5 Egyptian Cat Breeds

Find out which of these cats actually came from Egypt.

Egyptian cat breeds are among the most ancient breeds. Egypt is one of the places of origin for domesticated cats (the other is the Fertile Crescent in the Middle East). Domestic cats developed from small wildcat species in Egypt as far back as 1500 B.C.

History and Cultural Significance of Egyptian Cat Breeds

Cats are documented as living in ancient Egypt more than 3,000 years ago. Cats provided valuable services protecting grain stores by hunting rodents and killing poisonous snakes in and around Egyptian homes.

To the Egyptians, cats were considered sacred and an important part of their culture. In life, they were pampered and revered. Egyptian royals even dressed their pet cats in gold and jewels. In death, Egyptians mummified cats and placed them in tombs. The goddess Bastet, who took the form of a cat, appears in many ancient Egyptian works of art.

Egyptian Cat Breeds

Few modern cat species can trace their roots directly back to Egypt, though some people think certain cat breeds are Egyptian when their origins lie in other parts of the world. Read on to meet two cat breeds that truly originated in Egypt and three that people think are Egyptian, but are not.

Egyptian Mau

We have no written records of the Egyptian mau’s history, but it’s commonly accepted that the breed has ancient origins and developed from Egyptian street cats. Egyptian drawings show heavily spotted cats with the same mascara markings and barring pattern seen on the modern Egyptian mau. The breed is thought to have first appeared in the United States in 1956 when exiled Russian Princess Nathalie Troubetskoy brought her Egyptian mau cats with her.

Today, street cats in Egypt are often called Nile Valley Egyptian Cats and many of them resemble the Egyptian mau.

The Bengal cat breed is believed to have been developed through cross-breeding with the Egyptian mau.

Breed Overview

WEIGHT: 6 to 14 pounds

LENGTH: Up to 16 inches

PERSONALITY: Playful, active, devoted, loyal, alert, affectionate on their own terms

COAT LENGTH: Medium-length shorthair

COAT COLOR: Silver, bronze, or smoke with dark spots of varying sizes that occur only on the tips of the fur. Other characteristics include a dorsal stripe extending along the tail to a dark tail tip. The forehead has an “M” marking and the face has “mascara” lines that start at the corner of the eyes and sweep along the cheeks.

EYE COLOR: Green

LIFESPAN: 12 to 15 years

Chausie

The medium- to large-sized chausie (pronounced chow-see), is a hybrid breed created by crossbreeding domestic cats and a small wildcat species called the jungle cat that was revered by ancient Egyptians.

Although the chausie is a modern breed—created in the United States in the 1990s—their jungle cat heritage ties them directly to Egypt. Domestic cats used in the creation of the chausie include the Abyssinian and the domestic shorthair.

Breed Overview

Weight: About 15 to 25 pounds

Length: About 20 to 22 inches

Personality: Friendly, playful, active, affectionate

Coat Length: Short to medium, with a dense, soft undercoat and a somewhat resilient, slightly coarser outer coat

Coat Color: Brown ticked tabby, black grizzled ticked tabby or black

Eye Color: Any color, including blue or odd-eyed

Life Expectancy: 15 to 20 years

10 Cat Breeds That Are Rare to Find

Abyssinian

The small, shorthaired Abyssinian is one of the oldest cat breeds. Perhaps due to the breed’s striking resemblance to the cats depicted in ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs, many sources identify the Abyssinian cat’s country of origin as Egypt or Ethiopia (formerly known as Abyssinia). However, the most recent genetic research suggests the coast of the Indian Ocean and parts of Southeast Asia as the most likely birthplace of the Abyssinian cat.

The breed name Abyssinian came about because, in the 1800s, some English fanciers imported cats matching the description of today’s Abyssinian and exhibited them at cat shows in England, stating that the cats were obtained from Abyssinia.

Breed Overview

WEIGHT: Up to 12 pounds

LENGTH: Up to 28 inches

PERSONALITY: Friendly, interactive, animated, active, and playful

COAT LENGTH: Short hair

COAT COLOR: Solid or ticked; ruddy, red, blue, cinnamon, or fawn

EYE COLOR: Green or gold

LIFESPAN: Up to 15 years

Savannah

With their spotted coat, the Savannah cat might look like cats in Egyptian art, but they were developed in the United States in the 1980s by crossing a small, African wildcat species called the serval with domestic cats. Like their serval relative, the Savannah cat is tall and slender with a long neck, large ears, and a gorgeous spotted coat. This breed needs more exercise and mental stimulation than most cats, so don't plan to bring one home unless you can give them the exercise and stimulation they need to be healthy and happy.

Breed Overview

WEIGHT: 12 to 25 pounds

LENGTH: 20 to 22 inches

PERSONALITY: Affectionate and social with owners, pets, and older children; intelligent and trainable

COAT LENGTH: Short to medium hair

COAT COLOR: Tawny, black/brown spotted tabby, black/silver spotted tabby, or black smoke with a solid or tabby pattern

EYE COLOR: Amber or green

LIFESPAN: Up to 20 years

7 Hybrid Cats Breeds

Sphynx

Many people think that the Sphynx cat comes from Egypt due to their resemblance to ancient Egyptian depictions of cats. It’s also possible that people confuse the Sphnyx cat with the mythical sphinx—a creature with the head of a human, body of a lion, and wings of an eagle. Ancient Egyptians believed the sphinx could guard royalty, so they built many statues of the sphinx, including the most famous: the Great Sphinx of Giza.

Alas, the wrinkled, hairless Sphynx cat claims Canada, as their birthplace. Sphynx cats feel like warm suede or chamois because they are covered in a soft down. Sphynx don’t shed and need no brushing, but they must be bathed somewhat regularly to remove any buildup of skin oils and to keep their skin healthy.

Breed Overview

WEIGHT: Less than 12 pounds

LENGTH: 13 to 15 inches, head to tail

PERSONALITY: Playful, affectionate, friendly, energetic, and loving

COAT LENGTH: Nearly hairless, peach fuzz

COAT COLOR: Any color, including white, black, red, brown, white, and lilac

EYE COLOR: Any color

LIFESPAN: 8 to 14 years

More Cat Breeds and Further Research

To explore more cat breeds, check out:

• 15 Best American Cat Breeds

• 14 Top Cat Breeds from Asia

• 10 Best British Cat Breeds

Read Next: 46 Egyptian Cat Names

Read the original article on The Spruce Pets.