The bombay cat is undoubtedly one of the most popular and beautiful cat breeds that exist. If you are thinking of adopting a cat of this breed, do not hesitate to inform yourself properly about all its characteristics, the character it usually has as well as the basic care it requires. We will also talk about food and frequent health problems, something you should know before taking it home.

Keep reading this tab to know everything about the bombay cat, a breed that begins its history by being inspired by the wild cats of India:

Origin of the bombay cat

The origin of the bombay cat goes back to the year 1950, in Louisville, Kentuky (USA), thanks to the breeder Nikki Horner. His main intention was create a cat similar to a panther, with black hair, short and shiny. For this, he was inspired by his favorite panther, the black leopard of India Bagheera, from “El libro de la Selva”, the famous Disney children’s movie.

From the 1953, Horner begins the selective breeding of bombay cats starting from an American cat with short black hair next to a burnet cat with a cibelino mantle. It is, therefore, a hybrid race and in no case has wild descent. It took some time to correctly set the breed standard, but finally in 1976 the bombay cat was created: a black cat with shiny hair and copper-colored eyes.

Physical characteristics of the bombay cat

The bombay cat stands out for having a muscular and compact body, but at the same time more agile than the Burmese cat, from which it descends. It is medium size and presents a tail of medium size. We can highlight its rounded face and a very short snout, as well as a totally black pads, a characteristic of the race that makes it unmistakable.

The color of the mantle of the bombay cat is jet black (from the roots to the tip), short, smooth and extremely bright. It may look satiny. Stand out above the rest of its characteristics two copper-colored eyes, which can sometimes be golden, always very bright.

Character of the bombay cat

The bombay cat is usually a cat very sociable and affectionate, greatly enjoys the company of their relatives and deeply detests loneliness. In some cases, if you spend too much time alone, the bombay cat may suffer separation anxiety, a psychological condition that can affect your well-being. He loves to meow to communicate his mood or to ask us something, always with a pleasant and sweet tone of voice.

Although it is usually a pretty lazy cat, because it spends long hours sleeping and resting, the bombay cat is a great lover of games and fun, being especially suitable for families with children and with other cats, as we have said, is especially sociable. They adapt well to any style of life that the family possesses, as long as it is in charge of offering regular attention to the affectionate bombay.

Also, it is a cat especially smart, that can get to learn different tricks and exercises if positive reinforcement is used as a basis for their “education”, such as playing pick and pick, games based on jumps and physical activity and even go for a walk with the leash .

Care of the bombay cat

The bombay cat does not require great care, because having a short mantle, has no tendency to suffer entanglements and dirt accumulation. It will be enough with two weekly brushes, that will help you remove dead hair and keep the glossy and shiny coat that characterizes it.

Remember that cats clean themselves, so it will not be necessary to bathe. In addition, the bathroom causes them to lose the natural protection layer of their skin, avoid it whenever possible. However, in some cases, especially if our bombay cat is excessively dirty or has something stuck on its fur, we can bathe it, but it is always advisable to use dry cleaning shampoos or towels and wet wipes. For a greater shine on your fur, you can also use dry-cleaning conditioners.

It will be important to repair also in feeding of the cat, which must always be of high quality, if not, we will begin to observe its impoverished coat. For this we can look for commercial products, such as feed, but we can also make our own homemade recipes. Apart from your own food, we can also offer you daily small portions of homemade wet food, something that will excite you and help you to be more hydrated.

Do not forget that on a regular basis we must pay attention to that their ears are clean, to observe that the nails are filed naturally (otherwise it is convenient to cut them ourselves) and the cleaning of the teeth.

Bombay cat health

The bombay cat enjoys a excellent health, because it is one of the races least prone to suffer diseases and therefore one of the longest. They can reach the 20 years of life. Apart from this, some bombay cats may suffer malformation of the skull, a health problem inherited from their ancestors, the Burmese cats.

To prevent any health problem, it will be essential to follow the cat’s vaccination schedule and external and internal worming, especially if we allow him to go outside. Finally we recommend you visit the specialist every 6 or 12 months, in this way we will make sure of your good health.