Bombay - The facts every owner of this cat breed should know

The Bombay was developed by breeder Nikki Horner in Louisville, Kentucky in 1958. She set out to create a 'miniature black panther' by crossing a sable Burmese with a solid black American Shorthair. Though her initial attempts were unsuccessful, she persisted and by 1976, the Bombay was recognized as a distinct breed of cat. Bombays are muscular cats with an all black coat. Some are born with the recessive trait of a sable coat. Though this does not indicate any deficiency in the cat, it is considered undesirable for a Bombay and will only be sold as a family pet and not a show cat. This black coat is short and satiny and does not require any special grooming (though regular petting or brushing will help to get the dead hair off – but a Bombay will usually groom itself).

Bombays mature quickly and are considered 'adult' between six and nine months. The average male will weigh eight to ten pounds and the average female will weigh between six and eight pounds. Both will live an average of twelve to twenty years. Bombays are described as 'lap cats.' They truly enjoy the company of its family and will always seek out a lap on which to sit or someone to play with them.

Bombays crave companionship from family members and will follow them from room to room of the house in order to be part of the action. This is not a shy cat. Unlike many other breeds, a Bombay will enthusiastically greet visitors and want to see what is happening. They make excellent family pets for this reason. Bombays will do all right with other family pets, but need to be socialized properly. They have a tendency to dominate other pets in the household, which can lead to trouble if not attended to. Bombays are also loud cats with a purr that can be heard up to fifteen feet away.

Though an active breed, Bombays prefer calmer environments without many loud, startling noises. Too much exposure to this and they will develop a nervous disorder in which they loose hair from their stomachs and tails. Some Bombays are prone to Burmese Craniofacial Defect, a genetic disorder that affects the development of the skull in the fetus. Occasionally, kittens from lines that carry this defect will be born with severely deformed heads. This genetic disorder is a result of some crossbreeding with Burmese cats. The diet of a Bombay should be monitored easily as they are prone to obesity.

There is a website that has great information on Bombays and most other breeds of cats. It has details that pertain to a cat breeds health, grooming, living conditions, best food choices and more, the website is called: Dog And Cat Facts, and can be found here

Copyright © 2007 By Robert W. Benjamin

Robert W. Benjamin has been in the software business on the internet for over 5 years, and has been producing low-cost software for the past 25+ years. He first released products on the AMIGA and C64 computer systems in the late 1970's-80's. Medical Health Info.