Bombay cat
The Bombay cat originated when a cat breeder, named Niki Homer, decided she wanted to breed a cat that resembles a black panther as closely as possible. This was done by interbreeding sable Burmese cats with American shorthair cats. The final result produced did actually closely resemble a black panther - a true Bombay cat should a have pitch black, shiny, satiny coat. Even its nose leather and leather underneath its paws should be black. It should have large, coppery wide-set eyes as well as wide set ears that are rounded at the tips. The body size should be medium but sturdy and muscular, Bombay cats usually weigh surprisingly heavy for its size. For show cats, the nose shape is also very important. A Bombay cat’s nose angle should not be too prominent or a nose break and the nose should be rounded and not too snub.
Because Bombay cats originated from sable Burmese cats, a litter of Bombay kittens will often include one or two sable colored kittens. Those are not suitable as show cats but still make great pets. Another problem with breeding Bombay cats is a genetically carried birth defect called the Burmese Craniofacial defect that causes the skull to be malformed. It is often very difficult to tell apart a sable Burmese cat from a sable Bombay cat and this can usually only be done by an expert eye.
Bombays are known to be calm, attention seeking cats. These cats like to cuddle up, seeking body heat and some will try to sleep under your bed covers. They like close human contact, but are dominant cats, so often don't get along well with other cats, although they can be tolerant towards other dogs.
It is not necessary to groom your Bombay cat very often, due to its short, dense fur. Before a show, do not wash the cat because it will deprive its fur of the natural oils that makes it so shiny. Bombay cats needs to be spayed at an early age, because they have been known to reach maturity from as young as five months.