Everything You Want to Know About Bombay Cats
Bombay cats are beautiful black cats, and are related to the Burmese. These animals have gorgeous, shiny black coats which lie close to the skin and copper eyes, and are noted for their affectionate temperament and for their playfulness. The breed was accepted into by the CFA in 1976 after two decades of hard work and loving breeding attempts by the creator of the breed, Nikki Horner.
Bombay cats started out as an attempt to create a cat with the appearance of a black panther. Nikki Horner tried crossing sable Burmese cats with solid black American Shorthair cats with initially disappointing results. A new breeding stock and a few years, however, began to show the results that Ms. Horner was working toward. As a result of her efforts, the correct muscular development began to take shape underneath beautiful black coats. Adult Bombay cats will weigh anywhere from 8 to 11 pounds for a male or 6 to 9 pounds for a female.
Breeders of the Bombay cats still outcross occasionally with Burmese cats to retain that beautiful body shape, easily maintaining the dominant black fur within their stock. Outcrossing to American Shorthaired cats is rare, and some organizations will not even permit it anymore.
In addition to the body type of the Burmese, Bombay cats also share many behavioral traits with their feline cousins. Bombay cats are adaptable when it comes to living in apartment situations, and are very calm animals. They prefer to be the only cat in the household, or the dominant cat if there are others, but will usually be quicker to warm to dogs who are brought into the home.
Bombay cats are also very intelligent felines, and like to interact with their humans and to play games including fetching toys and sometimes even performing tricks. They prefer to be warm, and so will enjoy cuddling with their people and even sleeping under the covers with you if you permit it.
If you are planning to adopt a Bombay cat, be prepared for a feline who knows how to eat. Most Bombays will do fine free feeding, though they have strong appetites, but some Bombay cat owners will find that they need to ration the cat food to keep their cats from becoming overweight. Something that does not need a lot of care is the Bombay coat. Because of the short, close coat, Bombay cats do not require much maintenance at all, with little to no seasonal variation and almost no need for any grooming whatsoever. Welcome news to anyone who has ever been frustrated with brushing a long haired breed!
Bombay cats who are being showed in competition must meet standards including a round head, a rounded but not a domed forehead, a rounded nose at the top, and a short muzzle among other physical features. There must be no coloration other than black, including on the cat's pads, and the Bombay should have gold or copper eyes. The eyes may never be green on a true
Bombay cat.