Table of Contents
Key Takeaways
- Egyptian Mau and Chausie are the one two cat breeds within the article with direct roots to Egypt.
- The Abyssinian, Savannah, and Sphynx breeds have been mistakenly attributed to Egypt; nevertheless, their origins lie elsewhere.
- Egyptian cats performed a big cultural function in historic Egypt, revered and typically mummified alongside their homeowners.
Egyptian cat breeds are a few of the oldest. Egypt, together with the Fertile Crescent within the Center East, is a birthplace of domesticated cats. These cats originated from small wildcats in Egypt round 1500 B.C.
Historical past and Cultural Significance of Egyptian Cat Breeds
Cats are documented in historic Egypt for over 3,000 years. They performed an important function in defending grain shops by searching rodents and killing toxic snakes close to Egyptian properties.
To the Egyptians, cats have been thought of sacred and an essential a part of their tradition. In life, they have been pampered and revered. Egyptian royals even dressed their pet cats in gold and jewels. In dying, Egyptians mummified cats and positioned them in tombs. The goddess Bastet, who took the type of a cat, seems in lots of historic Egyptian artistic endeavors.
Egyptian Cat Breeds
Few trendy cat breeds can hint their roots on to Egypt, although some are mistakenly believed to be Egyptian. Find out about two breeds that actually originated in Egypt and three generally regarded as Egyptian however will not be.
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Egyptian Mau
We have now no written information of the Egyptian mau’s historical past, nevertheless it’s generally accepted that the breed has historic origins and developed from Egyptian avenue cats. Egyptian drawings present closely noticed cats with the identical mascara markings and barring sample seen on the trendy Egyptian mau. The breed is assumed to have first appeared in the USA in 1956 when exiled Russian Princess Nathalie Troubetskoy introduced her Egyptian mau cats together with her.
Immediately, avenue cats in Egypt are sometimes referred to as Nile Valley Egyptian Cats and plenty of of them resemble the Egyptian mau.
The Bengal cat breed is believed to have been developed via cross-breeding with the Egyptian mau.
Breed Overview
WEIGHT: 6 to 14 kilos
LENGTH: As much as 16 inches
PERSONALITY: Playful, energetic, devoted, loyal, alert, affectionate on their very own phrases
COAT LENGTH: Medium-length shorthair
COAT COLOR: Silver, bronze, or smoke with darkish spots of various sizes that happen solely on the ideas of the fur. Different traits embody a dorsal stripe extending alongside the tail to a darkish tail tip. The brow has an “M” marking and the face has “mascara” traces that begin on the nook of the eyes and sweep alongside the cheeks.
EYE COLOR: Inexperienced
LIFESPAN: 12 to fifteen years
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Chausie
![Chausie cat]()
The medium- to large-sized chausie (pronounced chow-see), is a hybrid breed created by crossbreeding home cats and a small wildcat species referred to as the jungle cat that was revered by historic Egyptians.
Though the chausie is a contemporary breed—created in the USA within the Nineteen Nineties—their jungle cat heritage ties them on to Egypt. Home cats used within the creation of the chausie embody the Abyssinian and the home shorthair.
Breed Overview
Weight: About 15 to 25 kilos
Size: About 20 to 22 inches
Character: Pleasant, playful, energetic, affectionate
Coat Size: Quick to medium, with a dense, comfortable undercoat and a considerably resilient, barely coarser outer coat
Coat Coloration: Brown ticked tabby, black grizzled ticked tabby or black
Eye Coloration: Any colour, together with blue or odd-eyed
Life Expectancy: 15 to twenty years
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Abyssinian
![Abyssinian cat]()
The small, shorthaired Abyssinian is without doubt one of the oldest cat breeds. Maybe as a result of breed’s putting resemblance to the cats depicted in historic Egyptian hieroglyphs, many sources establish the Abyssinian cat’s nation of origin as Egypt or Ethiopia (previously often called Abyssinia). Nevertheless, the latest genetic analysis suggests the coast of the Indian Ocean and components of Southeast Asia because the most certainly birthplace of the Abyssinian cat.
The breed title Abyssinian took place as a result of, within the 1800s, some English fanciers imported cats matching the outline of in the present day’s Abyssinian and exhibited them at cat reveals in England, stating that the cats have been obtained from Abyssinia.
Breed Overview
WEIGHT: As much as 12 kilos
LENGTH: As much as 28 inches
PERSONALITY: Pleasant, interactive, animated, energetic, and playful
COAT LENGTH: Quick hair
COAT COLOR: Stable or ticked; ruddy, purple, blue, cinnamon, or fawn
EYE COLOR: Inexperienced or gold
LIFESPAN: As much as 15 years
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Savannah
![Savannah cat]()
With their noticed coat, the Savannah cat would possibly appear like cats in Egyptian artwork, however they have been developed in the USA within the Eighties by crossing a small, African wildcat species referred to as the serval with home cats. Like their serval relative, the Savannah cat is tall and slender with a protracted neck, massive ears, and a beautiful noticed coat. This breed wants extra train and psychological stimulation than most cats, so do not plan to carry one dwelling until you can provide them the train and stimulation they have to be wholesome and blissful.
Breed Overview
WEIGHT: 12 to 25 kilos
LENGTH: 20 to 22 inches
PERSONALITY: Affectionate and social with homeowners, pets, and older kids; clever and trainable
COAT LENGTH: Quick to medium hair
COAT COLOR: Tawny, black/brown noticed tabby, black/silver noticed tabby, or black smoke with a strong or tabby sample
EYE COLOR: Amber or inexperienced
LIFESPAN: As much as 20 years
These 7 Hybrid Cat Breeds Look Like They Belong within the Jungle—However Can Be Nice PetsProceed to five of 5 under -
Sphynx
![Sphynx cat (Canadian Hairless Cat)]()
Many individuals suppose that the Sphynx cat comes from Egypt as a consequence of their resemblance to historic Egyptian depictions of cats. It’s additionally doable that individuals confuse the Sphnyx cat with the legendary sphinx—a creature with the top of a human, physique of a lion, and wings of an eagle. Historical Egyptians believed the sphinx might guard royalty, in order that they constructed many statues of the sphinx, together with essentially the most well-known: the Nice Sphinx of Giza.
Alas, the wrinkled, hairless Sphynx cat claims Canada, as their birthplace. Sphynx cats really feel like heat suede or chamois as a result of they’re coated in a comfortable down. Sphynx don’t shed and wish no brushing, however they should be bathed considerably usually to take away any buildup of pores and skin oils and to maintain their pores and skin wholesome.
Breed Overview
WEIGHT: Lower than 12 kilos
LENGTH: 13 to fifteen inches, head to tail
PERSONALITY: Playful, affectionate, pleasant, energetic, and loving
COAT LENGTH: Almost hairless, peach fuzz
COAT COLOR: Any colour, together with white, black, purple, brown, white, and lilac
EYE COLOR: Any colour
LIFESPAN: 8 to 14 years
Extra Cat Breeds and Additional Analysis
To discover extra cat breeds, take a look at:
- 15 Greatest American Cat Breeds
- 14 High Cat Breeds from Asia
- 10 Greatest British Cat Breeds
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