Bombay breed guide

Neither hyperactive nor placid, the Bombay keeps its people on their toes without getting in the way. It adapts to nearly any environment and bonds with dogs and other pets when properly introduced.

Head butts, kisses and snuggling up at night are its style of devotion. CFA says children are enchanted by it.

CFA calls the Bombay part cat, part dog and part clown. It balances the easygoing American Shorthair with the lap-loving Burmese. Its mischievous streak and love of toys are its own.

It will happily claim a grocery bag or cracker box and amuse itself for hours.

Shedding is moderate to minimal on the short satiny coat. A rubber curry brush two or three times a month removes loose hair.

A quick bath is an option when that is not enough, since Bombays take well to bathing. CFA considers them wash-and-wear cats.

CFA calls Bombays quite healthy because of their hybrid ancestry, though some have teary eyes that need regular wiping. Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy has also been found in the breed, so responsible breeders test their cats before breeding.

The name comes from the black leopards of India and the city of Bombay. Horner began with a black American Shorthair male bred to a Burmese female and used line breeding and careful outcrossing over the next few years.

CFA accepted Bombays for registration in 1970 and advanced them to championship in 1976. The first national win came in 1982.