EMBAC - The Egyptian Mau Breed Advisory Committee
The Egyptian Mau Breed Advisory Committee (EMBAC) exists to work in the interests of the cats of its Breed List by monitoring the training and performance of the Judges on its list and candidates within its scheme and by reviewing its Standards of Points and Registration Policy and amending them if and when required with due consideration to the health and future of the breed.
WHAT IS A BREED ADVISORY COMMITTEE?
EMBAC - PHILOSOPHY, CONSTITUTION & RULES OF PROCEDURE
UPDATED STANDARD OF POINTS FOR THE EGYPTIAN MAU
REGISTRATION POLICY FOR THE EGYPTIAN MAU
INFORMATION SUPPLIED TO ALL EGYPTIAN MAU JUDGES – SEPTEMBER 2008
EGYPTIAN MAU PATTERN DESCRIPTION
GCCF COUNCIL MEETING
WHAT IS A BREED ADVISORY COMMITTEE ?
In order to progress Egyptian
Maus from Preliminary Status (Merit) through to Provisional (IC’s) and onto
Championship Status, we had to form the Egyptian Mau Breed Advisory Committee
(EMBAC) in accordance with GCCF Rules.
A BAC exists to work in
the interests of the cats of its Breed List (in our case the Egyptian Mau) by
monitoring the training and performance of the Judges on its list and
candidates within its Stewarding and Judging schemes; it reviews the breed’s Standard
of Points and Registration Policy and amends them if and when required, with
due consideration for the health and future of the breed. The BAC meets at
least twice a year when any candidate on the judging scheme, full judges of
Maus and items regarding the health, welfare and integrity of the breed are
discussed.
BAC’s consist of representatives from the Specialist Breed Clubs, affiliated to the GCCF, catering for the relevant breed. In our case, the Egyptian Mau Club is the sole affiliated club for the breed, so the club’s committee is also the Breed Advisory Committee but it works under an independent Chairman. The committee elected Mrs Shelagh Heavens, of Icemoor Exotics and British, to be the Independent Chairman of the Egyptian Mau Breed Advisory Committee.
Once the EMBAC was formed and its Constitution approved by the Executive Committee of the GCCF, no other group will be recognised as the advisory/recommending body to the Governing Council for Egyptian Maus. The EMBAC alone has the right to make proposals to Council relating to judges, standards of points, registration policies etc. The Governing Council delegate for the Egyptian Mau Club is Jean Lamb; she represents the Club and the BAC for us at the Governing Council Meetings.
If
any Egyptian Mau owner or breeder has a question about the judging of their
Mau, they should write to the BAC Secretary giving the name of their cat, the
show, the judge concerned and the necessary details. Similarly if there are any
questions about the Standard of Points or the Registration Policy (both of
which are on this website under “Information”) then please contact the BAC for
advice.
The
Egyptian Mau Breed Advisory Committee is there for the Egyptian Mau Breed.
THE EGYPTIAN MAU BREED ADVISORY COMMITTEE
Hon. Secretary: Mrs Anne Gregory
Email: annesmail@blueyonder.co.uk Telephone 01634 361645
UPDATED STANDARD OF POINTS FOR EGYPTIAN MAUS
EGYPTIAN MAU S.O.P
The Egyptian Mau is an elegant cat of moderate,
foreign type characterised by a random spotted pattern seen both in tabby and
smoke colours, and a unique "worried" look. This facial expression is
generated by large, gooseberry-green eyes set beneath a level brow and on
either side of the parallel lines of the nose. The Mau is an active, well
balanced, medium-sized cat with a strength and hard muscular feel that belie
its graceful build. Males tend to be larger than females.
Head - A
slightly rounded wedge without flat planes and of medium length. Not
full-cheeked, but allowance should be made for jowls in adult males. Profile
shows a gentle contour with a slight rise from the bridge of the nose to the
forehead, which flows back into the arched neck without a break. Entire length
of nose of uniform width when viewed from the front. The muzzle should flow
into the contours of the head, it should be gently rounded, neither square and
boxy nor pointed. The chin should be firm with a level bite.
Ears -
Medium to moderately large. Broad at the base and moderately pointed, slightly
flared with ample width between them. Set well back on the head, but cupped
forward and alert. From a front view, the line of the ears should continue the
planes of the head. Hair on the ears should be short and close lying. May be
tufted.
Eyes –
Large and shaped like rounded almonds. Set straight in the head beneath a level
brow with a slight upward slant to the lower lid only.
Body -
Medium long and graceful, showing well-developed strength and having a hard,
muscular feel. Shoulder blades high and prominent. Allowance to be made for
muscular necks and shoulders in adult males. A loose skin flap extends from the
flank to the knee of each hind leg.
Legs and Feet - Elegant and in proportion to body, with medium boning. Hind legs
proportionately longer, giving the appearance of being on tip-toe when standing
upright. Feet small and dainty, almost round in shape.
Tail -
Medium length, moderately thick at the base and tapering slightly.
Coat -
Hair is of medium length, close-lying with a lustrous sheen. In the silver and
bronze colours, the hair is dense and resilient in texture and accommodates two
or more bands of ticking separated by lighter bands. In the smoke colour, the
hair is silky and fine in texture.
Pattern Description for all Egyptian Mau Colours
including smoke:
Head Markings - Forehead barred with characteristic “M” and frown marks. A complex
“scarab” design is seen on the top of the head, behind which lines extend backward
between the ears and continue down the back of the neck, ideally breaking into
elongated spots along the spine. The cheeks are barred with “mascara” lines:
the first starts at the outer corner of the eye and continues along the contour
of the cheek, and the second starts at the centre of the cheek and curves
upwards, almost meeting the first below the base of the ear.
Body Markings - Markings on the torso are to be randomly spotted with variance in
size and shape. The spots can be large or small, round, oblong, or of irregular
shape. Any of these are of equal merit but the spots, however shaped or of
whatever size, shall be distinct, with good contrast between pale ground colour
and deeper markings. Spotting pattern on each side of the torso need not match.
Underside of the body spotted. As the spinal lines/elongated spots reach the
rear haunches, they merge together to form a dorsal stripe which continues
along the top of the tail to its tip. On the upper chest there are one or more
broken necklaces. The shoulder markings are a transition between stripes and
spots.
Leg Markings - The front legs are heavily barred and/or spotted and do not necessarily
match. Haunches and upper hind legs to be a transition between stripes and
spots, breaking into bars on the lower leg.
Tail Markings - The tail is heavily banded and has a dark tip.
Colour Description
Eye Colour -
Light green, “gooseberry green”. Amber is acceptable only in kittens.
SILVER (78 30s)
Pale silver ground colour across the head, shoulders, outer legs, back and tail. Underside fades to a brilliant pale, silvery white. All markings black or charcoal grey with pale silver roots, showing good contrast against the ground colour. Back of ears greyish-pink, tipped in black. Inner ear should be a delicate, almost transparent, shell pink. Upper throat area, chin and around nostrils, pale clear silver appearing silvery white. Nose, lips and eyes outlined in black. Nose leather brick red. Paw pads black with black hair between the toes and extending beyond the paws of the hind legs.
BRONZE (78 30)
Warm coppery brown ground colour across head, shoulders outer legs, back and tail. Underside fades to a paler tone. All markings dark brown/black with paler roots, showing good contrast against the ground colour. Back of ears tawny-pink, tipped in dark brown/black. Inner ear should be a delicate, almost transparent, shell pink. Upper throat area, chin and around nostrils, pale ivory. Nose, lips and eyes outlined in dark brown with bridge of nose brown. Nose leather brick red. Paw pads black or dark brown with same colour hair between the toes and extending beyond the paws of the hind legs.
SMOKE (78 36)
Ground colour across the head, shoulders, outer legs,
back, tail and underside consists of pale silver undercoat tipped with black.
All markings jet black with silvery white or pale silver roots. There should be
sufficient contrast against the ground colour for the pattern to be plainly
visible. Upper throat area, chin and around nostrils lighter in colour. Nose,
lips and eyes outlined in jet black. Nose leather black. Paw pads black with
black hair between the toes and extending beyond the paws of the hind legs.
SCALE OF POINTS
Type (45)
Head and
Neck....................................................................................................................10
Muzzle...................................................................................................................................5
Ears.......................................................................................................................................5
Eye Shape and
Setting..........................................................................................................5
Body....................................................................................................................................10
Legs and
Paws......................................................................................................................5
Tail........................................................................................................................................5
Coat, Colour and Pattern (55)
Pattern.................................................................................................................................25
Coat
Colour.........................................................................................................................15
Eye
Colour...........................................................................................................................10
Coat Texture and
Length.......................................................................................................5
Withhold all Awards for:
1. Extremely aggressive temperament.
2. White markings anywhere, other than those referred
to in the colour description.
3. Lack of spots
4. Blue Eyes
Withhold Certificates or First Prizes in Kitten and
Open Classes for:
1. Cobby or Oriental type.
2. Poor spotting and/or extensive pattern flaws.
3. Extensive brown tarnish (i.e. extending beyond the
area of the muzzle) in a silver, or cold, grey tone to the ground colour in a
bronze, or insufficient contrast between the ground colour and the jet black
markings in a smoke.
4. Amber eyes in adults.
5. Three or more faults from the list below.
6. Any defect listed in the preface to the SOP
booklet.
Faults:
The presence of any of these faults should be taken
into account when judging a Mau, however one or two minor faults in an
otherwise excellent cat should not be too heavily penalised.
1. Small ears.
2. Oriental
eye set.
3. Lines of
nose diverge when viewed from the front.
4. Prominent
whisker pinch.
5. Muzzle
square or pointed.
6. Weak chin.
7. Unbroken
vertical stripes on the body, or stripes on the underside.
8. Unbroken
necklaces.
9. Poor
contrast between spots and ground colour.
10.Visible tarnish in a silver or lack of warmth in a bronze, or black locket on a smoke.
Egyptian Mau Registration Policy
- Egyptian
Maus of recognised colours:
Bronze – brown (black)
spotted
Silver – black silver spotted
Smoke – black smoke spotted showing
underlying spotted tabby pattern
- Egyptian
Maus of unrecognised colours:
Black self
Blue spotted
Blue silver spotted
Blue smoke showing underlying
spotted pattern
Blue self
Registration
1. Full Register
Egyptian
Maus as listed in A above, with Full or Provisional recognition, which have in
their pedigrees within three generations only Egyptian Maus as listed in A
above, shall be registered on the Full Register, with the exception of those
cats whose pedigrees include within three generations a cat registered on the
Experimental or Reference Register.
Egyptian
Maus as listed in A above, with Full or Provisional recognition, which have in
their pedigrees within three generations only Egyptian Maus as listed in A or B
above shall be registered on the Supplementary Register.
Egyptian
Maus as listed in A above, with Preliminary recognition, which have in their
pedigrees within three generations only Egyptian Maus as listed in A or B
above, shall be registered on the Experimental Register.
Egyptian
Maus listed in B above, which do not yet have Preliminary recognition, but
which have in their pedigrees within three generations only Egyptian Maus as
listed in A or B above, shall be registered on the Reference Register, but shall
be eligible to be considered as registered on the Experimental Register in the
event of Preliminary recognition of their breed.
5.REFERENCE REGISTER - II
(i) Cats of Egyptian Mau parentage but of
colours or patterns other than those listed in A and B above shall be
registered on the Reference Register. They shall not be registered as Egyptian
Maus and their progeny shall not be eligible to progress.
(ii) Cats of Egyptian Mau appearance produced from
matings to other recognised breeds whose Registration Policies permit Egyptian
Maus as an outcross breed shall be registered as directed by the Registration
Policy for the other breed, but with no reference to Egyptian Mau type, and
shall not be permitted in the pedigrees of Egyptian Maus.
All other cats of
Egyptian Mau appearance which have in their pedigrees within the preceding
three generations any cats other than those listed in A and B above shall be
registered on the Reference Register as "no recognised breed" and
with no progression.
Note: Offspring from blue Egyptian Maus shall be overstamped "Carries the
dilution gene", and subsequent generations shall be overstamped "May
carry the dilution gene". Additionally, non-blue parents of blue Egyptian
Maus shall be overstamped "Carries the dilution gene", and subsequent
generations shall be overstamped "May carry the dilution gene".
THE EGYPTIAN MAU – CORRECT HEAD TYPE – 25% of overall weighting
The unique “worried” look, crucial to
the Mau, is achieved by:
·
Large, rounded almond-shaped eyes set
beneath a level brow – Remember 5 points for eye shape and set; 10 points for
eye colour!
·
Parallel lines to the nose
Faults: Lines of the nose
diverge; Oriental eye set
© THE EGYPTIAN MAU CLUB 2008
MALE EGYPTIAN MAUS
Please remember that male
Egyptian Maus will be larger than the females and so will not be as elegant. Allowance should be made for jowls in adult
males, by gently stroking back the sides of the face, the true head shape can
be seen.
EGYPTIAN MAU PATTERN DESCRIPTION
COAT, COLOUR AND PATTERN = 55% OF WEIGHTING
10 POINTS OF THAT IS FOR EYE COLOUR!
|
HEAD MARKINGS: “M” on forehead and frown marks; Complex
scarab; Lines over head down to neck and breaking into elongated spots over
the shoulders. Mascara lines on cheeks. |
|
|
|
BODY MARKINGS: Random
spots, large or small, any shape. Good contrast between spots and ground
colour. Sides need not match. Underside spotted. Spinal lines/elongated
spots merge at rear haunches to form dorsal stripe continuing along tail to
tip. Solid spine line not a fault. Broken necklaces on chest. Shoulders a
transition between stripes and spots. Heavily banded tail with a dark tip. |
|
LEG MARKINGS:
Front legs heavily barred and/or spotted. Need not match. Haunches and
upper hind legs a transition between stripes and spots breaking into bars
on lower legs. PATTERN FAULTS: WITHHOLD ALL
AWARDS FOR LACK OF SPOTS Unbroken
vertical stripes on body or stripes on underside. Unbroken
necklaces Poor contrast
between spots and ground colour. |
© THE EGYPTIAN MAU CLUB 2008 |
T H E E G Y P T I A N M A U C L U B
