On the streets of Cairo, saving the gods' cats

Charlene Gubash Producer

CAIRO, Egypt — In the times of the ancient pharoahs, the cat was almost an equal of the gods.

Pilgrims would place mummified cats around statues of cat-headed goddess Bastet, along with written prayers. The temple would periodically be cleared of these mummies, which would then be buried in a special necropolis designated for cat burial.

And in 5 BC, a Greek historian observed that the members of an Egyptian household had shaved off their eyebrows to mourn the family cat's demise.

The cat even had a place in hieroglyphics, where it was written as "miu,” not unlike the noise it made as it hunted birds in the marshes, gnawed on a fish under its mistress' chair or slayed serpents — all scenes recorded for eternity on tomb walls more than 3,000 years ago.

But take a short walk in Cairo today, it is clear to see that the former demi-gods have indisputably fallen from grace. Feral cats are everywhere — prey for cars, abuse, disease and starvation.

One woman, though, is fighting a largely lone battle to take Egyptian cats off the streets and put them into homes with people who appreciate their legendary heritage. Her greater dream is to see theses native animals revered for what many believe them to be: modern descendants of cats domesticated in Pharaonic times.

Cat shelter to the rescue
Gloria Lauris' journey in founding the Egyptian Mau Rescue Organization (EMRO) began in December 2003, when Lauris was visiting in-laws in Egypt and hoped to bring back an Egyptian Mau cat to her native Canada. She had bought her first pure-bred Mau from a Canadian breeder but wanted to get another from the land of its ancestors.

The Egyptian Mau resembles a tabby but is distinguished by black spots on its body instead of stripes. It is believed to have descended from the African wildcat, a close relative of ancient Egyptian domesticated cats, and also bears a characteristic 'M' marking on the forehead, black ringed tails and legs and a black stripe down the back. Their large gooseberry-colored eyes have a perennially worried look. Intelligent and somewhat mischievous, they are also the fastest domestic cat, clocking 36 mph. 

Breeders in North America and Europe sell pedigree Maus for $850 to $1,500, a price that has risen after the previously little known breed was popularized by the movie "Catwoman," in which Egyptian Maus brought Hallie Berrie back to life as the title character.

But much to Lauris' surprise, she found no Mau breeders in Egypt and very few people who had ever heard of them. But she did find feral Egyptian Maus in abundance, wandering the streets and rummaging in garbage heaps. 

"They were roaming free in the streets," said Lauris.

"I tried to pick them up but couldn't because they were wild. The cats were in a deplorable condition and I vowed to do what I could to help them." 

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