Although it was names after the great Indian city because of its resemblance to that country’s black leopard, the Bombay’s similarity ends with the coat. This sleed and handsome cat has a gentle, loving nature.
Did you know? Although this cat breed is less vocal than many breeds, the Bombay rarely stops purring.
History
Created in the late 1950s and early 1960s, the Bombay is the result of crosses between the Burmese and black American Shorthairs. Kentucky breeder Nikki Shuttleworth Horner, a keen fancier of the cross, was instrumental in having the new breed recognized and, after a great deal of lobbying, championship status was awarded to the Bombay in 1976. It is rare outside of the USA and is still awaiting recognition in other countries, including Britain.
Description
A medium sized cat, the Bombay is well balanced, muscular and surprisingly heavy for its size with the male being a little larger than the female. Its head is rounded with no sharp angles; the face is full with round eyes set far apart and a short, well developed muzzle tapering slightly. In profile, there should be a visible nose break and the nose should not present a pugged or snubbed look. The medium ears are set well apart and have rounded tips. Although the round, wide set eyes may range in color from gold to a deep brilliant copper, deep colored or copper eyes are considered superior.
The legs are medium length and in proportion to the body, and the feet are small and oval. The tail is medium length, straight and free of kinks. The nose leather and paw pads are black.
The coat should be very short, fine and close lying, and should be gleam like stain. It is extremely easy to groom, needing only regular combing with a fine toothed comb to remove dead hair and perhaps a wipe over with a silk cloth or damp chamois to give it the shine of patent leather. Because little hair is shed, these cats are especially suited to a totally indoor situation.
Varieties
The Bombay comes in only one color, black. Each hair must be jet black right down to the roots. The coat and color are considered so exceptional that in the standards of some American associations, half of the points are allotted to the quality of the coat. In judging two Bombays of equal merit, the depth of eye color would probably be a deciding factor in choosing the winner.
Temperament
Bombays are extremely smart and agile. They love plenty of company, enjoy games and fetch naturally, but may become depressed or naughty if deprived of company. Because they show great affection, they make most satisfying pets. The hybrids cross of the Burmese and black American Shorthair has made the Bombay hardier, healthier and less vocal than many breeds.
Because there is an Indian black leopard as sleek and black of coat as this particular domestic cat breed, the Bombay cat is named after an Indian city.
The cat’s most outstanding features are its gleaming black fur and its large, brilliant golden eyes.
With a solid, jet black coat and deep amber eyes, the bombay earned the nickname “the patent leathered kid with the new penny eyes” in America, its country of origin.
The Bombay was created in the United States in the 1950s in an attempt to breed a pure black Burmese. A Sable (Brown) Burmese was crossed with a Black American shorthair, and the Bombay was accepted as a championship variety in 1976. An American couple, fittingly named Opium and Bagheera, were exported to France in 1989 to found the European line, and so the type is similar on both sides of the Atlantic.
The Bombay is a polished, all black Burmese type.
Not so in the United Kingdom, where black British Shorthairs were mated with Burmese (although one was later combined with an American Bombay) and ultimately became part of the asian group breeding program. The Bombay is judged in the United Kingdom along the same lines as other Asian self colors. The Bombay on both sides of the Atlantic has a distinct Burmese temperament, is known to purr a great deal, and is a strong and healthy breed. It is a medium sized cat with a round head that seems large for its body. It has a short snub nose, firm chin and large ears rounded at the tips. Everything about it is black, from the fur that must be jet black to the tips. to the nose and paw pads.
Although the black bombay is the best known self colored Asian, there are many other colors. The Blue had black parents somewhere along the line, each of whom carried a recessive gene that resulted in its dilute color.
Bombay Cat Breed information
coat – short, very close lying and shiny
eyes – large, gold, yellow to green (United kingdom), gold to copper (United States)
other features – patent leather glossiness of coat
grooming – little extra grooming is necessary
temperament – sedate, affectionate, needs attention
Other Asian Cats
Once the Chinchilla/Lilac Burmese combination had launched the Asian Group, it became evident that an enormous number of variations could occur. Parents were introduced into breeding programs that carried the sex linked red gene to produce red, cream, apricot and tortoiseshell Asians. The tabby genes were included for ticked, classic, mackarel and spotted patterns. Colors allowed are black (brown), blue, chocolate, lilac, red, cream, caramel and apricot, all with silver and their appropriate tortoiseshell combinations, plus the Burmese versions of these colors.
Other Asian Breed information
coat – fine, glossy, silky
eyes - wide set, large, round, color ranges from yellow to green, self colors may be golden
grooming – little extra grooming is necessary
temperament – easy going, playful, gentle
The asian black tabby is more heavily ticked than the burmilla equivalent. The darkest fur is along the line of the spine, shading to a much paler color on the underparts and legs.
Although it has a fine M on its forehead, this is not a tabby, but a red self asian. It is similar to the red burmese, but of a considerably deeper, richer and more solid hue.
The caramel ticked tabby is one of the rarer dilute colors seen in the asian group. This youngster has an excellent M mark on its forehead which will win it a few points.
The dominant tortie color is black, which this asian shows very well. The colors can be mingled or in blotches as long as the hairs are colored to the roots.
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