Egyptian Mau activity: sprinting play and urate stone risk

An Egyptian Mau needs daily play that lets it run, jump and catch, and it has one breed health risk that shapes how it should be fed: urate bladder stones. The Cat Fanciers' Association (CFA) describes the breed as sleek and muscular, with a loose flap of skin from flank to hind leg that gives freedom when twisting and jumping, and with high shoulder blades and longer hind legs that give a cheetah-like gait. The same profile calls Maus active, alert and agile cats that enjoy interactive games, may play fetch and will walk on a leash.

Daily play for a sprinting cat

Play works best when it follows a hunt: the toy hides, moves, flees and is finally caught. For an athletic breed the chase part needs space and speed. A reasonable daily plan for an adult Mau:

Food puzzles deserve more use than they get. A review of food puzzles for cats in the Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery describes how to introduce them and reports case examples of health and behavior improving with their use, while noting that research in this area is still new. Start with an easy puzzle and dry food or treats that fall out readily, then make it harder as the cat learns.

Making room to run

• Use the longest open line in the home. Drag a wand toy the length of a hallway or between rooms so the cat can reach full stride rather than pouncing on the spot.
• Consider a cat exercise wheel for a confident, energetic Mau. Introduce it slowly with treats and toys, and do not force a cat onto it.
• Build up, not just out. Floor-to-ceiling trees, shelves at staggered heights and a perch by a window give a jumping breed somewhere to go.
• End laser play on something real. A dot that can never be caught frustrates some cats. Finish by landing it on a toy or a treat.
• Rotate toys every few days so the same ones do not become background.

Leash walking suits some Maus, and the CFA notes that the breed enjoys it. Training takes several weeks of short indoor sessions in a well-fitted walking jacket before any outdoor trip, and a cat that stays frightened should not be pushed.

Urate stones

This is the breed's most striking health finding. In a study of more than 10,000 feline urinary stones analyzed at the Canadian Veterinary Urolith Centre, Egyptian Maus were strongly predisposed to urate stones, with roughly 118 times the odds of the comparison cats. Birman and Siamese cats were also predisposed, but far less strongly. Urate stones appeared more often in younger cats and in males. Breed clubs know about it: the CFA profile names urinary stones as a condition Mau owners may meet.

The signs of a stone or other bladder problem are the same whatever the stone type. The Cornell Feline Health Center lists them as:

• Straining or pain when urinating
• Going to the litter tray more often
• Crying out while urinating
• Blood in the urine
• Urinating outside the tray
• Frequent licking of the genital area

A male cat that strains and produces little or no urine may have a blocked urethra. Cornell warns that death can follow complete obstruction in less than 24 to 48 hours, so this needs an emergency vet immediately.

Stone type decides treatment, and only laboratory analysis of a stone tells the type. Cornell notes that struvite stones can sometimes be dissolved with diet while calcium oxalate stones cannot. Many urinary foods are designed mainly with struvite and oxalate in mind, so a Mau with a urate stone needs a diet chosen by the vet for that stone type rather than any "urinary" food. For every Mau, plenty of water helps keep urine dilute: fresh water in several places, a fountain if the cat likes one, and some wet food in the diet.

Other health checks

Pyruvate kinase deficiency. The CFA notes that breeders test for this inherited anemia, and a study of more than 14,000 cats recommended PK testing for Egyptian Maus. Affected cats can show severe lethargy, weakness, weight loss and jaundice. The disease is recessive, so carriers are healthy, and a buyer should ask for both parents' results. A Mau that tires unusually fast in play or has pale gums needs a blood test.

Heart disease. We found no data showing that Maus are prone to hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, but it can appear in any cat, and an owner who plays hard with a cat daily is well placed to notice it. During or after play, watch for open-mouth breathing that does not settle within a minute or two of stopping, coughing, sudden weakness or collapse, or a cat that suddenly loses interest in games it used to enjoy. Any of these needs a vet visit, and breathing difficulty at rest is an emergency.

Kittens. A kitten that becomes wobbly, trembles or grows clumsier over weeks should be examined promptly rather than put down to kitten awkwardness.

Feeding an athletic cat

The Merck Veterinary Manual estimates resting energy requirement (RER) as 70 multiplied by body weight in kilograms raised to the power 0.75. A neutered adult cat gets about 1.2 times RER and an intact adult 1.4 times. Rounded to the nearest 5 kcal:

Merck notes that animals of the same weight can differ in need by as much as 30%. A Mau that plays hard every day may sit toward the top of that range, but the only reliable guide is body condition: ribs easy to feel under a thin layer of fat, a visible waist, and no loss of muscle over the spine and hips.

• A complete and balanced food covers an active cat's protein, fat and taurine needs. No special athlete formula is required.
• Include wet food where the cat accepts it, for the water it adds, given the breed's stone risk.
• Split the ration into three or four small meals, some served in food puzzles.
• Play before a meal rather than straight after a large one. A hunt followed by food suits cats well.
• Count treats used in play or training, keeping them to about 10% of the day's calories.

Signs a Mau needs more to do

• Ambushing ankles or hands as people walk past
• Knocking things off shelves, or scratching and chewing more than usual
• Racing around at night after a quiet day
• More demanding vocalizing than the cat's normal chirps and chatter

Excessive grooming with thinning fur on the belly or inner thighs can come from stress or boredom, but it can also be a sign of pain, including bladder pain, or of skin disease. It needs a vet check before it is treated as a behavior problem.

Sources

1. Egyptian Mau. The Cat Fanciers' Association.
2. Food puzzles for cats: Feeding for physical and emotional wellbeing. Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery, 2016.
3. Feline urate urolithiasis. Canadian Veterinary Journal, 2010.
4. Feline Lower Urinary Tract Disease. Cornell Feline Health Center, Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine.
5. Erythrocyte pyruvate kinase deficiency mutation identified in multiple breeds of domestic cats. BMC Veterinary Research, 2012.
6. Nutritional Requirements of Small Animals. Merck Veterinary Manual.