Squeaky and Little Guys owners came to me in July 09. They were moving to new jobs in Africa and had already sorted out an airline to fly the cats to Amman but they needed some assistance with paperwork and someone to actually put them on the flight as they were not going to be able to travel with them. It all sounded very simple, but as per usual the best laid plans don’t always work!
Literally at the last minute, the airline said they could not take the cats, so a search was on to find someone who could take them on a different airline. Their owners did find someone in time and on 18 Oct 09 the cats were delivered to me and on 19 Oct 09 I dropped the cats at the airport with the escort and Squeaky and Little Guy embarked on their long journey to Africa where they have now settled and are happy in their new home.
You and your beautiful and special cats are very lucky. Like you, I was very fortunate to have adopted a beautiful cat with practically the same markings and body shape as your adorable pair. A very compassionate military person rescued “Mish-Mish” from the war-torn streets of Bagdad when he was a very young kitten and nursed him before he was fortunately sent to the US. I fell so in love with “Mish-Mish” who was in a no-kill adoption center and adopted his side-kick, a soulful Birman named “Yeti”, who has the complete opposite temperament as his older brother.
I am absolutely fascinated by the origins, histories and breeds of domestic felines. “Mish-Mish” appears to share many of the characteristics/behaviors of the Egyptian Mau in the US. From what I could tell from my research, the Egyptian Maus which currently reside in Iraq (and surrounding areas) are mostly agouti with apricot, red, or cinnamon spots and stripes, whereas, these breeds in the US are usually silver, bronze, and black and lack the homogeneous white areas especially around the face, shoulders and soft underbelly. Similar to the US Maus, they seem to have the same spectrum of eye color–amber to gooseberry green. These cats are incredibly energetic, affectionate and highly intelligent. They also have slender, yet muscular bodies and display unique agility–have been known to run up to 30 mph. I’ve read that the Maus are the direct descendents of the venerated goddess-like cats of ancient Egypt, whose origin goes back to the wild cats of Africa.
I am hoping that you could inform me more about the history and breed of these elegant orientals. I’ve been reading all sorts of articles about similar cats, but am continuing to encounter difficulties identifying this exquisite breed. Are these actually Maus? Ocicats? Other? Thank you so very much for taking the time to read my comment and question.
Gina
There is so much pain and misery in the world, toward humans and animals alike. But when I read stories such as this, I am in awe that kindness and caring still exists – a story like this is a much needed tonic.