Looking for Egyption Mau cat owners

I just went to a cat show Saturday and fell in love with the Egyptian Mau. I have read in numerous places that the breed has several health concerns,Asthma,cardiomyopathy and allergies that lead to a lot of scratching and hot spots on the fur. I have a 2 yr. old Abby now and am looking for a buddy for him. But, these health problems are scaring me away right now. I'd like to hear from some owners (not breeders) that have a Mau.
Thanks,
Dave

I don't know of any Mau breeders on this site, but there is at least one owner, possibly more.
Hope you get the answers you're looking for. Mau's are great cats and the health concerns are there, but not wide spread.

Good luck!

Hi, I own an Egyptian Mau.

Luxor was scratching his neck and ears an awful lot a couple of months ago and I tried changing his food and it definitely got better. He does still scratch his neck a lot and I've had him checked twice. He doesn't have asthma and the rest of his body checked out too. His bloodwork did show elevated allergens but it wasn't by much at all. So I've kept my eye on him - it's gotten a lot better but he still itches some. One morning I woke up and he had a little sore spot on his neck/chin. It's all better now though.

He's the most loving cat you could ever want. I wouldn't change him for the world. He lives for food and steals what ever he can. The main thing I'm concerned about with him is that he'll eat anything - food, styrofoam, lint.

Thankyou very much for the reply. I really love the look of these cats. Couldn't take my eyes off them at the show. Did the vet determine what caused the allergic reaction? Food maybe?

I fell in love with the Egyptian Mau breed as well and now am the proud owner of a 12 week old Mau. The breeder I went through didn't have any such medical issues in her lines so I guess because of that I wasn't worried. So far so good ... if only my resident cat would accept our new baby girl.

I've got a 13 month old male silver, Bailey. I got him from one of the top breeders in the states (Emau) and the breeder was more than willing to share health issues with me.
First off, depending on the line of Mau you get, you will possibly encounter certain health issues. Traditionals will probably have the asthma and cardiomyopathy more than Indian lines (my boy is Indian line). Indian line Maus are basically cats that can trace their lineage back to an Indian import. The Indian import cats brought in much needed new blood and effectively bred out a lot of health problems.
Some Maus have an allergy to caramel color, which could be the main reason for hot spots and scratching. To avoid this, I simply avoid any food with caramel food coloring in it.
Like many Maus, my boy is food obsessed! Maus can easily get overweight, so you have to be stern when they ask in their sweet little voices. . . I know I can be a real sucker!