Bombay

This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding reliable references. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (February 2009)

Bombay
A British Bombay cat
Origin
United States
Breed standard
CFA	: standard
AACE	: standard
ACFA	: standard
ACF	: standard
CCA	: standard

The term Bombay cat is used to refer to two different breeds of cat.

British Bombay

The British Bombay cat is the name given to black cats of the Asian group.^[1] It is a cat of Burmese type with a black coat, toes, nose, and copper to greenish eyes. The close lying, sleek and glossy black coat should be coloured to the roots, with little or no paling. The Bombay is a shorthair breed of domestic cat, closely related to the Burmese.

American Bombay

The American breed called Bombay was created in 1958 in Louisville, Kentucky, when Nikki Horner of Shawnee Cattery deliberately bred an American Shorthair with a Burmese for the purpose of creating a domesticated cat that resembled a wild panther (also known as baby panther). These cats usually have orange eyes. Bombays are often confused with the British Bombay. Note that they are different cats though they both share the name of "Bombay." The offspring of this breeding did indeed resemble the black leopard of India. The name came from the Indian city of Bombay (now Mumbai).

Characteristics

The Bombay is a muscular yet agile cat with a black coat. The heads of British Bombay cats are rounded and wide with a medium short, blunt tapered muzzle. The eyes, which are usually brown or green in color , should be shaped like a Burmese cat (not round) and set wide, and their ears are broad, slightly rounded and medium sized and, like the eyes, set wide. The Bombay has a coat that is short, satiny and tight to the body. Bombay cats require little grooming. They have personalities like Burmese cats as they are virtually genetically the same - they are fun loving and very affectionate. they may look light but don't let their slim bodies fool you, bombay cats are much heavier than they look. (Around 5-8 pounds heavier.)

Both the American Bombay and British Bombay have very unique voices. They're not your traditional "meows". While some cats are very vocal, others tend to keep quiet. This is perfectly normal and just reflects the type of personality your Bombay has. Bombay cats are heat-seekers. What this means is that they love to be warm and will tend to sleep with you either under the covers or on top of your legs because of the heat you emit. They're very affectionate cats that love human attention.

External Links

MyBombayCat.com - More Bombay cat articles.

PicSearch.com - Hundreds of pictures of Bombay cats.

Fanciers.com - Official Fanciers.com Bombay cat page.