The Egyptian Mau vs Bengal: the cat battle is on! Are you on the hunt for a wildcat? On the one hand, we have the elegant and sleek Egyptian Mau. On the other, the powerful and robust Bengal. Both of these marvellous mousers have many similar traits, especially their endless energy and love of play. Will you choose the captivating Cheetah-like Mau or are you lured by the Leopard-like Bengal? Today I will share the differences between these beautiful breeds, but also look at the similarities to help you to decide which of these breeds will be a perfect fit for your family.
Contents
- Which breed is bigger?
- Differences and similarities in temperament
- Variations in care requirements
- Is one healthier than the other?
Differences in Appearance
A mysterious and ancient breed, the Egyptian Mau is the only domestic cat to boast a naturally spotted coat. From his remarkable dotted fur to his bewitching gooseberry-green eyes, the Mau is eye-catching, to say the least.
Incredibly agile and small to medium in size, the Mau generally weighs about 6 to 14 pounds.
The striking Bengal, on the other hand, is a relatively new breed. Originating in the US, this fine feline is a mix of domestic cat and Asian Leopard.
The Bengal is easily recognized by his glowing golden coat, adorned with leopard-like spots or marbling. Other colors include silver, blue and snow. Size-wise, he is medium to large with a muscular frame, and typically weighs 8 to 15 pounds.
Egyptian Mau vs Bengal Temperament
Legend has it that the Mau was worshipped in ancient Egypt, and doesn’t he know it! He adores his human family and can be delightfully affectionate, but only on his own terms. If he’s in the mood, he is likely to snuggle up with you on the sofa. When you’re on the go, don’t be surprised if he decides to hitch a lift on your shoulder.
The Mau is a sensitive soul and usually wary of strangers.
Arguably a sheep in wolf’s clothing, the exotic-appearing Bengal shows little sign of his wild ancestry. He dotes on his family and often follows his humans around like a lovesick pooch. He is no lap dog, though, and is unlikely to curl up on your knee.
A sociable cat, the Bengal enjoys the company of other animals, including dogs.
Similarities Between Bengals and Egyptian Maus
Both are exceptionally playful by nature, demanding your attention and company. They are extremely intelligent and thrive on interactive games and toys.
Bored easily, the Egyptian Mau and Bengal could perhaps be considered high maintenance. These cats like the sound of their own voices and can be noisy.
Each makes an excellent hunter and so it is wise to keep any small pets, especially fish, well out of reach.
Unusually for felines, the Mau and Bengal have a mutual affinity for water. You may find them staring enthusiastically at a dripping faucet or even catch them with their paws in the fish tank.
Bengal vs Egyptian Mau Care
Many pet parents choose to keep their beloved furchildren indoors.
This is primarily to protect them from outside dangers, but also helps preserve local wildlife. Remember, these guys are prolific hunters.
Grooming requirements of the Egyptian Mau vs Bengal are minimal but it is a good idea to brush through their coat weekly.
This will remove dead hair and help to keep their shiny fur shimmering.
Health Comparisons
It’s fair to say that the Egyptian Mau vs Bengal are pretty healthy but, as with all pedigrees, there are some health issues to note.
For the Mau, the main issues are pyruvate kinase deficiency which leads to anemia, a neurological condition known as leukodystrophy and, in some lines, umbilical hernias.
Bengals can be affected by eye disease such as progressive retinal atrophy, heart disease or hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, joint problems including patellar luxation and hip dysplasia, and pyruvate kinase deficiency as seen in the Mau.
It is important to discuss health issues with the breeder before bringing your feline friend home.
I have had both Maus and Bengals, without a doubt I would go with Bengals.
Maus do have a tenancy to be paranoid and get stressed out with strangers or any changes to their home.
Bengals on the other hand can’t resist examining everyone and everything new that comes into their home. Maus tend to be a one person cat, while Bengals love anyone who will play with them.
( Important note though, if you are getting either a Bengal or a Mau, make sure the kitten has been well socialised or you are storing up problems for yourself as your cat matures).
We have a silver bengal female had from a kitten,she has an older male ragdoll who she has had as a house companion since we had her( both are neutered) it might seem an unlikely and chalk and cheese scenario but we have had many happy years with our two cats and often observe them crled up together asleep,the only time their is questionable behaviour, though it is fairly light hearted seems to be at mealtimes while prepare their food , they go though hilarious shadow boxing routines with each other, and our very patient old boy ragdoll will nip our bengal on the ear ,but very lightly, with no real pressure applied eliciting a little squeak of protest, but no lasting emnity, and theyvsre quick to join forces with the unified meaningful stares when feed time is due.
I am new to these cats. Looking for a bengal but have been offered the maus. What should I do.
Take the Egyptian Mau !! I have one and love him .
My ex has a mau and it loves everybody and wants to sleep in everybody’s bedroom it’s just an amazing cat
I have a Bengal cat. Leo is 10 years old now but still looks and acts like a young cat. Unfortunately he has EPD (Endocrine Pancreatic Insufficiency) but luckily this is easy to manage by adding Enzymes/B12 to his food.
I would also add that he is highly intelligent. He can turn his electronic toys on and many is the time that he’s run the batteries out as he turns them on with his teeth but is not at all interested in turning them off again. At first we thought that he was turning them on by accident until we witnessed him doing it. He very precisely bites the electronic button in exactly the right place and have witnessed him doing this so often now that we know it is intentional.
He is very fond of cuddles (only with me) and loves to be picked up and held whilst I stroke his face and tummy.
The one thing to remember about Bengals is that they are noisy in the extreme and constantly miouw. It is hard to know what our one wants but a lot of the time it is because he wants to either drink water from the tap, go to the toilet or wants to go out.
We have a 3 year old bengal and a kitten. Our 3 year old rarely meows only when he wants his daily walk he will go to the door and meow. It is funny how every cat has a different personality. He does chirp when he sees a bird or a fly or even my husband. LOL
We THINK our guy is a Bengal, but we’re not entirely SURE… He was a foster, and had two other brothers, presumably adopted by other homes. The others were ticked, but he’s marbled, and VERY dark, with HUGE coal-black paws. The others had mixed-color feet, etc.. our closest guess is that they were from a Bengal breeding program, but not QUITE up to breed standards to be able to fetch top dollar. What prompted me to post tho was people talking about what tricks their smart and playful Bengals get up to, because he DEFINITELY has a sneaky trick of his own. We CANNOT use a breakaway collar with him, because he WILL get out of it.. EVERY. SINGLE. TIME. But the difficulty arises from HOW he gets out of it; they’re designed to be (at least somewhat) resistant to a cat trying to scrape it off with their paw over their head. No, he CLAPS the TAG between his enormous paws and YANKS downwards, perfectly mimicking EXACTLY the kind of motion that a breakaway collar is designed for. We have to specifically shop for collars without a breakaway for him. His “big sister” (no biological relation) gets a breakaway for safety. Luckily with her tho, there’s not as much danger of her escaping the house and getting lost. Unlike Byron the Bengal, our little black and white girl Nepenthe (Penny for short. Nepenthe means “something that brings relief from sorrow or suffering”; she’s a therapy cat) was a feral rescue kitten, that we think was abandoned by her mother… she’s been outside. Outside sucks. It’s cold and wet (she was a fall/winter baby) and there’s no food and she has absolutely ZERO desire to go back out there. Byron on the other hand has made a couple attempts to go outside and hunt birds or make friends with the ferals or other wild animals, so it’s a little more urgent to keep his ID tags on.
I had a Bengal for 5 years that passed this week of unexpected heart failure 🥲He was absolutely the best cat I have ever owned. I am thinking about adopting an Egyptian Mau because of the affordability and is very similar to the Bengal.
Anyone owned both of these and your opinion on if I would be happy with a Mau verses another Bengal?
I have both! They are so similar in everything they do. They love each other and are inseparable. If I had to say…The Mau seems a little more affectionate and slightly more low key than the Bengal, but they are both 100% loving and well behaved cats.
The Bengal is actually related to the Egyptian Mau. Most websites are misleading by omitting pertinent information about how the Bengal breed was created. Bengals were created by breeding the wild Asian Leopard with the Egyptian Mau. I have some Bengal-Maine Coon mixed breed cats. Some of them were born appearing more like a Maine Coon with the long fur but with the Bengal markings, while some appear like the Bengal, while still others appear like the Egyptian Mau. I have one male who appears straight up Asian Leopard. He’s only a year old and weighs about 20 lbs and he’s big, sleek, and muscular and can run about 40 mph. All my Bengal-Maine Coons have caught me white winged doves and house finches. They have also killed Sonoran Desert Toads, which I wish they’d stay away from because they’re hallucinagenic.They love climbing the willow acacia trees and the papa cat (which has Maine Coon fur but in the summer when he sheds his fluffy coat it reveals his black/smoke colored Bengal undercoat with it’s hidden silver stripes and spots) loves to leap onto the roof of the travel trailer I live in. The big leopard-looking male also has taken up roof climbing, imitating his daddy. They are very active cats and they hardly ever rest. They require high protein, grain-free, chemical-free cat food such as Blue Buffalo Duck or Salmon if you want them to remain healthy and thrive. The males do like to spray A LOT, so be prepared to clean up after them constantly. Spoiler alert-neutering cats doesn’t make them stop spraying, so there’s no point in maiming your animal or denying its divine will to procreate. Cats get hit by cars, or captured by coyotes and they die. Life happens. You cannot control everything. Stop trying to control nature so much. Adopt a cat before you buy one.
Hi, Rob. Unfortunately history doesn’t support the idea of ALCs being bred with Maus to produce Bengals.
Jean Mill of California is given credit for the modern Bengal breed. She made the first known deliberate cross of an Asian leopard cat with a domestic cat (a black California tomcat). Bengals as a breed did not really begin in earnest until much later.
Hello, somebody left me with her kitty about 1.5 yrs old …and I don’t know how you can leave your kitty but I believe she is a Bengal. She may be an Egyptian mau I am going to go back to the states in Mexico right now to do a base paws test to see… I do have a question does anybody keep any of these breeds indoors? We have a very small apartment at home and feel bad that I would, bring her back to that, although she’s going to be much loved and not on the streets of Mexico