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We have owned Jandebo Isis, pet name Kiya, since she was three months old. As soon as we got her home she proved she was a confident cat, quickly leaving her travelling basket and looking round the room she was in. As the other cats came into the house she became less confident but was quick to hiss and spit at them, making sure they understood she was no push over. With us she was friendly and ready for a fuss. Even on that first night she followed us to our bedroom and quickly snuggled down on the bed, paying no attention to the other cats who decided to sleep in the spare room. Kiya still likes to sleep on our bed and will snuggle into the crook of my arm most nights while I, the devoted slave, tickle her tummy. It took her a few days before she accepted Elsa our Russian Blue look-a-like. By the time she had been with us for a week Kiya had also made friends with our big marmalade neutered tom Simba. Simba and Kiya are firm friends and spend a great deal of time, playing together in spite of Simba’s age . Kiya has Simba firmly wrapped round her little paws and will demand that Simba washes her. It took slightly longer for Kiya to become friends with our black and white neuter Jasper. Sadly Jasper was killed on the road eighteen months ago.
Kiya enjoys playing either with us or with one of the other cats. She never walks anywhere, but trots or runs with the elegance of a cheetah. As she comes in from outside we will hear the cat flap bang open, a questioning meow asking where we are as she speeds through the kitchen too fast to notice we are there. As soon as we respond to her meow she will answer with a more chirruping sound and frequently return to us for a fuss. If Simba in particular is around he will often receive a head butt and also be asked to pay attention to her, preferably by washing her head. Kiya's favourite toy is a fishing wand, which she will chase round after or jump high in the air to catch. Egyptian Mau’s can learn to retrieve but this is not something which we have experienced. The breed as a whole is vocal and Kiya is no exception, she often talks to us and the other cats with meows and chirrups. It is a challenge learning to understand what all the sounds mean. One such chirrup sounds amazingly like she is saying hello back to us. Her voice can quite demanding when she feels her wishes are not being met.
I have taught all of my cats simple commands and Kiya is no exception, she understands "sit, lay down, come, in and out", used to get her and the others to go in or out of the house and of course "no". "No" being important to stop her jumping onto places where we would rather she did not go, such as the dinning room table and the kitchen work tops. She also knows words like treats, dinner, bed and tickle time. Having her tummy tickled is a favourite form of fuss. Kiya showed exceptional intelligence when she opened the vivarium to try and get our two lizards, so we had to fit a lock.
Kiya loves to curl up on our laps for a fuss, the length of time she stays there being dictated by the warmth of the day or the time of the day. She will also honour a few family members the same way but is wary of people she does not know. Anyone who shows patience and does not push themselves on her will soon be rewarded with her friendship. Mau’s in general are loyal to their owners but are wary of strangers, a good trait for a pedigree cat to have.
For more information about Egyptian Mau cats see the site for the EGYPTIAN MAU CLUB