Fun Bombay Cat Facts For Kids

With their glossy black coat, gemstone eyes, the mini-panthers (or Bombay cats) are exquisite felines to behold.

The foundation to incorporate the stealthy and majestic look of a panther, with the domesticity of a pet cat was laid by an American breeder, Nikki Horner. After numerous experimentation, the results were rewarded with this medium-sized, sleek, and completely black felines with bright golden, yellow, or copper eyes.

The Bombays are visual stunners; these cats leave you mesmerized with not just their fascinating looks but also with their extremely affectionate, jovial, and agile temperament.

The Bombay breed of cats require regular weekly brushing to maintain the shine of their coat. Bombay cat personality is active, loving, and curious, which makes them excellent pets for children.

Read along to discover some interesting facts about these beautiful beings by catching up on balinese cat facts and leopard cat facts.

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Bombay Cat Interesting Facts

What type of animal is a Bombay cat?

Bombay cats are a reared category of cats; the ancestors of these cats are known to belong to the Felidae family. Bombays are the results of rearing black American shorthairs with Burmese cats.

The following experimentation was deduced by Nikki Horner. The American breeder began her experimentation with the primary goal of rearing a family of cats that were reminiscent of black panthers. Horner achieved the desired goal, and a full pack of ebony, medium-sized cats with copper eyes were bred.

What class of animal does a Bombay cat belong to?

Bombay cats are a group of cats and therefore belong to the Felidae family. The Felidae family itself is categorized under Class Mammalia. The British Bombay cat resembles a panther in appearance, and with its rounded head looks absolutely majestic.

How many Bombay cats are there in the world?

There are no estimates of the total population of Bombays in the world. However, this breed of cats, after proper recognition by The International Cat Association and Cat Fanciers Association are continually being reared. However, according to present status, these cats are rare.

Where does a Bombay cat live?

Bombay cats were reared with the prime goal of creating panther-like domesticated cats. Therefore these felines are natural inhabitants of any hospitable environment. Like the majority of domestic felines, the Bombay breed prefers areas of human habitation.

What is a Bombay cat's habitat?

Besides their social and friendly disposition, Bombay cats are intelligent and agile cats. This cat breed is full of excellent climbers, and they can definitely enjoy exercise such as climbing towers or multi-level scratching posts.

Bombay cats are easy to train and hence can be made to walk on a leash. In fact, these felines would highly cherish the walking time with their bonded family. Bombays are also big fans of cuddling.

Who do Bombay cats live with?

Bombay cats are extremely social cats with loyal and affectionate temperaments. These felines, due to their jovial characteristics, with the right amount of restrained behavior are pleasant to live with. This cat breed makes great companions for kids, adults, or other pets. Bombay cats can be described as extroverts with considerable inclination to human affection.

How long does a Bombay cat live?

The average lifespan of Bombay cats is known to be around nine to 15 years.

How do they reproduce?

Bombay cats are oviparous, with internal fertilization. The breed is not naturally occurring but are bred by crossbreeding black American shorthair cats with Burmese cats.

The reproductive cycle is known to commence with the onset of the estrus cycle in females that lasts for 21 days. The potential male is mated with the females during this period.

Following fertilization, the gestation period lasts approximately 60 to 67 days, at the end of which the females give birth to a litter of around four to six kittens.

What is their conservation status?

The conservation status of Bombay cats is not listed. Therefore, it can be safely said that the population of this species is stable.

Bombay Cat Fun Facts

What do Bombay cats look like?

Bombay cats are medium-sized domestic cats reared to resemble panthers. These felines possess a glossy jet-black coat with short hair, this is due to their American shorthair parent.

However, the coat is not the only anatomical feature to which the dark shading is limited to. Bombays exhibit black noses, mouth, and whiskers as well as black soles. Other characterized features include a muscular build, short and rounded ears, round head, and large prominent eyes ranging in color from green, copper, yellow to golden and orange.

How cute are they?

With sleek, glossy black looks and sparkling eyes, Bombay cats are extremely fascinating and majestic to look at. However, what makes these felines cute is their extroverted and playful temperament.

How do they communicate?

Bombay cats are a group of cats that were designed to incorporate panther-like looks to the common household. Since these are widely domesticated cats, this cat breed is usually quite accomplished at communicating and understanding human emotions.

In comparison to other members of the cat family, Bombay cats are vociferous, though not noisy. This wild cat breed communicates through distinguished and notable meowing when they are hungry, want attention, and even before jumping into someone's lap.

How big is a Bombay cat?

The average height of these ebony cats ranges between 9-13 in (22-33 cm).

How fast can a Bombay cat run?

Bombay cats are agile animals and are known to run at a maximum speed of 30 mph (48 kmph) over short distances.

How much does a Bombay cat weigh?

Bombay cats possess muscular and sturdy looks. The average weight of Bombays is found to range between 8-15 lb (3.6-6.8 kg). Usually, the males are larger than their female counterparts.

What are the male and female names of the species?

The male members of the Felis family are usually referred to as a tom or tomcat. Whereas the females are referred to as queen.

What would you call a baby Bombay cat?

Baby Bombay cats are referred to as kittens. Sometimes the kittens are born with a lighter coat shade but within a few months, their coat will take on a darker color.  

What do they eat?

Cats of this breed are carnivorous. As a pet animal, the diet of these felines should be rich in basic nutrients. However, high quality proteins prove to be beneficial for their health. The diet may include various types of dry food, meat, and other raw foods.

Are they slobbery?

No, Bombay black cats are not slobbery. They may show some signs of drool when they are either thirsty or hungry. This quality makes it one of the most suitable cat breeds to be kept as a pet.

Would they make a good pet?

Bombay cats are one of the best pet breeds, particularly for lively households. These felines are agile, jovial, intelligent, and playful. This breed forms an instant and strong with their humans.

Though this breed is quite vocal, this black cat is extremely loving and people-driven. However, due to their eagerness and immense socialization, Bombays are observed to show anxiety and have a hard time getting along when left alone for extended periods. Their coat requires regular grooming to retain its shine.

Did you know...

Bombay cats, though reared for their prominent dark shades, are sometimes born snowy white. However, within a year, the coat starts to darken. You can usually tell if your cat is a Bombay by analysing their unique features.

Bombays, at times, may bestow some creepy hard stares. According to studies, they are often observed as transfixing their gaze to an object.

Looks are deceptive. Though these members of the Felis family might seem fierce and independent, Bombays are instead quite sensitive and clingy. In fact, extended periods of loneliness have shown signs of anxiety and depression in these felines.

The cats of this breed are well-known chatter-boxes. These felines can mimic various sounds, and their meowing is quite croaky. The female members of this cat breed are comparatively more chatty than their male counterparts.

Are Bombay cats rare?

Bombay cats are not naturally occurring cats and are obtained by crossbreeding between black American shorthair cats with Burmese cats. Though Bombay cats have received the required recognition, these cat breeds, according to the available data, are a rare species. These cats are mainly valued for their congenial temperament, and majestic ebony looks.

Getting your own Bombay cat

Due to their rare availability and visually stunning looks, Bombay cats are quite an expensive cat breed. On average, the cost of a Bombay cat kitten ranges between 500 to 1,200 USD.

However, the companionship is worth the money. Bombay cats make excellent family cats with their friendly, loyal, intelligent, and jovial temperaments. These felines bond easily and truly love their humans, so much so that serious signs of anxiety are seen in cases of prolonged separation.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly animal facts for everyone to discover! Learn more about some other mammals including Somali cat, or siamese cat.

You can even occupy yourself at home by drawing one of our Bombay Cat coloring pages.

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