Bombay Cat

Photograph by Backifran. License: Public Domain.

The Bombay Cat is an entirely black cat that was known for a while as the miniature black panther. The Bombay is a strong and muscular cat that is quite robust, but not stout. Their heads are rounded and their muzzles are generally very short. They have large expressive ears and alert copper eyes. The eyes are large and wide set. Bombay Cats have long animated tails.

Size

Medium

Colours

Black

Temperament

Bombay Cats are more timid and docile as kittens, but grow into friendly companions. They are 'apartment cats', which means that they are quite low maintenance, they are not destructive and quiet. They do, however, like to talk to their owners and will meow quite often.

Suitable for

The Bombay is the perfect cat for an apartment and for families and the elderly.

Care

Bombay cats do not require much looking after and are generally very healthy.

History

Bombay Cats were created by an American cat breeder called Nikki Horner. The cats were created by making a hybrid cat from American Shorthair and Burmese breeds of cat. The Bombay, like other hybrids of two completely different breeds, benefits from 'hybrid vigour', which means that it has the positive characteristics from both of its parents breeds, but not the negative ones. This means that the cat does not experience the health troubles that its purebred parents do. This creates a healthier cat overall. The American line of the Bombay cat seems to have a genetic defect which means that there have been several cases of facial deformity. The Australian lines of the cats seem to have escaped this.

More Bombay Cat Pictures

American Bombay cat Photograph by Luckyblackcats. License: Public Domain.