| American Shorthair | Egyptian Mau | |
|---|---|---|
| Lifespan | 15-20 years | 12-14 years |
| Size | Medium | Medium |
| Weight | 8-15 lb | 6-14 lb |
| Energy | Moderate | Very high |
| Grooming | Low | Low |
| Shedding | Low | Low |
| With kids | Good with kids | With supervision |
The 'all-American working cat' story implies a hardy, mixed-heritage constitution, but this is a closed pedigree bred like any other purebred, and Cornell's feline health center lists American Shorthair among the breeds with an elevated rate of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy — the same silent heart disease people specifically worry about in Maine Coons.
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.
American Shorthair ·
Egyptian Mau
Health problems, origin and what living with each is actually like.