Bombay Cat Breeds Origins
Bombay cat breeds are jet black in color with golden or amber colored eyes. Bombay cats are also referred as parlor panthers because they are created to look very similar to a Black Panther. Bombay is a medium sized cat, but feels heavy when picked up. The Bombay cat has a unique style of walking. It looks as if its body sways while walking, which reminds many of the Indian black leopards.
This is a short haired cat breed and is very closely related to the Burmese. Both the American and British Bombay have the same name, but are two different cat breeds with same physical characteristics. This breed is perfect for anyone who wants to own a domestic cat that is affectionate, but appearance wise looks like a Panther.
Bombay Cat Breeds History
At the first glance this cat looks very much like a Panther and this is why an American breeder by the name Nikki Horner decided to create a new cat breed that resembles the Panther. The first Bombay cat breeds was developed in the late 1950s to meet the above requirements. This new cat breed also has the golden or copper colored eyes, and a shining black coat that goes well with the eyes. However, she wanted the new cat breed to have the characteristics of a Burmese, but appearance of a Panther.
To achieve this objective she decides to cross breed the Burmese with the American Shorthair, but was unsuccessful. She continued with the efforts and eventually she succeeded when she crossed a Burmese female with a black colored male American shorthair with rich colored eyes. After a few selective breeding, she was successful in creating a black cat that had unmatched features. Initially there was a lot of reluctance shown by various cat registries to accept her creation and was also denied the championship status.
But, Nikki persisted with her efforts and finally in 1976, the CFA registered this cat breed, but it was only in 1986 this cat breed was given the championship status. The International Cat Association considers the Bombay as part of the Burmese group. The breed has got recognition from the ACFA and all these associations allow the crossbreeding of Burmese and Bombay.
Nikki gave the name Bombay to this new cat breed because she felt it resembled the Indian black leopard in many ways. In the UK the British breeders have created the same cat breed by crossing the Burmese with the British Shorthair and this Bombay cat is classified under the Asian cat breed in UK. Finally, there are two Bombay cats one is the American Bombay and the other the British Bombay, but both are considered two different cat breeds.
Bombay Traits
Bombay is well built and medium sized cats, though they might look light these cats are pretty heavy on lifting. These cats weigh in the range of 6 to 11 pounds. Bombay cats have an age expectancy of 9 to 13 years. This cat has a Cobby body structure with a heavy bone. Overall these cats have are round with round head, round ear tips, round eyes, chin and even feet. They have a short and glossy coat and if groomed well their coat shines like genuine leather.
These cats take time to develop and gain their eye color and shiny coat only after four months of age. Actually when they are kittens these cats look very ordinary, but like wine they tend to look gorgeous with age. The only accepted color is black and should be rich without any sable. The color of the hair should extend up to the tip of the hair from the root. The nose and paw should also be black. Native to America these cats can cost from $500.
Bombay Personality
Their personality is very similar to the Burmese. They are very social, friendly, outgoing cats who love the company of their owners. These black cats are full of energy and love to play with owners. They have a unique voice while meowing and some may even be very talkative. They are easy to train and learn very quickly how to walk on a leash. Bombay is very intelligent cats and loves to play a game of fetch. These cats can adapt well to apartment lives and get along well with children and other pets in the house. As these cats get older they tend to go docile.
Bombay Health and Care
Bombay cat breeds are generally a healthy breed with some defects seen in the Burmese have surfaced in the Bombay. Some cats may suffer from excessive tearing of the eyes and also breathing problems due to small muzzle. Bombay cat tends to eat more and can grow obese quickly if they are not cared properly. Keeping their weight in check is very important for their overall health. Bombay cat is very easy to groom since their coat is shiny and short with very slight shedding. Clip their nails at an early age. You need to provide high and good quality food for these cats to enhance their coat and oil supplements during winter will help solve the dry skin problems.
Bombay Behavior
They are very curious cats and can easily open cabinet doors to identify things stored inside. They will play with potatoes and toilet rolls. Bombay cat breeds loves sparkle ball and will happily fetch them for you. You can easily train these cats as they are very intelligent. These cats are not shy and will be first ones to open the door when the doorbell rings. They will follow you wherever you go and like to be the centre of attention. These outgoing cats are an ideal choice for families with children and other pets.
Bombay with Children and Pets
These energetic cats get along well with children and other pets in the house. These affectionate cats never harm children and happily like to play various interactive games. These busy cats even are at ease with strangers. They are very loving towards their entire family and do not restrict their love and affection towards one particular member of the family.
These gentle Black Panther like cats, though look wild due to their resemblance to Panther, but are actually very caring and loving cats. They will always keep you entertained and happy. This is a solid cat with looks as well as great characteristics.
