Cats and Kittens

Nikki Horner from Louisville, Kentucky was a breeder with a vision of a cat that was copper-eyed and shorthaired with an exotic appearance resembling a miniature Black Panther with the black leopard of India inspiring the breed name of Bombay. It was in 1953 that Ms. Horner began on her quest with a black American Shorthair male that had a deep copper eye coloring and a Grand Champion sable colored Burmese female.

It was a long process but by selecting carefully though inbreeding and out crossing she was able to get consistency in her results of a black cat that was not like any other. The Bombay breed will always be black in coloration as the gene for the black coat is dominant and the sable color gene is recessive.

In the UK the Bombay was developed by the cross breeding of the Burmese with the black domestic cat. When a Bombay is breed with a Burmese there will be some sable colored kittens produced that are sold as pets because they are not acceptable for showing among the Bombay breed.

Eighteen years after the creation of the Bombay breed it managed CFA Championship status in 1976. The out crossing to the Black American Shorthairs and the sable Burmese is still an allowed practice. The Bombay is an easy going, curious cat with the nature of the American Shorthair and the social characteristics of the Burmese. They can even be leash trained and enjoy playing the game of fetch. They are good with kids and dogs alike and will also greet visitors. Constantly seeking heat the Bombay is truly a lap cat. They are agile and smart constantly seeking human interaction; the Bombay breed does best in a quiet home where it gets a lot of attention.

As a hybrid there are characteristics that separate the Bombay from its parent breeds. The Bombay cat breed is medium in body length and the head is rounded with a short muzzle. The Bombay’s coat is its most recognizable characteristic and defines it. The coat is short, flat and gleaming; it also accentuates the muscular form of the Bombay. The eye color is now gold to copper color. The Bombay breed is amazingly proportioned and will be distinctive as no other cat will resemble a true Bombay.

The AACE, ACA, CFA, TICA and the CCF currently accept the Bombay Breed in the United States; the Bombay Breed is also accepted by the Asian group in the GCCF in the UK.

Sources:

http://www.cfainc.org/breeds/p rofiles/bombay.html

http://www.catsofaustralia.com /bombay-cat.htm

http://www.kitten-central.com/ bombay-cat-breed-guide.html

http://www.breedlist.com/bomba y-breeders.html

http://www.fanciers.com/breed- faqs/bombay-faq.html

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