Egyptian Mau: all possible colors

2023 Author: Alex Livingston | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-11-26 11:39

The Egyptian Mau breed is known for its wild spotted fur. The cat's mottling appears on both the skin and the fur and a distinctive mark is given by the "M" or scarab on the forehead.

Regardless of the color, the fur of the Mau is silky smooth to the touch, yet soft at the same time. The hair is of medium length, dense and possesses a brilliant luster. The breed has gods light green or "gooseberry green" eyes, while the amber color is acceptable only in kittens.

The shades vary from bronze to blue to black and each layer comes with a very rare collection of stains. The unique spots are placed randomly and no two cats are quite alike in terms of the shape, color, size and location of the spots. Those of the Egyptian Mau, in fact, they are natural stains, not the result of crossbreeding or genetic manipulation.

The most important aspect of the points is the degree of contrast between the signs and the background tone. The standard colors for these cats feature silver, bronze and smoke, each with dark markings. All these shades also have diluted versions including blue, silver blue, speckled blue and smoky blue.

Each feline has two genes involved in determining characteristics such as coat color: one inherited from the mother and one from the father. If a gene carries the same coloration from each parent, for example black fur, the kitten will also have black fur.

While if a cat receives two genes with different shades only one of the two genes will be expressed. Some genes are dominant and always expressed, while others are recessive (or hidden). In the case of color, the dominant gene will be given by what is expressed.

Egyptian Mau Silver

This pleasant shade is that more common and behaves like color of background a pale silver gray all over the head, shoulders, outer legs, back and tail. The underside dissolves into a pale, silvery white.

All black or charcoal gray markings with pale silver roots, show a stark contrast to the base color. The back of the ears is gray-pink, with the tip in black. The inner ear should be a delicate, almost transparent, shell pink. The upper area of the throat, chin and around the nostrils are a light silver that appears silvery white. Nose, lips and eyes are outlined in black. The brick red nose. The legs are black with black hair between the toes and extending beyond the hind legs.

Bronze Egyptian Mau

Bronze is the second most common color of the Egyptian Mau. The first thing you will notice is the heat coppery brown earth color on the head, shoulders, outer legs, back and tail. The bottom fades to a lighter tone. All dark brown / black markings with lighter roots, showing good contrast with the background color. The back of the ears is fawn-pink with a dark brown / black tip. The inner ear should be a delicate, almost transparent, shell pink. The upper area of the throat, chin and around the nostrils is pale ivory. Nose, lips and eyes are outlined in dark brown with a brick red nose tip. The legs are black or dark brown with hair of the same color between the toes and extending beyond the hind legs.

Egyptian Mau Smoke

Color smoke is a refined and sophisticated tone, also the least common of the three official colors of the Egyptian Mau cat breed. The base color on the head, shoulders, outer legs, back, tail and underside consists of a pale silver undercoat with a black tip. T. all marks are black with white silver roots or pale silver. There should be sufficient contrast to the base color for the pattern to be clearly recognizable. The upper area of the throat, the chin and around the nostrils are lighter in color. Nose, lips and eyes are outlined in black. The skin of the nose is black. The legs are black with black hair between the toes and extending beyond the hind legs.

Egyptian Mau Black Smoke

The smoky black Mau almost appears bicolor with a silvery undercoat and darker silver-black spots. Because the coat is pale silver in color with black tips, some people describe this feline as a black Egyptian Mau.

What other colors exist of the Egyptian Mau?

The first three colors described above are considered the standards of exhibitions. But non-competing cats also sport fur in many other colors beyond this narrow range.

Within the colors of the Egyptian Mau race there is a solid color called midnight black. There are also blue solids, where blue is actually a dilute of black. Since this type of color carries the dominant gene, such a feline can be used for breeding purposes.

Others diluted colors include golden mau and cream mau, a dilution of the red. Typically, the Egyptian Mau does not come in shades of orange, nor will you find a white or brown Egyptian Mau.