Our article will talk about the famous cat Maru. This cute animal has won a lot of fans. Therefore, people would like to know what breed of cat Maru is.
First I would like to tell you a little about the cat himself. This is a charming and fat animal with a round head. The movements of this cat are very graceful.
Note that his name is translated from Japanese as “round” or “circle”. His nickname matches his appearance perfectly. This cat was born on May 24, 2007. He lives with his owner in Japan.
This cat is the main character of many YouTube videos. By August 2012, videos of this beast had received more than 170 million views. So what is the name of the breed of Japanese cat Maru? Scottish Straight. The cat glorified his breed throughout the world. Later in the article we will talk about it.
History of the origin of the breed
The Scottish Straight cat has recently become an independent breed. The fact is that representatives of this breed are direct descendants of the Scottish Fold cat, which, upon reaching the age of one month, did not acquire the characteristic fold ears.
Some children of fold-eared cats remained with straight ears for the rest of their lives - this is how the Scottish Straight breed appeared. The homeland of this breed is Scotland.
In order to get a healthy straight-eared Scottish cat, his mother must be fold-eared and his father must be straight-eared. Only under this condition can mutations at the gene level be avoided.
The cat Maru is a real sneak
Do you know Mara? The same cat who conquered the whole world with his box tricks? Surely you know, because videos of his antics, posted by the owner of the fat belly on YouTube, literally blew up the Internet!
But audience sympathy is not everything: Maru has repeatedly become the absolute winner of various cat competitions, has a lot of medals, diplomas and other awards, is included in the golden “ten cats that shook the world,” and his name is mentioned with enviable regularity in various media.
This fluffy sausage, torpedoing all oncoming boxes at the speed of sound and the effect of an exploding grenade, has long and firmly won the sympathy of everyone: those who are crazy about cats, and those who are indifferent to them, and even those who have a thing for furry purrs persistent hostility. More precisely, he did, because all those who met Maru had no trace of antipathy towards representatives of the cat family.
The story of this cat is like a vivid illustration of the common expression “...and the next day he woke up famous.” One day, an unknown Japanese cat owner uploaded a short video to YouTube, where a sleek, well-groomed pet demonstrated an irrepressible passion for boxes of various formats. The owner wondered: is this behavior normal for an animal? And the next day he – Maru – woke up famous! And along with him, his owner, known to the Internet community under the nickname Mugumogu.
What is the reason for the crazy popularity of this cat? It's all about the acrobatic stunts he performs involving bags, boxes, buckets, bedside tables, drawers and other containers. It seems that there is no peak (read – box) that Maru could not conquer. A huge cardboard box with a narrow opening? Please! A powerful but graceful jump, and the mustachioed robber is already inside. So what if the plump sirloin gets stuck at the entrance - with a little effort, it will squeeze through.
Miniature dresser drawer? A couple of deft movements, and the large plush animal inexplicably manages to fit comfortably there too. Does it fold in half, or what? It seems that the more difficult the task, the more frantic the cat’s excitement. He is ready to pack into even the tiniest container, which is clearly not his size.
In an attempt to set a new record, a world celebrity often has to perform grandiose somersaults, which only adds to the spectacle of the videos with his participation. Falls also happen, but even this adds points to the success story. Watching his antics, it seems that Maru is made of plasticine - he so easily fills the internal space of any proposed box. It is also surprising how accurately the name given to him by the owner matches the cat’s appearance: “Maru” is translated from Japanese as “round.”
Do you want to have such a funny miracle nearby? Nothing is impossible - get a Scottish Straight kitten, fatten it up properly and try to direct your pet’s energy in the right direction. It’s not a fact that your pet will show interest in the boxes, but perhaps he will demonstrate other, no less bright talents and be worthy competition for his Japanese star.
Description of the breed
The Scottish breed is often confused with the British breed as they have many similar visual traits. However, the Scots have specific characteristics:
- their head shape is more rounded;
- the body is slightly smaller than that of the British, and more elongated;
- weight is also less (females - about 3.5 kg, males - 5 kg).
Representatives of this breed are mobile and flexible. Their body is proportional, the width from the croup to the shoulders is the same. The paws are strong and short. The tail is long and mobile.
On the round head, plump cheeks, a convex forehead, and an expressive chin are clearly visible. The ears are straight, set high and wide, their tips spread to the sides. Large expressive eyes usually match the color of the coat.
The coat of the Scottish Straight cat is medium length, quite dense, but thin. The thick undercoat fits securely to the body.
References
- Mugumogu (July 10, 2008). "Mugumogu Channel". YouTube. Retrieved July 23, 2010.
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DCofdZITUEY
- “In search of the living, purring, singing heart of the online feline industrial complex | WIRED". Retrieved July 5, 2015.
- mugumogu (2013-08-06). "まるです" . Sisinmaru.blog17.fc2.com. Retrieved March 11, 2014.
- ↑
Miri, the newest edition for the family. - "Kitty's Famous Videos." Entertainment Weekly
. August 7, 2009. p. 39. - Svetkey, Benjamin (30 July 2009). “Video about cats! Video about cats! Video about cats! Help us rate cat videos!” . EW.com. Retrieved July 23, 2010.
- Genzlinger, Neil (July 23, 2010). "In Movies and Television, Cats and Dogs Play Cute". NYTimes.com
. - freshstep. "Freshstep Channel". YouTube. Retrieved December 27, 2010.
- "Photograph of Maru WiMAX advertisement". Flickr
. - ↑
Guinness Book of World Records (March 24, 2022), Maru is a Cat from Japan who holds the record for most views on YouTube, retrieved March 26, 2022. - mugumogu. I'm Maru
. ASIN 4048951289. - mugumogu. "I am Maru 2". Tokimeki Publishing. Retrieved July 23, 2010.
- mugumogu (2009). I am Maru (Maru Desu)
(in Japanese). Tokimeki Publishing. ISBN 978-4-04-895128-9. - mugumogu (2010). "I am Maru". Columbia Music Entertainment, Inc. Retrieved July 23, 2010.
- "Amazon.co.jp：もっと、まるです。:ｍｕｇｕｍｏｇｕ:本". Amazon.co.jp. Retrieved January 26, 2012.
Color options
The colors of the fur coats of representatives of the Scottish Straight breed are very diverse. The following color options for the Scottish Straight cat are possible:
- ginger;
- black;
- blue;
- chocolate;
- lilac;
- white;
- cream (beige);
- tortoiseshell;
- marble (which, by the way, decorates the fur coat of the cat Maru).
Character
The Scottish Straight cat has a calm, sedate character. She is patient, friendly, very accommodating. Such a cat is able to find a common language with all family members and pets living in the house. However, there is only one owner for her.
Scottish Straight normally tolerates loneliness and silence, as well as noisy, cheerful companies. At the same time, being alone for a long time, the straight-eared cat will be very happy to see the owner, which will be very clearly demonstrated when he appears.
Representatives of this breed are affectionate, but do not like to be held by force. It is generally not common for them to sit on their owner’s lap. Scots are more likely to sit close to you, allowing a person to scratch them behind the ear or pat them on the head.
Straight-eared Scottish cats are quite smart and smart. They respond correctly to comments and understand what they can and cannot do. The Scottish Straight's body is a little heavy, so you won't find your pet hanging from the curtains or swinging from the chandelier. However, these cats are very inquisitive and can climb into places that interest them. A good example is the box-loving cat Maru, a representative of the Scottish Straight breed.
Maru the cat and the boxes: the beginning of the story
It all started not in 2008, when owner Maru posted the first video with her cat, but much earlier. Maru appeared in the house of mugumogu - the nickname of the owner, under which she uploads videos on YouTube - as just a four-month-old kitten, in 2007. At that time, Maru weighed as much as 2.4 kg. A bit much for a kitten, isn't it? They named the new pet a short and simple name - Maru, which means “round” in Japanese.
. Do not think that the name for the cat was chosen on purpose. The name was chosen even before the kitten arrived in the house. Coincidence or fate?
From the first days of his arrival in the house, the kitten became interested in boxes. Soon mugumogu noticed that her pet was trying in every possible way to get into any box he saw
.
One day, she decided to post a video of Maru mugumogu for everyone to see. To the surprise of the cat's owner, Maru's video became extremely popular. Soon several more videos appeared, Maru acquired his own pages on Facebook, Twitter and a blog.
The cat became so popular that in 2009, his video won the YouTube Video JAPAN Award.
.
Later, excerpts from some of the videos began to be used in advertising
for cat litter in the United States.
Also in 2009, the first book “I am Maru”
, which contains numerous photographs of Maru “in action”. The second book about the cat Maru was published in 2011. Unfortunately, it was only released in Japanese.
Care
It is better to purchase a Scottish Straight cat no earlier than 3 months after birth. By this time, the kittens will no longer depend on their mother and will be ready to start an independent life.
Scottish Straight cats are relatively unpretentious in care and maintenance. Hygienic procedures for them are standard - regular nail trimming, combing the fur with a special brush (twice a week), cleansing the eyes and ears.
It must be said that brushing the fur of representatives of this breed is really necessary, because otherwise they may have problems with digestion.
It is also necessary to take measures against the appearance of fleas and worms and get regular vaccinations.
Feeding
You can feed the Scotsman both natural food and special food. The Scottish Straight's diet should include cottage cheese, cereal, milk, and vegetables.
Make sure that your pet receives the required amount of calcium, because their musculoskeletal system especially needs it.
Do not give your pet foods containing a lot of fat and salt. From such products, the animal will become obese, physical activity will be difficult, and its general health will noticeably worsen.
Price
The cost of a Scottish breed kitten depends on its pedigree, color and some other nuances. The average price of a Scotsman is 8,000 rubles. The price range is from 3 to 15 thousand rubles.
It is best to purchase a kitten from a trusted nursery. This way you can be sure of the health of the future pet, its pedigree and, perhaps, you can even take a look at its parents.
The Scottish Straight cat breed is quite common both in the world and in Russia. Therefore, choosing a representative of this breed of the desired color for yourself will not be difficult.
glory
Entertainment Weekly
mentioned Mara along with Keyboard Cat and Nora in his article "Notable Kitty Videos".
[6] [7] The New York Times
mentioned Mara in an article about cats and dogs in the media and included photos of the cat. [8] Maru's videos were featured in Fresh Step advertisements on the Fresh Step YouTube channel. [9] Maru has also been featured in advertisements for various products in Japan. [10] As of December 2011[Update], Maru's channel was ranked 7th in terms of subscribers in Japan.
In March 2022, Maru was voted the most viewed animal on YouTube. [11] As of January 3, 2022, his videos have been viewed 405,235,246 times.
