- Shimmering jet black, even to the roots, giving the appearance of patent leather.
No breeder is on record here yet. Portugal’s FIFe member club does not list this breed in its breeder directory at all, so an absence here says nothing about whether anyone breeds it in Portugal.
Medium-sized, muscular jet-black cat with striking copper or gold eyes. Bred to resemble a miniature black panther with a sleek, patent-leather coat.
Created in the 1950s by breeder Nikki Horner in Louisville, Kentucky, by crossing black American Shorthairs with sable Burmese. Goal was to create a cat resembling a miniature black panther.
Generally described as affectionate, dependent, gentle, intelligent, playful and social.
That is the breed in general, not a promise about one animal. Ask the breeder what their own line is like, and meet the parents before you decide.
Breed reference from The Cat API.
Drawn from sources, not opinion: FIFe breed standard; The Cat API; UC Davis VGL — Burmese head defect test. An empty column means we hold nothing for that side, not that there is nothing to say.
The Bombay standard is published by the FIFe (Fédération Internationale Féline), the international federation of pedigree-cat clubs, and it is what show judges apply. This section sums up what it says about coat and colour. It does not assess any one animal: use it to know what to ask the breeder.
Short.
Silky and close lying.
Shortened from FIFe standard BOM — each label is the standard’s own wording with the verdict lifted into the tag beside it. Read the full clause at source. FIFe lists this standard’s last modification as 2025. Text read on 31 Aug 2026.
The colour varieties FIFe recognises for this breed are listed, with their EMS codes, in the table at the end of its standard. FIFe describes each colour group in the General Part of its standards.
FIFe recognises this breed only provisionally (2023–2027), so its standard may still change.
The colours and patterns the standard admits, and what it prefers, discourages or disqualifies in each. An accepted colour says nothing about health. Quotations from the FIFe are in English, as the standard publishes them; the headings are ours.
Known hereditary risks for the Bombay breed, and the specific documentation to request from any breeder before paying a deposit. A responsible breeder will have these readily available; deflection is a red flag.
1 condition documentedThis is breed-level literature, not veterinary advice about an individual animal — your vet knows the animal.
Health checklist (PDF)Documented in this breed, but no source says how many of its dogs carry or have them. That is a gap in the evidence, not a sign they are rare.
Breed-level information from The Cat API. It describes the Bombay in general; any individual animal can differ.
A fatal skull and facial malformation traced to the breed's Burmese parentage (Bombay was developed by crossing black American Shorthairs with sable Burmese). Two copies of the mutation are incompatible with life; one copy causes no defect but can shorten the face.
What to ask for
UC Davis VGL Burmese head defect (ALX1) DNA test result, on both parents
A fatal skull and facial malformation traced to the breed's Burmese parentage (Bombay was developed by crossing black American Shorthairs with sable Burmese). Two copies of the mutation are incompatible with life; one copy causes no defect but can shorten the face.
What to ask for
UC Davis VGL Burmese head defect (ALX1) DNA test result, on both parents