ASSESSING EGYPTIAN MAU KITTENS FOR BREEDING AND SHOW POTENTIAL
Pictured sitting in his Best in Show pen, surrounded by beautiful rosettes,
Santillo Feromeses Mercury was the first ever Egyptian Mau to be
awarded Overall Best in Show! This momentous event took place at the
Bedford & District Show on 24th April 2008. Kneazle (as he is
affectionately known to his friends) now rejoices in the impressive title
UK & Imperial Grand Premier Santillo Feromeses Mercury, an excellent
achievement. His breeder recognised his potential from an early age and
that is something all breeders need to discover - what should be looked
out for when assessing kittens for future show/breeding potential.
It is important for breeders to develop an “eye” for the Mau. By noting
the features that are particularly good in the top winning Maus seen on
the show bench and chatting to their owners, this “eye” can be
developed. It is also important to study photographs to see the correct
ear set, eye shape etc. and note which cats have that winning
combination. First of all though, let us think about colour and the
importance that plays when selecting the right kitten to show or breed
from.
ASSESSING COLOUR
Assessing the colour of a Mau can be difficult before you have some
experience of the breed but there are a number of rules that generally
work. In all colours it is important that the colour of the marking contrasts clearly with the background, otherwise
the spotted pattern cannot be clearly seen. However it is important to realise that contrast changes dramatically
during the development of a Mau. Many kittens will go through a “fuzzy” stage from around 8 weeks to 16 or 20
weeks during which these spots can virtually disappear. You will get a better feel for what the adult contrast will be
like before the kitten goes into the “fuzzies” by taking note of the pattern and ground colours at around 5-6 weeks.
SILVER
In silvers the most important colour fault to
avoid in a show/breeding kitten is tarnish.
This brownish, dirty colouration is most
usually seen on the nose, around the muzzle,
under the chin, on the broken necklaces and
perhaps on the paws and down the spine. It
is hard to detect in young kittens until you
have some practice, but you may find that
looking at kittens in good daylight is helpful.
Kittens that are tarnished will often have a
brownish tinge to their backs when they are
Look for a clean silver ground and clearly defined spots and markings in a silver
first born and later, during development, a
tarnished cat will appear slightly yellowish or
dirty compared with its clean silver sibling. The perfect silver Mau should have a silvery white ground colour and
black or charcoal grey markings and spots. There should be no brown or yellow colouration anywhere on the body.
SMOKE
In smokes the most important colour fault breeders must avoid in
breeding or show cats is lack of contrast due to the ground colour
being too dark. Smokes always get darker as they get older, so in
general, the paler a smoke kitten the better. The best smokes
have all their facial markings clearly visible, whereas the less good
ones tend to have black faces.
Smokes should show the maximum contrast between the ground
colour and the markings. This is particularly important when they
are kittens as smokes become darker as they mature. The ground
colour across the head, shoulders, outer legs, back, tail and
underparts will consist of a pale silver undercoat tipped with black.
All the markings on a smoke should be jet black with pale silver roots. It is important to select the very palest smoke
kittens for showing in the pedigree breed classes as they will then still have contrast as they mature. The smoke
brothers on the left are excellent examples of the smoke pattern as their spots and markings are clear to see even
though they are mature cats.
BRONZE
The Standard of Points for the bronze Mau asks for a warm, coppery brown ground colour with a paler tone to the
undersides. The markings will be dark brown or sometimes black with paler roots and there should be good contrast
between the ground colour and the markings. However, bronze Maus can range from a very cold greyish brown to a
rich, warm rufous tone. The coldest bronzes are often hard to
distinguish from tarnished silvers at birth. The best place to
look is usually the face, since bronzes seem to develop their
colour here earlier than on the rest of the body. Even a cold
bronze will usually have rufous patches on its cheeks at birth.
The best rufous bronzes will develop their colour as they
mature, however they are very clearly bronze from birth. In
bronzes, the thing to look for right from the start is warmth of
colour. Warm bronzes are clearly bronze at birth, whereas
colder bronzes will be greyish brown.
The bronze kitten on the right has warmth and contrast
between the ground and the pattern which promises a pleasing
colour when she reaches maturity. Her spots are well separated
with no linkage apparent and her facial markings are also well
defined.
OTHER COLOURS/PATTERNS
Black Mau kittens are very clearly black. They have no markings anywhere (although ghost markings can be seen in
some lights). Black Maus cannot be shown but can be bred from and make very striking pets. They can be shown in
the Pedigree Pet Section at GCCF shows with the prospect of gaining impressive titles there.
Other Mau colours are extremely rare with just a couple of blues born in the UK. Blues should be readily
distinguishable from the black colours by the colour of the paws and tail tip. In the recognised black spotted (silver
and bronze) the paw pads and the tail tip will be jet black, where in a blue, the paw pads will be a bluish pink and the
tail tip definitely blue. The nose leather will also be paler in the blues.
Occasionally Maus with the classic (blotched or marbled) tabby pattern rather than the usual spotted pattern occur
in litters. Classic tabby Maus can occur in all colours. They make very attractive pets but are not accepted for
showing (unless in the Pedigree Pet Section) or breeding.
EYE COLOUR
Eye colour is important in a Mau. There is great variation on how long it takes the true
gooseberry green eye colour to come in, but as a general rule of thumb, the earlier a
kitten gets green eyes, the better its adult eye colour will be. Kittens with the best eye
colour will have green eyes by 12 weeks. If a kitten does not even show a green ring
around the pupil at 14 weeks, this is a cause for concern in a potential show cat. The
Standard of Points does make allowance for an amber colour in kittens, but that would be a withholding fault in an
adult.
In 2008, the Egyptian Mau Club was aware of Maus being born with blue eyes. They are extremely attractive too, but
are not accepted for showing in pedigree breed classes; they should be neutered or spayed and sold as pets and can
then have a successful show career in the Household Pet Section.
ASSESSING HEAD TYPE
Mau head type cannot be assessed properly until around 8 weeks, when the
cat’s skull has developed. The best way to assess the expression is to use a toy
to attract the kitten’s attention and look at it “face on”. In a good Mau, the
lines of the nose should be parallel for its entire length, in other words, the
nose should not get wider between the eyes. The brow should be level and the
top edge of the eyes should be set straight with a slight upward slant to the
lower lid only. A good tip is to think of the combination of the level brow
running across the top of the parallel nose as forming a T-shape. The eyes
should be large and shaped like rounded almonds. The muzzle should be
rounded and flow into the wedge of the head. An obvious indentation behind
the whisker pads is known as a whisker pinch and is considered a fault in the
Mau. The large ears should flow out of the wedge shape of the head. Small
ears that are set too high are not desirable. In profile the Mau should have a nose like a gentle ski jump. A straight
profile, a Roman bump on the nose or an obvious break is undesirable and the chin should not be receding, but
should be firm with a level bite.
The “worried” facial expression of the Mau is the most crucial characteristic of the breed and it is particularly
important for breeders to start to get a feel for this in order to maintain the correct differences between the Maus
and other spotted breeds such as the Ocicat and Bengal.
MAINTAINING THE STANDARD OF THE BREED
In order to ensure a successful future for the Egyptian Mau in the UK it is
vitally important that all new breeders learn as much as possible about the
breed and select only the healthiest and most correct kittens they produce
for breeding and showing. It is easy to think your precious litter is perfect
but learn to assess your kittens critically, remembering a loving home is the
priority.
In the early years for the breed in the UK, it was sometimes necessary to
compromise on quality in order to get the breed off the ground; however,
now that we have many more breeders working with the Maus, it is our
collective responsibility to understand the faults that our breeding cats have
and to strive to eliminate these in the kittens that we sell as breeding and/or show cats.
DEFECTS
The preface to the GCCF Standards of Points lists a series of congenital defects that are undesirable in a cat that is to
be shown or used for breeding. In a show cat the presence of these faults can lead to a judge withholding awards.
The most common defects to occur in Maus are tail faults and umbilical hernias so it is vital to check kittens
thoroughly for these before selling them as breeding or show cats.
TAIL FAULTS
Tail faults are sometimes detectable from birth, but often the smaller faults only manifest themselves at a later stage
of development. Run your fingers gently along the kitten’s tail and feel for any lumps or deviations. In the Mau tail
faults are usually right at the tip of the tail.
HERNIAS
Umbilical hernias are a particular problem in some Mau lines. An umbilical hernia is a gap in the muscle of the
abdomen that causes the underlying tissue to partially poke through in the area of the umbilical cord, giving the
impression of a protruding belly button. These hernias occur with varying degrees of severity. They are usually not
present at birth, but start to appear any time from three weeks of age onwards. Hernias that are detectable at three
weeks will usually be large and are likely to need surgical correction when the kitten is neutered, whereas smaller
ones may not be detectable until 6-8 weeks, or even later. The smallest hernias cannot be seen, only felt, and they
may only be present for a week or two. It is therefore extremely important to feel kittens regularly from three
weeks onwards. The best way of feeling for a hernia is to feel the kittens belly while it is squeaking; a small hernia
will be felt as a very slight lump in the centre of the belly that disappears when the kitten stops squeaking. These
very small hernias will often completely close by the time the kitten is 12 weeks old, but although such kittens can be
shown with no problem they should on no account be used for breeding. Experience has shown that breeding from
females who had almost undetectable hernias as kittens leads to much worse problems in the next generations.
Since these hernias seem to be heritable it is extremely important for breeders to act responsibility, by placing all
kittens about which they have any doubt on the Non-Active Register.
STANDARD OF POINTS
The standard of points is elaborated upon in another downloadable
pdf leaflet “An Introduction to Showing Egyptian Maus”. The
current GCCF Standard of Points for the Egyptian Mau can also be
downloaded from the club website at www.egyptianmaus.co.uk .
The Mau should be an elegant cat of moderate foreign type; it is
active, well balanced and of medium size. Maus have a strength and
a hard, muscular feel that belies its graceful build. Breeders should
realise the males will be larger than the females.
55% of the weighting in the Egyptian Mau Standard of Points is given
to coat, colour and pattern with 25% of that for the random spotted
pattern, so it is important that breeders assess the colour, markings
and spots on their Maus very strictly. 45% of the weighting is for
type.
The “coming together” of the correct type, balance, worried
expression, excellent contrast between the ground colour and the
pattern, together with dramatic spotting is a magical combination
unique to the Egyptian Mau.
ASSESSING PATTERN
The pattern of a Mau kitten can be assessed from an early stage. The most common and serious faults are vertical
stripes on the body, most often immediately behind the shoulder. These will not break up as the cat matures. In
contrast solid black lines around the spine will usually break up into spots as the cat matures and are not a worry in a
young kitten. Other common pattern flaws are stripes on the belly, unbroken necklaces and lack of black mascara
lines down the sides of the face. Smokes often have a black locket type patch on their chests which is also
considered a fault. If you are concerned about the pattern on your kittens you can ask advice from anyone on the
committee – it is a simple matter these days to share photographs via email and mobile telephone.
THE EGYPTIAN MAU CLUB IS COMMITTED TO THE WELFARE AND WELLBEING OF ALL EGYPTIAN MAUS
Breeders listed on the Egyptian Mau Club website are asked to sign a
declaration promising to comply with the GCCF’s recommendations
for healthy breeding. This means they are committed to the breed,
ensuring those purchasing their Egyptian Maus are treated fairly, that
the kittens have been bred correctly and reared according to GCCF
guidelines and club standards. Breeders are expected to make it clear
to purchasers whether a kitten is of sufficient quality for breeding
and/or showing. If you have a litter and are not sure whether your
kittens are of that standard, remember the Egyptian Mau Club is there
A promising Newkingdom litter
to support and advise; there are people on the committee with the
experience and knowledge to help you assess your litter. Please take advantage of our offer, we are always willing to
answer questions or give help when required.
GCCF Egyptian Maus have enjoyed tremendous success on the show bench since achieving Championship status. In
2008 our first Imperial Grand Champion, Lauren Kennedy and Jo Higgins’ Sobekotep Mwsheri, a beautiful silver
female, gained her title and also won the UK Grand Certificate at the GCCF Supreme Show that year. Clive and Helen
Wicks’ silver kitten, Memphis Africaisi was Best of Variety Foreign Kitten at the 2008 Supreme. Other excellent Maus
have been in that final line-up which is an amazing achievement when the intense competition is considered. At last
year’s Supreme, Jean & Peter Lamb’s beautiful bronze, Imperial Grand Champion Natango’s Ghaniyah, was Best
Foreign Adult and in the last three cats for Supreme Adult 2012. Numerous Maus have gained Champion, Premier,
Grand and Imperial titles demonstrating the quality of our cats. Ghaniyah only requires one more Olympian
Certificates to be at bronze level there! The standard across our breed is very high and the cats popular with judges
on the show bench; the Egyptian Mau Club is working hard to maintain that quality and consistency, for the breed
to retain its reputation in the Fancy and to ensure a bright future for the Egyptian Mau in the UK.