Bombay Cat Breed Description

Active: Bombay cats are moderately active. They are not incredibly rambunctious or demanding but they certainly love to play and spend time with their companions.

Size: The Bombay cat is medium in size, weighing between 6 and 11 pounds.

Characteristics: This medium size cat is muscular and sleek with a round shaped head and endearing eyes. The Bombay cat breed's eyes are copper-colored and stunning and are typically set fairly wide apart. Additionally, Bombay cat ears are usually set wide as well, and are typically slightly rounded and bent forward.

Temperament: The Bombay cat is loving, affectionate, playful and a joy to be around. They are quite adaptable and can thrive in many different home settings. They are wonderful with children and are lively companions. Playful and highly intelligent, they can learn many fun tricks and games like fetch and walking on a leash. They will not just bond with one person but will love the whole family! When they are not playing or entertaining the family, you may find them curled up in the warm spot or under a blanket and will happily climb right up on your lap to cuddle and warm up.

Care: If you haven't fallen in love with the Bombay cat breed yet, you will when you know how easy to care for they are. They are a relatively low maintenance cat breed and actually shed very little. Your gentle stroking will help release natural oils and keep their coat looking nice. An occasional bath or rub down with a chamois will help maintain the coat's sheen. Weekly brushing will complete their hair care regimen. Brush your Bombay's teeth weekly to help prevent periodontal disease and clean ears and trim nails as needed.

Coat: The Bombay cat breed's deep black coat is as dark as night and incredibly beautiful. Not only is the Bombay's coat intensely black, but it has a stunning sheen. The gorgeous coat may not fully develop until after 4 months, when they reach maturity. Their coat is so luxurious you will want to spend all day petting it!

Origin: Many cat breeds have come about as a result of someone wanting to create a cat that looked "wild." The Bombay cat breed is just such a breed. The Bombay cat certainly has a wild cat appearance and came about when breeder Nikki Horner had it in mind to create a domestic cat that looked like a black panther. In the late 1950s, Nikki Horner of Louisiana set about to create a wild cat that resembled a black panther but also had some characteristics of a Burmese cat. Horner was an experienced cat breeder and wanted to make an interesting and unique impact on the cat world with her new breed. Initial attempts to create her ideal breed were unsuccessful but she persisted on in pursuit of her Bombay cat.

When she found her ideal black American shorthair male cat (complete with the eye color she desired), she bred him with her prized champion Burmese cat. It took some time and effort but, finally, in the 1960s, she began to get the results she wanted. What resulted from Horner's meticulous breeding was a cat with a black, tight, short and shiny coat like the Burmese and piercing copper-colored eyes. But, just because Horner finally had the results she wanted did not mean immediate acceptance as a new cat breed. In spite of years of experience showing cats and wowing cat fanciers, she had to go through rigorous efforts to get the Bombay cat breed accepted In 1970, the Bombay cat breed was accepted by the CFA for registration and later, in 1976, was accepted for championship status.

Over time, new breeders became interested in the breed and began their efforts to see the breed advance and become more widely accepted. Herb and Suzanne Zwecker would prove to be instrumental in the Bombay cat breed's progression to acceptance. Through their breeding efforts, a Bombay named Road to Fame's Luv it Black would go on to be named CFA's Second Best Cat and Best Shorthair in 1985 and help put the Bombay cat breed on the map. The breed has become more widely accepted and admired among cat fanciers around the world.