The Bombay cat was developed by breeder Nikki Horner in Louisville, Kentucky. Her goal was to create a "miniature black panther" by crossing sable Burmese cats with solid black American Shorthairs. Though her first attempts in the late 1950s were unsuccessful, a few years later, she began to achieve her vision. The result was a sleek, muscular cat with a short, glossy black coat. After years of work, the Bombay was finally recognised for championship status by the Cat Fanciers' Association (CFA) in 1976.
To maintain the breed’s desired characteristics, Bombay breeders often crossbreed with Burmese cats to preserve the body type and coat texture. While they no longer outcross with American Shorthairs, since the dominant black coat gene is easy to maintain, the breed still shares many physical traits with the Burmese. Though Nikki Horner considered the Bombay a "black Burmese," the Bombay is typically larger, with a longer body and legs, and a less pronounced nose break.
The black coat gene in Bombays is dominant, but some still carry the recessive sable gene. If both parents are heterozygous for black, one in four kittens in a litter could be sable-colored. These "sable Bombays" can’t be shown as Bombays, but they can be registered and shown as sable Burmese by certain associations like TICA. Still, most sable Bombays are sold as pets, and only a trained eye can distinguish them from pure Burmese cats.
Unfortunately, the Bombay shares a genetic issue with the Burmese breed: the Burmese Craniofacial Defect. This disorder affects the skull development in the fetus, sometimes resulting in severely deformed kittens that must be euthanized at birth. This defect doesn’t affect pet owners, but breeders must research pedigrees carefully to avoid it. Though some lines are free of the defect, it remains a sensitive issue in the breeding community.
In summary, the Bombay is a sleek, muscular black cat with Burmese roots, known for its panther-like appearance and easy-going nature, but breeding them comes with challenges, particularly concerning the craniofacial defect.