Ever wondered what’s the fastest domestic cat? Meet the Egyptian Mau.
It’s a medium-sized rare feline breed which is one of the few to sport natural spots on its coat. Maus can reach a maximum running speed of 48 km/h.
The breed’s name is given due to its supposed origination in Egypt, although modern DNA analysis indicates otherwise. “Mau” in Egyptian actually means “cat”, and some believe that ancient Egyptians called it as such because of the “meow” sound that the animal makes.
The Mau also has the familiar “M” or “scarab beetle” marking on its forehead.
One-Time Egyptian Mau Expenses
Kittens can be purchased at Belle Hollow Farms & Exotics for $800 to $1,800 each, depending on the color and quality of the cat. Whether or not a kitten will be used in a breeding program will affect the price.
Silver and bronze spotted kittens are commonly priced between $1,000 and $1,200 if purchased as pets. All of its cats are dual registered (CFA and TICA), vaccinated, and will be accompanied by a health certificate when released.
KezKatz Cattery also carries Egyptian Mau kittens and you can pick one up for only $750 to $1,000 for a pet and $1,250 to $1,500 for a breeding kitten. Microchips, vaccinations, and health records are provided when a kitten is taken home.
The purchase also comes with a CFA and TICA slip for registration. Additional freebies include a Royal Canine Kitten package that contains food, coupons, and care information.
The list of all the registered Egyptian Mau breeders in the USA and other countries according to the Fanciers Breeder Referral List is always available in case you’d like to look for other alternatives.
If you’d like to give an Egyptian Mau a new home and save some money at the same time, consider rescuing a kitten from a local animal shelter instead of buying one from a breeder.
While most shelters have an adoption fee that covers many of their basic expenses such as vaccinations for the animals, food, and medical supplies, it is usually only a fraction of the normal Egyptian Mau price.
Adopt-a-Pet can help you find a kitten in your area for just $75 to $150.
Other one-time expenses that you can expect to shoulder on behalf of your kitten are licensing fees, a collar and leash, spaying or neutering (if it wasn’t included), a litter box, scratching post, and travel crate.
A license is mandatory for cats in most states and costs range from $5 to $72 per year depending on your location.
At PetSmart, a collar goes for $4 to $45 and a leash is about $7 to $19. Litter boxes run from $4 to $240, and cat scratchers $14 to $63.
If you’re planning on traveling with your Egyptian Mau by air, a travel crate is needed. The PetLuv Happy Cat crate is portable, soft, weighs only 8-lbs, and costs less than $60.
Some breeders don’t automatically spay/neuter their kittens, especially if they are below a certain age. If you find yourself being the one to shoulder the costs, you can expect something around the tune of $33 for a neuter and $51 for a spay, which is the prices at the Spay Neuter Clinic in Arizona.
Recurring Egyptian Mau Expenses
In order to get a more accurate picture of how much you can expect to spend on your cat, you have to factor in recurring expenses too. These include everything from food to medicine.
Maus doesn’t have any specific nutritional profile that they need to follow with their diet, aside from the regular high-protein, low-fat, and no/fewer grain requirements which is standard for all cats. However, you might need to start a young kitten off on one type of food and eventually transitioning to a different variety when it becomes an adult.
Royal Canin Mother & Babycat is a good wet cat food for kittens 1-4 months old. It’s intended to help kittens to transition from milk to solid food and contains a super soft mixture of proteins, healthy fats, and carbs. A pack of twenty-four 5.8-oz cans costs around $40.
Older kittens will benefit more from wet cat food that contains chunks of meat. Blue Freedom Grain-Free Wet Cat Food is great for baby cats up to 20 weeks old.
It contains chicken and chicken liver as well as cranberries for better digestion. A pack of twenty-four 3-oz cans on costs about $30.
As Egyptian Maus grows older and begins to expend more energy, an even more powerful food formula will be needed to supplement their diet. This time, our money is on the Purina Pro Plan Focus, which is another type of wet canned cat food.
It contains real chicken, chicken liver, and fish to ensure that your cat is never lacking in protein, vitamins, and minerals. The cost of a pack of twenty-four 3-oz cans is around $30.
As kittens grow older, expect their daily food consumption to increase, which will lead in turn to increased costs. Plan ahead appropriately to ensure that you can always afford enough food for your cat.
Unfortunately, health issues are an inevitable part of growing up in the feline world. The Cummings Veterinary Medical Center in Massachusetts lists its prices for medical exams, vaccinations, and surgical procedures as follows:
- Health Exam / General Checkup – $15
- Rabies Vax – $12
- FVRCP Vax – $12
- FeLV Test – $25
- Heartworm Test (Snap 4DX) – $25
- Home Again Microchip + Implant – $15
- Neuter – $45
- Spay – $70
- Cryptorchid Neuter – $65 to $90
When moving a pet from the United States to an international country, a health certificate is always required. USDA APHIS is the government body that regulates the charges for health certificate endorsements.
If a country only requires a basic health certificate – meaning that only vaccinations are listed as complete, the cost of such is $38. For a country that requires any testing such as rabies titer or other diseases, the charge depends on how many tests are needed.
A health certificate with 1-2 tests listed will cost $121, 3-6 tests cost $150, and 7 or more tests costs $173. Check the regulations in the country that you’re traveling to in order to determine what testing they require on your cat’s health certificate.
Things to Consider When Selecting A Breeder
Given that Egyptian Maus are somewhat rare in cat fancier circles, it’s all the more important to give special attention to the breeder that is supplying your kitten. Here are some of the important considerations to give when picking out a pet:
- Do not do business with a breeder that refuses to allow you to view its cattery.
- Be wary if the price of a kitten is way out of the usual range – either high or low.
- Ask if a deposit must be given so that you can reserve a kitten.
- In cases where you live in a different state, coordinate with the breeder about pickup and drop-off.
- Check if the breeder uses the services of a licensed vet. If yes, find out who the vet is and continue to bring your kitten to them.
- Inspect health certificates and health records to ensure that your kitten has a clean bill of health.
- If your new pet is being advertised as a pedigree, ask for a copy of the papers.
- Avoid buying kittens from websites that have “Buy Now” buttons or seem to have too many call-to-actions. These indicate that the sellers are mostly interested in profiting from the sale.
