What did Muezza Look Like?

Wild Sand Cat, from Wikipedia

The stories about the life of the Prophet Muhammad say he had a black and white cat named Muezza, but they don't say what patterns her coat had. 

Black and white "tuxedo cats" are common today, but were quite rare 1400 years ago. That's because cats have changed coat colors over time. Originally, all cats were light brown with tabby stripes, like their wild relatives, the sand cat. These colors camouflaged both wild and tame cats in the desert, making it easier for them to catch their prey, mice. When cats became pets and started living in people's houses, it became less important for them to blend in, and cats with all sorts of interesting coats were born. 

It took time for these different colors to spread. Today, it's perfectly normal for cats to come in black, white, gray, brown, orange, and so many other shades and patterns, but in the in the year 600 CE, (when Muhammad lived,) such cats were still rare. 

So Muezza could have been an early black and white tuxedo cat. If so, she would have been very striking and memorable because of her unusual coat. Muezza could also have been a light-colored tabby cat with dark stripes, or a light grey cat with black spots, like the Egyptian mau. 

No matter what she looked like, Muezza must have been a very sweet cat. 

What's your favorite cat-coat-pattern?