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Bombay |
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TranslationFrancis Vandersteen |
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OriginThe Bombay is a breed of cat originating in the United States. |
| The Bombay is characterized by its uniformly black shorthair coat. The cobby body is muscular and compact. |
Standard |
| Apart from coat and eye color, the Bombay's standard is identical to that of the American Burmese for LOOF and TICA. In France, statistics are managed by LOOF. As the Bombay and American Burmese standards are linked, apart from the number of registrations, statistics are published jointly, with no possibility of separating the two breeds. Between 2003 and 2015, Bombay and American Burmese litter sizes averaged 3.06 kittens, with an inbreeding rate of 9.69% per kitten. Four studs and eleven females contribute to more than half of all births. 19 breeders registered a litter between 2014 and 2015. |
A brief historical overview |
| This breed was created by Nikki Horner of Louisville, Kentucky (USA) to resemble a miniature black panther. Owner of Shawnee Cattery since 1945, she bred Burmeses and American Shorthairs. In 1958, she crossed a black American Shorthair with a sable Burmese, with the aim of obtaining a black cat with Burmese morphology. The initial results of her crosses were disappointing, as the kittens retained the morphology of the American Shorthair. In the 1960s, Nikki Horner obtained cats with the desired appearance, notably by crossing a grand champion Burmese with a black American Shorthair. Among the various names that have circulated to describe the breed, the Bombay has been called "Black Burmese", "mini-panther" and "The patent-leather kid with the new-penny eyes". The name "Bombay" was chosen in reference to the city of Bombay and the black panther the breeder thought she'd find there. Between 1966 and 1972, after 27 litters totalling over a hundred kittens, Nikki Horner was satisfied with Bombay. The Bombay's appearance was slightly modified, notably the shape of the head, which moved away from that of the American Burmese. In the United States, the CFA recognized the breed in 1976, followed by the TICA when it was created in 1979. The breed is rare, even in the USA: according to CFA statistics, the Bombay was the 35th most popular breed in 2014 out of 43 breeds. In Europe, the first quality breeders according to Christiane Sacase are Swiss. In France, with an average of fifty Bombays registered each year, the breed is the 32nd most popular breed in France out of a total of 55 breeds in 2015. In Europe, the Bombay is not recognized by either the Fédération Internationale Féline or the Governing Council of the Cat Fancy. |
General appearance |
| In the UK, "Bombay" refers to black shorthaired Asians. Many other breeds are compared to miniature panthers: the Bengal or the Serengeti, for example. The Bombay was used in crossbreeding to form the Bengal. In the United States, two associations are listed: The Bombay Connection and the International Bombay Society. In France, there are two associations of American Burmese and Bombay breeders: the Association des Amoureux des Bombays et des Burmèses and the Bombay Burmese Club de France. |
Behavior / characteristics |
| Character traits are not described in standards and are temperaments generally observed in the breed. According to Bruce Fogle, the Bombay is a very sociable cat that will seek human contact for warmth. Its voice is pleasant. According to Christiane Sacase, the Bombay is a homely, sociable cat, very playful and agile, and less talkative than the Burmese. It likes children and dogs, and can retrieve objects and walk on a leash. Desmond Morris notes several recurring terms to describe the Bombay: confident, gentle, soft-spoken, intelligent, sensitive, active, playful, friendly and patient. |
Health |
| Bombays require regular brushing during the moulting period. A weekly shine with a washcloth keeps the coat shiny. According to the LOOF, the Bombay's color does not risk scorching in the sun, like other black cats. |
Head |
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Cranial region |
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Head |
The head is medium-sized and rounded. | |
Facial region |
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Foreface |
There should be no flat faces. | |
Forehead |
From the side, a rounded forehead and moderately pronounced nose stop can be observed. A flat forehead is penalized in the show ring. | |
Nose |
The nose is slightly arched and rounded. The stop should not be too pronounced, forming a break and impeding breathing. | |
Muzzle |
The round muzzle is short and broad, with a firm chin that is also round and free of protuberance. | |
Eyes |
Round, large and set wide apart. They are copper to golden, copper being preferred by the LOOF, while other federations insist on the intensity of the color, which must be deep. Green or protruding eyes are eliminatory in show. | |
Ears |
The ears are of medium size, set wide apart on the head and tilted forward, with a rounded tip and broad base. The absence of hair between the upper eyelid and the inside of the ear is tolerated. | |
Neck |
| Well developed neck. |
Body |
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Generality |
The Bombay is a medium-sized cat with a compact cobby body, strong muscles and powerful bones. When carried, its weight in relation to its size is astonishing. For LOOF and TICA, its morphology must never be reminiscent of the Exotic Shorthair, which is an eliminatory defect at shows. | |
Chest |
Open ribcage. | |
Tail |
| The tail is of medium length, ending in a rounded tip: it should never be carried whipped like an Oriental. |
Limbs |
| The length of the legs is proportionate to the body. | ||
Forequarters |
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Shoulders |
Rounded hips and shoulders. | |
Hindquarters |
Feet |
| Medium-sized, rounded feet. |
Coat |
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Coat and texture |
The only solid-coated member of the asian group, the Bombay has a short, extremely fine, glossy coat with a satiny appearance. Jet black, uniform over the entire body and length of the coat, is the only color permitted. Slight color variations are tolerated in kittens. Coarse coat texture is penalized in the show ring, while white patches are eliminatory. | |
Size and weight |
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Height at withers |
Male height at withers: between 21 and 23 cm. Female height at withers: between 21 and 23 cm. |
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Weight |
Average adult male weight: between 2.5 and 5 kg. Average adult female weight: between 2.5 and 5 kg. |
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Penalties |
 Flat forehead. Fine bone structure. Whip tail. Coarse texture or open coat. |
Refusal of any title |
| White patches. Green eyes. Type too close to Exotic Shorthair. Protruding eyes or chin. General faults and defects eliminatory in show. |
Authorized marriages |
| Only matings with sepia-black American Burmeses are authorized by LOOF. The Cat Fanciers' Association and the Australian Cat Federation also authorize matings with black American Shorthairs. TICA prohibits all outcrosses. |
English (United Kingdom) 
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