CATS OF CAIRO

Distant relative to the cats of the Pharaohs, the cat still has a privileged status in Egypt. Its position in the heart of men remains unchallenged and it claims its full place in the midst of human environments. Nevertheless, it protects its ancestral freedom and, if it prospers in the heart of Egyptian cities, it seldom lives imprisoned in a house. Moreover, these generally have numerous openings allowing the cat all the freedom necessary to attend to its activities.

In Cairo as well as in all the cities and villages of Egypt, all you have to do is look around to see it perched on a low wall in a hieratic pose evoking the goddess Bastet. In the gardens of museums or hotels, they come to collect their share with the tourists. On markets, they are kings and delight in giblets of fish and poultry which are cast on the ground.

If you watch carefully, you can also see many weasels which, too, venture to claim their food. Apparently, cats and weasels are able to quite simply live together.

A striking trait in the cats of Cairo is their great variety of colors. Black, grey and white, striped: the nobility of the streets cat of Egypt was recognized under the designation of "Arabic Mau".

When you look more attentively, you can also see many cats having light gray coats with black spots and presenting wide white zones. These cats’ appearance actually is quite close to that of our current Egyptian Maus if, but these white spots.

Many speckled red cats can also be seen, worthy heirs of the cats which were represented on papyri and bas-reliefs in the time of the Pharaohs!

Finally, if you’re patient enough, you can at last perceive the magnificent and worthy offspring of Bastet, sitting or stretching out in the sun in a typically feline posture. Its brown coat is dotted with black spots which highlight its natural nobility. Egyptians call it the Pharaonic cat. To us, it’s the Egyptian Bronze Mau.

Excerpt from the book “à ma fille” by Didier Hallépée - translation by Zoran Radovanovic