diseases/congenital-hernia" target="_blank" title="Link to Vetstream's cat congenital hernia page">https://www.vetstream.com/treat/felis/diseases/congenital-hernia</a></li>
</ul>

Content provided from&nbsp;<a href="https://www.vetlexicon.com/felis%C2%A0" rel="nofollow" target="_blank" title="Link to Vetstream's cat information">Vetstream&#39;s Vetlexicon Felis</a>.

Vetlexicon is the world&rsquo;s largest peer-reviewed online clinical reference source. All our content is written and peer-reviewed by over 1,000 of the world&rsquo;s leading veterinarians, ensuring relevance, accuracy and quality.

Egyptian Maus are intelligent, affectionate cats that are very active and playful. It&rsquo;s not an old breed but the result of crossing Egyptian street cats with Italian domestic cats just after World War II &ndash; Mau means &lsquo;cat&rsquo; in Egyptian Arabic.

They make wonderful companions, and their short coats means that they&rsquo;re low maintenance. They form strong bonds with their owner but can be possessive of their owner and toys. They&rsquo;re good with children <a href="/all-things-pet/how-children-should-act-around-pets" title="Link to Everypaw's explainer on how kids should act around pets">if they&rsquo;re treated gently</a> and with respect.

They don&#39;t like to be alone for too long so if you&rsquo;re out at work all day, consider getting a companion cat. This will help to prevent boredom and behavioural problems such as <a href="/all-things-pet/cat-separation-anxiety" title="Link to Everypaw's guide to separation anxiety in cats">separation anxiety</a> from developing.

Egyptian Maus are intelligent, affectionate cats that are very active and playful. They make wonderful companions, and their short coats means that they&rsquo;re <a href="/all-things-pet/bad-fur-day-read-our-cat-grooming-101" title="Link to Everrypaw's guide to cat grooming">low maintenance</a>. They form strong bonds with their owner but can be possessive of their owner and toys. They&rsquo;re good with children if they&rsquo;re treated gently and with respect.

They don&#39;t like to be alone for too long so if you&rsquo;re out at work all day, consider getting a companion cat. This will help to prevent boredom and behavioural problems such as <a href="/all-things-pet/cat-separation-anxiety" title="Link to Everrypaw's guide to separation anxiety in cats">separation anxiety</a> from developing.

Egyptian Mau kittens will have lots of energy so will always be up to something! They can be wary of strangers and <a href="/all-things-pet/ways-to-help-noise-phobia-for-cats-and-dogs" title="Link to Everypaw's guide to helping pets with noise phobia">startled by loud noises</a>. Early socialisation will help them to cope with any new situations, people and pets, such as other cats or cat-friendly <a href="/dog-insurance" title="Link to Everypaw's Dog Insurance page">dogs</a>.

An Egyptian Mau with green eyes staring over the camera

Egyptian Maus are playful and have loads of energy so will need lots of toys to keep them entertained. They <a href="/all-things-pet/understanding-cat-language" title="Link to Everypaw's guide to understanding cat language">can be quite vocal</a> and will let you know when they want your attention. They&#39;re loyal and loving to their owners.

They&rsquo;ll want to follow you around the house and be by your side. But they may be a bit too active to be a lap cat.

Egyptian Maus are best kept indoors to keep them safe and out of trouble. They also have a strong prey drive and will go after any wildlife <a href="/all-things-pet/letting-your-cat-outside" title="Link to Everypaw's guide to letting your cat outside">if allowed outside</a>!&nbsp;

These cats are very active so make sure they have a nutritious diet that fits their requirements. If you <a href="/all-things-pet/buying-a-kitten-heres-what-you-should-look-out-for" title="Link to Everypaw's guide on what to look for when buying a kitten">buy your kitten from a breeder</a>, they should provide you with a feeding schedule. If you can, stick to a routine by feeding your cat at the same time every day.

If you decide to change their diet, do it gradually over a few days to avoid any tummy upsets. You can also ask your vet which cat food they recommend to best fit your cat&rsquo;s needs, and how much to feed.

Egyptian Maus have short coats with a silky, fine texture. Their coats are easy to maintain themselves. But, as they love attention, they&rsquo;ll enjoy a <a href="/all-things-pet/bad-fur-day-read-our-cat-grooming-101" title="Link to Everypaw's Cat Grooming Guide">weekly brush with a soft brush or grooming glove</a>. Their <a href="/all-things-pet/how-to-keep-your-cats-teeth-clean" title="Link to Everypaw's guide to cleaning cats teeth">teeth should also be brushed</a> at least three times a week to prevent <a href="/all-things-pet/unhealthy-cat-teeth-spotting-the-signs-of-dental-disease" title="Link to Everypaw's guide to spotting the signs of dental disease in cats">dental disease</a>.

Egyptian Maus are smart and will learn quickly. Toilet or <a href="/all-things-pet/kitten-litter-training-tips" title="Link to Everypaw's guide on how to litter train a kitten">litter training</a> shouldn&rsquo;t be a problem. You should have at least one litterbox for each cat plus an extra one. This means there are plenty of places for your cat to go to the toilet if they get caught short!

These cats are very active! High-energy, athletic and agile, they like <a href="/all-things-pet/cat-games-for-cats" title="Link to Everypaw's artiicle about games to play with your cat">chasing toys and playing games</a> like fetch. Keep them entertained with lots of interactive toys and provide them a perch or cat tree that they can climb and jump on. They like to be up high to survey the world beneath them.

As they have longer hindlegs, these cats are perhaps the fastest runners of all domestic cats - speeds of 30 miles per hour have been reported! Unusually for cats, they also enjoy playing with water and having a splash around in it.

Link to get an Everypaw Cat Insurance quote

These naturally spotted cats certainly know how to catch the eye, like ancient Egyptian art. If you&rsquo;re looking to welcome one into your home, it can be a good idea to think about Cat Insurance to cover those claws. After all, Egyptian Mau&rsquo;s are an extremely active cat breed, and sometimes that can lead to accidents.

<a href="/Home/cat-insurance.html" title="Link to Everypaw's Cat Insurance page">Everypaw&rsquo;s Lifetime Cat Insurance</a> has a range of Lifetime options to choose from, and with policies starting from 8 weeks of age, you can cover your Egyptian Mau for as soon as you get them home. Everypaw can help when it comes to illness or injury, but also comes with our <a href="/petcall" title="Link to Everypaw's Petcall information page">Petcall</a> helpline who you can call any time you have a query or concern about your cat&rsquo;s health, care or behaviour.

These naturally spotted cats certainly know how to catch the eye, like ancient Egyptian art. If you&rsquo;re looking to welcome one into your home, it can be a good idea to think about Cat Insurance to cover those claws. After all, Egyptian Mau&rsquo;s are an extremely active <a href="/cat-insurance/cat-breed-guides" title="Link to Everypaw's Cat Breed Guides">cat breed</a>, and sometimes that can lead to accidents.

<a href="https://www.everypaw.com/cat-insurance" title="Link to Everypaw's Cat Insurance page">Everypaw&rsquo;s Lifetime Cat Insurance</a>&nbsp;has a range of Lifetime options to choose from, and with policies starting from <a href="/all-things-pet/kitten-development-8-12-weeks-old" title="Link to Everypaw's guide to kitten development from 8 -12 weeks">8 weeks of age</a>, you can cover your Egyptian Mau for as soon as you get them home. Everypaw can help when it comes to illness or injury, but also comes with our <a href="/petcall" title="Link to Everypaw's Petcall information page">Petcall</a> helpline who you can call any time you have a query or concern about your cat&rsquo;s health, care or behaviour.

Egyptian Mau Cat Insurance, Care and Health Advice

The first thing you&rsquo;ll notice about an Egyptian Mau is that they look like the cats of Ancient Egypt. They&rsquo;re beautiful, elegant cats with spotted coats.Though they&#39;re popular in many countries, the Egyptian Mau is relatively rare in the UK having arrived here in 1998. This breed guide has all the information you need to care for your Egyptian Mau.

Egyptian Maus can be affected by PK def, an inherited enzyme deficiency that affects the lifespan of red blood cells. This results in anaemia (a reduction in the number of red blood cells). There is no cure but most affected cats cope well with the condition.

A genetic test is available to identify cats that carry the gene. Affected cats and those that carry the gene shouldn&rsquo;t be used for breeding.

Egyptian Maus can be affected by <a href="/all-things-pet/hypertrophic-cardiomyopathy-hcm-in-cats" title="Link to Everypaw's article about HCM in cats">HCM</a>, a condition where the heart muscle becomes abnormally thick. This prevents the heart from working properly and can lead to heart failure. Long-term medication can slow the disease down but unfortunately there&rsquo;s no cure.

Reported in some lines of Egyptian Maus, umbilical hernias occur when there&rsquo;s a weakness in the stomach muscles around the belly button. A bulge or protrusion may be visible as the abdominal organs push forward. Some hernias may sort themselves out, but others may need surgery. The problem can easily be corrected when kittens are neutered.

Egyptian Maus are prone to patellar luxation, a condition where the kneecap slips out of place. Cats with this condition will be seen limping. Sometimes the kneecap goes back into place on its own without any treatment. 
But in other cases, it will need to be manipulated back into the correct position by your vet. Severe cases will need surgery to sort it out permanently.

Common Egyptian Mau Health Problems by Vetstream

The Egyptian Mau breed is generally a very healthy domestic cat breed, but a few problems have been reported. We've got together with veterinary experts Vetstream, to give you an idea of what to keep an eye out for in your Egyptian Mau.

Egyptian Mau Cat Insurance and Health Advice | Everypaw

Get a quote for your Egyptian Mau's insurance

Egyptian Mau

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Zoomies to Senior Snoozes, We've Got Them Covered

The benefit values featured in the table may vary across the different levels of cover and will depend on the cover you choose. Please check your cover before purchasing. Be aware, for some breeds of dogs we do not provide our &pound;8k and &pound;10k Lifetime cover. 
 
All policies and features are subject to special conditions and exclusions of the insurers, please click the link to read about&nbsp;<a href="/Home/pet-insurance-policy-exclusions.html" title="Link to Everypaw's Pet Insurance Exclusions page">our policy exclusions.</a> 
 
Excess is applicable to all vet fees claims. When your pet reaches a certain age, the excess payable may change. The excess will be your set excess plus a percentage of your claim amount.

Getting your furry friend covered shouldn&#39;t just come down to cost. There&#39;s a lot more to it than that, so take the time to do a pet insurance comparison. Think about their breed, the level of cover they might need, and what would be important to you. After all, insurance is there for both of you.

One of the best ways to do that is to compare cover levels. This will give you an idea of how much your pet insurance will cost, how much you can claim against vet bills, as well as the policy benefits. It&#39;s all about finding the Lifetime Pet Insurance that works best for you and your pet.

*Based on Everypaw claims data from February 2024 to March 2025

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As our furry companions age, they&#39;re more likely to suffer from ailments and illnesses here and there. And we want you to be able to look after your pet well into retirement. That&#39;s why we don&#39;t have age limits on our policies. Our <a href="/Home/pet-insurance-for-older-pets.html">pet insurance for older pets</a> can help you do the most important thing &ndash; looking after your pet.

What about younger pets? We also offer <a href="/cat-insurance/kitten-insurance" title="Link to Everypaw's Kitten Insurance page">kitten</a> and <a href="/dog-insurance/puppy-insurance" title="Link to Everypaw's Puppy Insurance page">puppy insurance</a>, covered by our cat and dog insurance. No matter how old or young your purr-fect pet is, our pet insurance can give you all-important peace of mind.&nbsp;

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Whether you are looking for a playmate for your pet or if your house is more like a <a href="/dog-insurance" title="Link to Everypaw's Dog Insurance page">dog</a>, <a href="/cat-insurance" title="Link to Everypaw's Cat Insurance page">cat</a> and <a href="/rabbit-insurance" title="Link to Everypaw's Rabbit Insurance page">rabbit</a> smallholding, you need multi-pet insurance that works for you. Everypaw&#39;s policies are just that and give you a discount on every pet too. No matter how many pets you have, from glorious <a href="/dog-insurance/dog-breed-guides/golden-retriever-insurance-care-and-health-advice" title="Link to Everypaw's Golden Retriever Dog Breed Guide page">Golden Retrievers</a> and majestic <a href="/cat-insurance/cat-breed-guides/maine-coon-cat-insurance-care-and-health-advice" title="Link to Everypaw's Maine Coon Cat Breed Guide page">Maine Coons</a> to lovely <a href="/rabbit-insurance/rabbit-breed-guides/lionhead-rabbit-insurance-care-and-health-advice" title="Link to Everypaw's Lionhead Rabbit Breed Guide page">Lionheads</a>, it&#39;s there for every single paw.

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Our pet insurance quote form takes just 3 minutes to fill out. Here&#39;s how it works:

<ul>
	<li>Select which type of pet you&#39;re looking to insure and enter their age, breed and sex</li>
	<li>Enter basic personal details about yourself including your email and home addresses</li>
	<li>Select your vet fees limit</li>
	<li>We&#39;ll give you a pet insurance price! And we&#39;ll show you what the cost is for the year, plus what your monthly instalments will look like if you choose to pay that way</li>
</ul>

Will my pet insurance cover pre-existing conditions?

Ever found the urge to discover what the best dog breeds to train are or maybe you want to get to the bottom of your pet&#39;s worm problem.&nbsp;<a href="/Home/all-things-pet.html" title="Link to Everypaw's All Things Pet blog">Everypaw&#39;s All Things Pet blog</a>&nbsp;has the content to keep you informed.

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For that extra peace of mind when your pets get up to mischief, there&#39;s Everypaw. Our pet insurance is for cats, dogs and rabbits, and every policy comes with unlimited 24/7 access to vet nurses and vets. So, if you ever feel a bit &#39;for pet&#39;s sake&#39;, know Everypaw is here for you and your pet when you need us most!

Why Choose Everypaw for Pet Insurance in the UK?

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Manage your UK pet insurance policy online in the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.everypaw.com/pet-portal-info" title="Link to Everypaw's Pet Portal Information page">Pet Portal</a>

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Choosing the right pet health insurance isn&#39;t always easy. We know that. And we also know that a key part of deciding is knowing what&#39;s not covered. That way, at least there are no nasty surprises in terms of coughing up for bills that you thought were going to be taken care of by your policy.

So, here are a few of the main exclusions on our pet insurances:

<ul>
	<li>Treatment for any pre-existing conditions</li>
	<li>Treatment for poisoning or any accidental injury that occurs in the first 3 days of your policy*</li>
	<li>Treatment for any illness that occurs in the first 14 days of your policy*</li>
	<li>Treatment related to vaccine-preventable conditions</li>
	<li>Treatment related to breeding, pregnancy or birthing</li>
	<li>Treatment on baby teeth if your pet is over 16 weeks when your policy starts</li>
</ul>

*Switching to Everypaw Pet Insurance? If you can prove your previous insurance runs up to the policy start date, we can waive this for you.

Please see our <a href="/Home/pet-insurance-policy-exclusions.html" title="Link to Everypaw's Policy Exclusions page">exclusions page</a>&nbsp;for further details.

Fingers crossed, you never have to! We want to reassure you that claiming on your pet health insurance is as hassle-free as possible. That&rsquo;s why we have Vet Pawtal. A direct platform for vets so they can submit claims and leave you to care for your pet.

Vet Pawtal is the fastest and most efficient way to claim. There&rsquo;s no more paperwork for you, and we&rsquo;ll keep you updated every step of the way.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

If your vet can&rsquo;t submit the claim, don&rsquo;t worry; you can still submit it in the <a href="https://petportal.everypaw.com/register#login" target="_blank" title="Link to the Everypaw Pet Portal">Everypaw Pet Portal</a>. It&rsquo;s straightforward; just log in and follow the instructions. Alternatively,&nbsp;you can <a href="https://www.everypaw.com/downloads-2020/everypaw-claim-form.pdf" target="_blank" title="Link to download an Everypaw claim form">download a claim form</a>, but this can take longer.

Please refer to the guidance in your policy documents for Third Party Liability claims.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

For more information, head to our <a href="/Home/claims.html">Pet Insurance Claims information page</a>.

We know pets are just as much a part of your family as any human. So, we know how important it is to you that they&#39;re protected. Choose Everypaw for pet insurance in the UK and give yourself that priceless peace of mind.

We know things can be tough right now, with many people facing money worries. If you have such concerns, please get in touch with us, as we may be able to offer some options to help, which could include reducing your cover or increasing your excess.

If you wish to find out more and your eligibility for any options, please call <a href="tel:03445431009" title="Call Everypaw Customer Services and Claims">0344 543 1009</a>.

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Deciding which pet insurance your furry bundle of fun needs can be tricky, especially if you&#39;re a new fur-parent. That&#39;s why here at Everypaw.com, we&#39;re trying to keep things simple, we&#39;re all about&nbsp;<a href="/Home/lifetime-pet-insurance.html" title="Link to Everypaw's Lifetime Pet Insurance page">Lifetime Pet Insurance</a>.

Our Lifetime cover is available for your cats, dogs and rabbits. And if you&#39;re looking to cover your cat or dog, there&#39;s a range of cover levels to choose from. Lifetime covers your pet up to a set vet fee limit, and the limits reset for every year of cover.

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Egyptian Mau Cat Insurance, Care and Health Advice

Egyptian Mau Cat Facts

Is an Egyptian Mau Right for Me?

What are Egyptian Mau Kittens Like?

Life with an Egyptian Mau

Caring for Your Egyptian Mau

Dinner time

Grooming time

Training & exercise

Egyptian Mau Insurance

Common Egyptian Mau Health Problems by Vetstream

Pyruvate Kinase (PK) deficiency

Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy (HCM)

Umbilical hernia

Patellar luxation

Quick Egyptian Mau Q&A

How to identify an Egyptian Mau?

Are Egyptian Mau cats hypoallergenic?

What is the average Egyptian Mau lifespan?

Are Egyptian Mau cats rare?

What is the Egyptian Mau's temperament like?

That’s All You Need to Know About Egyptian Maus

References