Egyptian Mau cats are one of the most beautiful breeds out there. With elegantly spotted coats, long, lean, athletic builds, and distinctive “M” or scarab shapes on the top of their heads, Mau cats are a sight to be seen. We do wonder what all the Egyptian Mau colors and patterns are, though.
We’ve written about cat breeds that can assume pretty much every color of the rainbow, but Egyptian Mau cats are different. We might be able to trace them back to thousands and thousands of years ago thanks to the paintings on the temples and halls of ancient Egypt, but they’re pretty rare these days.
Egyptian Mau cats are sought-after because they’re the closest you can get to owning a wild cat without breaking the law. Because of the naturally occurring spots, Egyptian Mau cats are super similar to Ocicats and even Bengal cats. But although they’re visually striking, they’re much more than meets the eye.
Affectionate and appreciative, Egyptian Mau cats make for the perfect pets. Whether you’re on the hunt for a cuddle buddy to keep you company when you’re decompressing after a hard day at work or someone to accompany you when you’re exploring the great outdoors, Maus are the right way to go.
We do, however, need to mention that some cat connoisseurs believe that the color of a cat’s coat affects the cat’s personality. Orange cats, for example, are considered unhinged and unpredictable. Black and white cats are rumored to have an attitude. What’s the tea with Egyptian Mau cats? Let’s find out!
What do Egyptian Mau cats look like?
Egyptian Mau cats are everything you need and more when you’re on the hunt for a four-legged friend that’s going to attract attention and turn heads. With elegance and ease, Egyptian Mau cats are equipped with “odd” characteristics that make them stand out no matter what they’re doing.
Where do we even start? Egyptian Mau cats are often compared to Ocicats because they’re spotted and wild-looking. Ocicats, however, are created by a breeder. Egyptian Mau cats are one of the two only breeds with naturally occurring spots which means they aren’t created by a breeder.
Egyptian Mau cats are long, lean, and athletic, and they’re equipped with well-developed muscles. Males are generally larger than females, but Maus aren’t considered an exceptionally large breed. Maus can grow anywhere between 7 to 11 inches tall and weigh anywhere between 8 to 12 pounds.
What makes these cats stand out seems to be the spotted coat we mentioned beforehand. Other than spots, Maus are embellished with a distinctive “M” or a scarab shape on the top of their heads, as well as “mascara” lines from the corners of their eyes to their cheeks.
We always say that these felines are spotted, but generally speaking, the overall coat pattern of the Egyptian Mau might as well be tabby. With a dark-tipped tail and a stripe that runs along the length of the tail, they’re not fully spotted. We can’t forget about their gorgeous green eyes, either.
While the only colors accepted by the Cat Fanciers’ Association are silver, bronze, and smoke, there are a bunch of color combinations and patterns that aren’t allowed in the show ring. We’ve rounded up everything you need to know about Egyptian Mau colors and patterns down below.
What are all the Egyptian Mau colors and patterns?
1. Silver Egyptian Mau
Starting with silver Egyptian Mau cats, they’re one of the most popular, prominent color combinations pet parents gravitate toward. Silver Maus are typically comprised of a lighter undercoat and darker spots and stripes scattered around the strategic areas.
Although they’re a combination of white, gray, and black, they’re shimmery when they move and that’s why they’re deemed “silver.”
Silver Maus typically come with a darker outline around the nose and the paw pads. Along with a range of silver spots and stripes on their coat, the back of their ears might be grayish pink, and their nose leather reddish orange.
2. Bronze Egyptian Mau
Egyptian Mau cats with warm, rich coats are what dreams are made of. With a leopard-like appearance, these curious creatures come with the second most prevalent coat color out of the bunch.
Whether you’re searching for a wild cat to bring home or a caramel-like kitty to go with your autumn aesthetic, you can’t go wrong with a bronze Egyptian Mau.
Bronze Egyptian Mau cats come with a cream undercoat and brown spots and stripes around the strategic areas of the body. We’d argue that the back contains the darkest spots with lighter sides as well as the underside.
3. Smoke Egyptian Mau
Now, Egyptian Mau cats are the sole cat breed with a patterned smoke color. When you’re trying to get your hands on a Halloween-worthy kitty, check out the smoke Egyptian Mau. We suggest resorting to a reputable breeder because smoke Egyptian Mau cats are extremely rare.
When you see one for the first time, you’re going to be surprised to see the slight pattern peeking through the dark tips.
Smoke Egyptian Mau cats are oftentimes mistaken for solid Egyptian Mau cats, but when you part the fur, you’re going to notice the difference between the light undercoat and the dark outer coat. Smoke Mau cats come with a gray undercoat and black tipping across the head, shoulders, legs, tail, and underside.
4. Solid black Mau
Silver, bronze, and smoke Egyptian Mau cats are accepted by the Cat Fanciers’ Association and are allowed to compete in cat shows. Sure, these color combinations and patterns are considered superior, but other colors are common, too.
Solid black, solid blue, blue silver, blue spotted, blue smoke, and black smoke are not show cats but can be used for breeding because they’re proven to carry the spotted gene.
Solid black Mau cats are entirely solid which means there are no other tones, markings, or patches of color on their bodies. They’re completely black – even their noses and paw pads are black!
5. Solid blue Mau
Solid blue Egyptian Mau cats are the diluted version of solid black Egyptian Mau. What do we mean by that? Because of the presence of the dilute gene, blue Egyptian Maus are a little lighter than black ones – they’re typically gray or silver.
So, the dilute gene is responsible for the intensity of the coat color by affecting the amount of pigments in the hair shaft.
6. Blue silver Egyptian Mau
Blue silver Egyptian Mau cats are solid, too. Although they’re called “blue silver cats,” they’re actually varying shades of bluish-gray, silver, or slate. At the end of the day, they’re blue because of the dilute gene and that’s why they’re lighter than the average black or dark gray cat.
7. Black smoke Mau
We mentioned beforehand that smoke Egyptian Mau cats are oftentimes confused for solid Egyptian Mau cats. When they’re resting, they’re typically a solid color. However, when they’re roaming around, the light undercoat appears and reveals the black smoke color combination.
Black smoke Mau cats come with a white undercoat and black tipping on the entire body. Because the spots are hidden within the rest of the coat, black smoke Mau cats look like they’re bare.
8. Blue smoke Mau
Blue smoke Mau cats are a diluted version of black smoke Mau cats and that’s why they appear blue when light hits them. Whether they’re exploring the great outdoors or resting on the front porch, they’re much lighter than when they’re napping on your bedroom floor.
9. Spotted Egyptian Mau
We do need to mention the fact that Egyptian Mau cats can have different patterns, too. Sure, they’re generally spotted, but sometimes they’re ticked or striped, too. Spotted Egyptian Mau cats come with, as you might already know, spots of color all around the body and spotted stripes along the spine.
Spotted Egyptian Mau cats have a naturally occurring spotted pattern with spots that are random in size and distribution and can appear on the body, legs, and tail. Moreover, spotted Maus are known to rock the distinctive “M” or scarab beetle shape on the top of their head.
10. Ticked Egyptian Mau
Ticked Egyptian Mau cats, on the other hand, don’t have any spots, stripes, or blotches, but are rather embellished with distinct tabby markings on the face, tail, and legs.
Tabby cats share some similarities with Egyptian Mau cats, namely the “M” shape on the top of their head. Further, tabby cats typically rock a few swirls on the cheeks and a black line down the back which seems to be common with the Egyptian Mau cats, too.
We’re not surprised that the two share a similar pattern. Ticked Egyptian Mau cats are blessed with a speckled appearance that’s most noticeable with pale background coats.
11. Striped Mau
Striped Egyptian Mau cats are not that common, but we do need to talk about them, too.
More often than not, striped Mau cats have stripes or bands around their legs and tails. Moreover, they’re embellished with a dorsal stripe along their spine and mascara lines on their faces.
Some striped Mau cats are comprised of both stripes and spots, but others might be completely striped.
Read more: Egyptian Mau: A Complete Guide About This Spotted Beauty
