Bombay

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General Characteristics:
The Bombay was originated as a hybrid between the Burmese and the American Short hair. It is not a natural breed but a genetic hybrid, with distinctive features that separate it from its foundation (parent) breeds. The Bombay is a medium size cat, well balanced, friendly, alert, and outgoing; muscular and having a surprising weight for its size. The body and tail should be of medium length, the head rounded with medium sized, widest ears, a moderate nose which is visible (not a break), large rounded widest eyes, and an overall look of excellent proportions and carriage.

HEAD:
The head should be pleasingly rounded with no sharp angles. The face should be full with considerable breadth between the eyes, blending gently into a broad well developed moderately rounded muzzle that maintains the rounded contours of the head.

EARS:
The ears should be medium in size and set well apart on a rounded skull, alert, tilting slightly forward, broad at the base, and with slightly rounded tips.

CHIN:
The chin should be firm, neither receding nor protruding, reflecting a proper bite.

EYES:
Set far apart with rounded, large and widest. The eye color should range from gold to copper, with greater brilliance and depth of color preferred.

BODY:
Medium in size, muscular in development, neither compact nor rangy. Allowance is to be made for larger size in males.

Coat and Color:
The Bombay is the only cat that is judged 50% on color and coat. The coat is jet black and the texture is fine. It's short to medium in length, close lying and satiny, with such a high sheen that it looks like patent leather. The nose and paw pads are also black. The eye color may range from golden to deep copper, however, copper eyes are considered superior. In the judging ring, between Bombays of equal merit in other respects, the depth of eye color would be a deciding factor.

Characteristics and Temperament:
The Bombay also shares many of the behavioral characteristics of the Burmese. They are adaptable to apartment living and are generally calm. A Bombay will often accept dogs in the household more quickly than it will adapt to the other cats. The Bombay often wants to be the dominant cat in the household.

They are intelligent, actively seek interaction with humans and love to play games. Many retrieve and do tricks. Some have been successfully leash trained. Like Burmese, Bombays are heat seekers, and often like to sleep under the bedcovers.

Both Bombays and Burmese have a voice that is distinctive, but not as loud or harsh as the Siamese voice. Some individuals are quite talkative, but others rarely vocalize.

Bombays reach sexual maturity relatively quickly, so owners should plan on spaying females and neutering males between 6 and 9 months of age. A few males have been known to sire litters at 5 months of age. Their physical development, however, is somewhat slower. A Bombay male may not reach his full muscular development until he is almost two years old. An adult Bombay male will typically weigh between 8 and 11 pounds; females between 6 and 9 pounds.

Care and Grooming:
Bombays generally have strong appetites. While most Bombays can free-feed without becoming overweight, some Bombay owners find that they must ration the food or switch to a low calorie feed.

The tight, short coat sheds very little and requires practically zero maintenance. The Bombay is completely capable of grooming itself, but a rubdown with the palm of your hand or a rubber brush is always a welcome activity. There is very little seasonal variation in the coat.

General Info:
Bombays are for people who have always wanted a panther, a dog, or a monkey. They are extremely smart and agile. They are easily leash trained, fetch naturally, and love to guard the house. Their tight coats make them desirable as totally indoor cats. In 1953 a breeder from Louisville, Kentucky, bred black American Short hairs with sable Burmese, intending to produce cats with the sleek, shiny coat of the Burmese and the rich black tones of the American Short hair.
After years of selective breeding, the Bombay, named for the black leopard of India, achieved championship status.