This situation that continues in many countries today due to the popularity of Siamese, Persians and other fancy breeds. The breed name means "Egyptian Cat." After World War II, the trade in fancy cats resumed and the native spotted domestic cats in Egypt became increasingly mongrelised with stray pets, losing their distinctive identity. "Mau" is a Middle Egyptian onomatopoeic word that means "cat". Spotted cats are depicted in a number of Roman mosaics, including one found at Pompeii. The Romans were probably responsible for taking spotted cats from Egypt back to Italy in the early centuries AD, a quite likely to other parts of Europe during the Roman occupation.
#Tabby egyptian mau skin
It is hard to reach definite conclusions as often only the skin remains, not the fur itself. Other unwrapped cat mummies appear to have had fawn-coloured ticked fur. Several cat mummies from around 1000 BC have been unwrapped, and some revealed a spotted tabby pattern, so we know that spotted domestic cats were common in ancient Egypt. Although it is often stated that the Egyptians worshipped cats, mourned their death and that harming a cat was an offence punishable by death, the truth is that temples bred cats en masse to be sacrificed and mummified as devotional objects. Those ancient Mau-like cats were trained to hunt and retrieve birds. Cats resembling Egyptian Maus are depicted in Egyptian artwork over 3000 years old. Although it is regarded as an ancient breed, the modern Egyptian Mau was developed in Europe from spotted cats imported from the Middle East.