The Bombay is an all-black domestic breed developed by Nikki Horner of Louisville, Kentucky from 1958 through crosses between a sable Burmese and a black American Shorthair to produce a cat resembling a miniature black panther. CFA granted championship status in 1976; TICA at its 1979 founding; and FIFe in 1994. GCCF does not maintain a separate Bombay register. The standard describes a medium-sized, muscular, jet-black-coated cat with deep copper eyes.
Quick facts
- Origin country
- United States (Louisville, Kentucky)
- Origin period
- 1958 (Nikki Horner; Burmese × American Shorthair); CFA championship 1976
- Coat type
- Short
- Coat colors
- Black (the only recognized colour — jet black to the roots with a patent-leather sheen)
- Size category
- Medium
- Average lifespan
- 12-16 years
- Recognition
- CFA 1976 · TICA 1979 · FIFe 1994
Origin
Nikki Horner of Louisville, Kentucky began the Bombay programme in 1958 by crossing a sable Burmese with a black American Shorthair. The goal was a domestic cat resembling a miniature Indian black leopard — a vision she named for the city of Bombay (Mumbai). Early generations were not of show quality; several years of selective breeding were required to stabilize the jet-black coat, the Burmese-derived cobby body type, and the characteristic copper eye colour as a breed true from generation to generation.
Recognition
CFA granted the Bombay championship status in 1976. The International Cat Association recognized the breed at its 1979 founding. The Fédération Internationale Féline published its standard in 1994. The Governing Council of the Cat Fancy does not maintain a separate Bombay breed register; in the United Kingdom, black Burmese-type cats are shown within the Burmese breed class under GCCF rules.
Standard
The CFA standard describes a medium-sized, well-muscled, cobby cat of Burmese type with a rounded head, well-separated medium-sized eyes, and a short to medium muzzle. The defining characteristics are the coat colour and texture: jet black to the roots with a patent-leather gloss and satin-like sheen. The eyes are deep copper to gold. No other coat colour is recognized under CFA or TICA; sable (Burmese colour) kittens that appear in Bombay litters are registered as Burmese. Outcrosses to sable Burmese and black American Shorthair are permitted under CFA rules.
Sources & further reading (3)
- registry-breed-profile — accessed 2026-04-30
- encyclopedia — accessed 2026-04-30
- tica-standard — accessed 2026-04-30
Frequently asked questions
Why is the breed named Bombay?
Nikki Horner named the breed Bombay after the city of Bombay (now Mumbai, India) as a reference to the Indian black leopard — the wild cat the breed was intended to resemble in miniature. The breed was formally registered under this name when CFA granted championship status in 1976.
When was the Bombay recognized?
CFA granted championship status in 1976. TICA recognized the breed at its 1979 founding. FIFe published its standard in 1994. The GCCF does not maintain a separate Bombay register.
What makes the Bombay coat distinctive?
The Bombay coat is jet black to the roots — not a black overlay on a lighter base — with a patent-leather gloss and satin-like sheen that is a defining characteristic of the breed standard. The CFA standard specifies 'close lying, sleek and glossy, with a shimmering, patent-leather-like appearance'. Only jet-black coat colour is recognized.
