Path: senator-bedfellow.mit.edu!dreaderd!not-for-mail
Message-ID: <cats-faq/breeds/[email protected]>
Supersedes: <cats-faq/breeds/[email protected]>
Expires: 12 Aug 2004 11:20:28 GMT
X-Last-Updated: 1997/03/12
Approved: [email protected]
Newsgroups: rec.pets.cats.announce,rec.answers,news.answers
Sender: tittle
Organization: RPC FAQ auto-posting
Followup-To: poster
From: David Thomas <[email protected]>
Subject: rec.pets.cats:  Bombay  Breed-FAQ
Originator: [email protected]
Date: 30 Apr 2004 11:21:21 GMT
Lines: 273
NNTP-Posting-Host: penguin-lust.mit.edu
X-Trace: 1083324081 senator-bedfellow.mit.edu 567 18.181.0.29
Xref: senator-bedfellow.mit.edu rec.pets.cats.announce:3305 rec.answers:86846 news.answers:270617

Archive-name: cats-faq/breeds/bombay
Posting-frequency: 30 days
URL: http://www.fanciers.com/breed-faqs/bombay-faq.html
Last-modified: 12 Mar 1997

All the cat breed faqs are available as ASCII files either on rec.pets.cats
or via anon ftp to rtfm.mit.edu under pub/usenet/new.answers/cats-faq/breeds/*
They are also viewable on the World Wide Web at
http://www.fanciers.com/breeds.html.


                                The Bombay


  _The Bombay_ is a shorthair breed of domestic cat, closely related to
  the Burmese. The Bombay is noted for its shiny black coat and copper
  eyes and for its affectionate and playful temperament.

  Copyright (c) 1994, 1995 David Thomas, All Rights Reserved.

    _________________________________________________________________

    * History and Genetics
    * Characteristics and Temperament
    * Care and Grooming
    * Description
    * Recognition
    * References

    _________________________________________________________________

History and Genetics

  The Bombay was developed by Nikki Horner, a breeder in Louisville,
  Kentucky. She set out to create a "miniature black panther" by
  crossing sable Burmese with a solid black American Shorthair. Her
  first attempts in the late 1950's were disappointing. A few years
  later, working with different breeding stock, she began to get the
  results that she was looking for: a cat with good muscular development
  and a very short, close-lying black coat. Recognition and acceptance
  of the new breed by the registering associations took 18 years; the
  Bombay was accepted for championship in CFA in 1976.

  Bombay breeders frequently outcross to Burmese to retain the body type
  and coat texture. Almost no one outcrosses to American Shorthair any
  more, because it is very easy to maintain the (dominant) black color
  in the Bombay lines and such outcrosses would usually result in
  undesirable body type. Some associations no longer permit outcrossing
  to American Shorthair.

  As a consequence, the Bombay shares many physical characteristics with
  the Burmese. Nikki Horner considers the Bombay a "black Burmese", but
  other breeders point out the physical differences. Bombays tend to be
  a little larger, with longer bodies and longer legs than the Burmese,
  and have a less pronounced nose break.

  The gene for the black coat is dominant, but many Bombays still carry
  the sable color as a recessive. A sable-colored kitten may appear in a
  litter from a Bombay x Bombay breeding. If both of the parents are
  heterozygous for black, one in four kittens will be sable, on average.
  A Bombay x Burmese breeding will frequently produce some sable kittens
  along with the black ones.

  The Bombay also shares many of the behavioral characteristics of the
  Burmese. They are adaptable to apartment living and are generally
  calm. A Bombay will often accept dogs in the household more quickly
  than it will adapt to the other cats. The Bombay often wants to be the
  dominant cat in the household.

  They are intelligent, actively seek interaction with humans and love
  to play games. Many retrieve and do tricks. Some have been sucessfully
  leash-trained. Like Burmese, Bombays are heat-seekers, and often like
  to sleep under the bedcovers.

  Both Bombays and Burmese have a voice that is distinctive, but not as
  loud or harsh as the Siamese voice. Some individuals are quite
  talkative, but others rarely vocalize.

  Bombays reach sexual maturity relatively quickly, so owners should
  plan on spaying females and neutering males between 6 and 9 months of
  age. A few males have been known to sire litters at 5 months of age.
  Their physical development, however, is somewhat slower. A Bombay male
  may not reach his full muscular development until he is almost two
  years old. An adult Bombay male will typically weigh between 8 and 11
  pounds; females between 6 and 9 pounds.

    _________________________________________________________________

Care and Grooming

  Bombays generally have strong appetites. While most Bombays can
  free-feed without becoming overweight, some Bombay owners find that
  they must ration the food or switch to a low-calorie feed. Most
  breeders use and recommend a high-quality dry food, but will
  supplement this with raw meat to put on more muscle for showing. The
  use of raw meat is risky, however, because of the danger of
  contamination.

  The tight, short coat sheds very little and requires practically zero
  maintenance. The Bombay is completely capable of grooming itself, but
  a rubdown with the palm of your hand or a rubber brush is always a
  welcome activity. There is very little seasonal variation in the coat.

  In preparation for showing, exhibitors generally bathe the Bombay
  three to four days before the show. This gives the coat time to
  recover some of the natural oils that help give it the proper sheen
  and texture. On the day of the show, a rub with a chamois cloth puts a
  final polish on the coat. No texturizers, glosses, or powders are ever
  needed on the Bombay coat.

    _________________________________________________________________

Description

 Bombay Breed Standard (paraphrased from CFA and TICA standards)

  The ideal Bombay is a medium-sized cat with substantial bone
  structure, good muscular development, and having a surprising weight
  for its size.

  The head is round and medium-sized, with no flat planes or sharp
  angles. In profile there should be a moderate stop; the forehead is
  rounded, but not domed. The nose indentation does not form a 45-degree
  angle, it is not to be considered a break, but there is an indentation
  above the bridge, thus forming the change in direction from the
  rounded forehead to the muzzle. The nose should be slightly rounded
  down at the tip. The muzzle is short, but not "pugged" or "snubbed".
  The chin should reflect a normal bite; neither receding nor
  protruding.

  The ears are medium-sized, and wide-set, broad at the base and
  slightly rounded at the tip; tilted slightly forward when alert.

  The eyes are round, large and wide-set. The eye color should range
  from gold to copper, with greater brilliance and depth of color
  preferred.

  The body is medium-sized, neither cobby nor rangy. The legs are well-
  proportioned to the body, with rounded feet. The chest should be ample
  and rounded. The back is level from shoulder to tail. The tail should
  be neither short nor long and whippy.

  The coat is short and close-lying, with a fine, satin-like texture,
  and patent-leather sheen. The color should be black to the roots.
  Allowance should be made in coat color and texture for kittens and
  younger cats up to two years of age.

  Faults which are grounds for disqualification (withhold all awards): a
  kinked or abnormal tail; incorrect number of toes; extreme exotic-type
  nose break; nose leather or paw pads other than black; lockets or
  spots; green eyes.

 Comments on the Breed Standard

  Although the CFA and TICA standards are worded similarly, there is a
  difference in the emphasis on the various features mentioned in the
  standard:

   HEAD AND EARS                     CFA   TICA
      Roundness of head                7     10
      Full face and proper profile     7     10
      Ears                             7      5
      Chin                             4      5
   EYES
      Placement and shape              5     10
      Color                           10     10
   BODY
      Body                            15     20
      Tail                             5      5
      Legs                             -      5
   COAT
      Shortness                       10      -
      Texture                          5     10
      Close-lying                      5      5
      Color                           20      5

  As in most breeds, it is difficult to correlate these point scores
  with the way cats are actually judged. The imprecise wording of the
  standard allows the judges considerable latitude in interpretation. In
  practice, there is a great deal more emphasis placed on head shape in
  CFA. This means that Bombays from "traditional" bloodlines, which
  typically have longer muzzles, might fail miserably in CFA
  competition, but become regional or even international winners in
  TICA. This is true in Burmese, as well.

  One is likely to see a significant variation in eye color, even in
  show-quality cats. Many award-winning Bombays actually have gold eyes.
  The standard calls for a brilliant copper color, but this is very
  difficult to achieve. It is thought to be the product of at least two
  genes: one for color and one for intensity. In addition, there is a
  tendency for this eye color to fade or turn green in some individuals,
  particularly in males around 3-5 years of age.

    _________________________________________________________________

Recognition

  American Cat Fanciers Association (ACFA),
  Cat Fanciers' Association (CFA),
  Cat Fanciers' Federation (CFF),
  The International Cat Association (TICA).

  The Bombay has "experimental" status under the GCCF, but interest in
  the Bombay in the UK is growing.

    _________________________________________________________________

Bibliography/References

  _  Magazine Articles_
      "Lucky Black Cat -- The Bombay", Cat Fancy, July 1981, pp. 29-32.
      "The Bombay", Cat Fancy, January 1988, pp. 36-41.
      "The Bombay", Cat Fancy, October 1993, pp. 24-25.
  _  Breed Associations_
      International Bombay Society
      Suzanne Zwecker, Secretary
      5782 Dalton Drive
      Canandaigua, NY 14425
  _  Breeders_
      There are a relatively small number of Bombay breeders in the
      world, and most produce very few kittens each year. You probably
      will have to get on a waiting list. If a breeder is not able to
      provide a kitten within a reasonable time, he or she may refer you
      to another breeder.
      Disclaimer: These breeders have been recommended in good faith by
      the author of this article. However, you are still responsible for
      verifying that a particular breeder meets your needs to your
      satisfaction. Additional breeder listings can be found in "Cat
      Fancy" and "Cats Magazine" in the US and Canada, and in "Cat
      World" in the UK.

       Acatranch
       Louis and Joan Simmons
       (512) 263-2644

       Cavalier
       Karen Simpson
       (805) 664-4744

       Fejuko
       Fenton and Judy Kovic
       (903) 569-3793

       Hippocrates
       Gerard Scardino, MD
       (713) 665-1518

       Kats 'n' Klamms
       Ron and Wendy Klamm
       (318) 261-0835

       PiR2 Cattery
       Suzanne Ress
       (617) 629-2769

       Shuksan
       Robin Williams and Lyn Schnug
       (206) 325-0269

       Thomcats
       David Thomas and Deborah Reed
       (713) 499-1924

       Windshadow
       Bob and Carol Winston
       (214) 404-1424

    _________________________________________________________________

  Bombay FAQ
  David Thomas, [email protected]
  Last modified: 10 November 1994

You are viewing proxied material from ftp.icm.edu.pl. The copyright of proxied material belongs to its original authors. Any comments or complaints in relation to proxied material should be directed to the original authors of the content concerned. Please see the disclaimer for more details.