The Egyptian Mau's spots are entirely natural — it's the only naturally spotted domestic cat breed, not a wildcat cross — but it does carry a real, elevated risk of pyruvate kinase deficiency, and CFA itself acknowledges that genetic testing 'remains limited' for some of the breed's other heritable conditions, so a breeder's 'fully health-tested' claim can't always be independently verified.
Health tests to ask the breeder for
There is no CHIC program for cats. These are the DNA and screening tests that the testing laboratories and cat health bodies name for the Egyptian Mau. A breeder who tests will show the certificates; a DNA result of "clear" for one variant is not a guarantee against the disease.
- Erythrocyte Pyruvate Kinase (PK) Deficiency DNA test (UC Davis VGL / Langford Vets) screens for inherited haemolytic anaemia
When to spay or neuter: by five months, whatever the breed. That is the one answer the AVMA, the feline practitioners and AAHA all give, and the spay and neuter page has why, and the two weeks after.
Sources: vgl.ucdavis.edu · langfordvets.co.uk. Checked September 2026. Check a breeder has the questions.
Adopt a Egyptian Mau near you
Shelters and rescues list Egyptian Maus and Egyptian Mau mixes on Petfinder. Enter a ZIP code to see who is waiting within 100 miles.
Listings come from Petfinder and open there. Petipedia does not take part in adoptions and earns nothing from them.
Living with a Egyptian Mau
This is a genuinely athletic cat — it holds the land-speed record among domestic breeds at around 30 mph — and needs vertical space and real exercise outlets, ideally a secured outdoor run ('catio') rather than a purely sedentary indoor life. Egyptian Maus tend to be reserved with strangers and closely bonded to their own household, quieter-voiced than people expect from such a striking, exotic-looking cat.
Health you should know about
- Pyruvate kinase deficiency — an inherited hemolytic anemia; PDSA notes the anemia is often mild and intermittent, so signs can go unnoticed until the cat is already older.
- Urolithiasis (bladder/kidney stones) — monitored by breeders as a known risk in the breed.
- Limited genetic-test availability for some of the breed's other heritable conditions, per CFA's own breed page, which means health claims from breeders can't always be independently confirmed.
Read the full Cat Care Guide first — costs, daily time, and everything a cat needs before you choose a breed.
Naming a Egyptian Mau? Egyptian cat names, 80 of them, with what they mean.
Sources — 3 references
Last reviewed October 2026. 3 sources listed below. Written and maintained by Petdeals.io. General care information, not veterinary advice — for a sick animal, call a vet.