Social Attributes
Albeit largely anecdotal, the Egyptian Mau is well known for intelligence and close bonding with responsible and loving owners. Such owners typically report their Maus eagerly greet them at the door at the end of a long day at work. Usually requiring more effort than other breeds, Maus can be "lap cats," but their alert nature makes the task difficult. Although ill-advised by most veterinarians and animal-care givers, the Egyptian Mau loves an outdoor life. Their speed, coupled with their innate intelligence, allows them to avoid almost all dangers if carefully introduced to an outdoor world very early in life. Unusually averse to loud noises and fast-moving objects, Maus are rarely "road kills," and instead are far too busy decimating the mouse and rat population in the back yards and farms of an owner and their neighbors. Many responsible farmers report that a few Mau crossbreeds have saved entire crops from rodents. The typical Mau is not social with strangers of any species, other cats in particular. As kittens, Maus will also test out their ability to attack and scratch. Providing them with large sausage-like dog toys so they can practice "gutting" and "killing" is a must if you want your cat to be a ratter. Also, they are very hard to wash if one does not have thick gloves or thick skin. Maus will fight trespassing cats with astonishing ferocity and uncannily disappear from strange and loud humans. Accordingly, the Egyptian Mau is not a good choice for an absentee condo owner who, when home, brings in strange pets and humans. But over-all, the Mau is considered a great pet known for creating a special and strong bond with generally one or two people in a family.
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Famous quotes containing the words social and/or attributes:
“The infant’s first social achievement, then, is his willingness to let the mother out of sight without undue anxiety or rage, because she has become an inner certainty as well as an outer predictability.”
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