Egyptian Mau

A healthy Egyptian Mau typically lives 12-16 years, and well-managed cats from screened lines can reach 18-20. The factors that move the number are the breed's own risks: urinary stones (controlled by a high-moisture diet and hydration), the rare line-specific leukodystrophy (avoided by buying from breeders who track lines), and heart disease. With those managed, the Mau is otherwise one of the more robust pedigree cats.

Yes with respectful older children, less so with unpredictable toddlers. Maus are playful and affectionate within their family but they are highly sensitive to sudden noise and rough handling, and a startled Mau retreats and can stay wary. They do best where children are calm, supervised, and taught to let the cat initiate contact. Early, ongoing socialization is essential — a poorly socialized Mau becomes a one-person cat that hides from the rest of the household.

Very little — this is genuinely the low-maintenance part of the breed. The short, fine coat needs only a weekly brush to remove loose hair, plus routine nail trims, weekly ear checks, and regular dental care like any cat. They are not heavy shedders. The real Mau workload is not grooming; it is the daily exercise, the high-moisture diet for stone prevention, and the socialization and stability the breed's temperament demands.

They can be, but only an enriched apartment. The Mau is the fastest domestic cat and an athletic, energetic breed, so a bare apartment frustrates it. It does well in an apartment that provides tall cat trees, shelves, sprint routes, puzzle feeders, and 30-40 minutes of active daily play. A small, under-stimulated space produces a destructive, anxious cat. Stability matters too — Maus dislike chaotic, high-traffic environments.

Expect roughly $800-$1,800 for a kitten from a registered breeder, more for show lines. The recurring cost owners underestimate is the urinary one: a high-moisture prescription or premium wet diet for life, and the real possibility of emergency treatment for a urate-stone blockage, which can run $1,500-$3,000+ in a male. Buying from a breeder who screens for pyruvate kinase deficiency and tracks leukodystrophy-free lines is the cheapest risk reduction available.

Because the breed has a documented, well-above-average rate of urate bladder and urinary stones, particularly in males under 6 years old. Higher water intake dilutes the urine and reduces stone formation, and cats reliably drink far less than they get from moisture-rich food. Feeding primarily wet or high-moisture food and providing a fountain is the single most effective preventive step. Watch the litter box closely — a male straining or unable to urinate is a same-day emergency.