Bombay Cat Insurance, Care and Health Advice

This hybrid breed was recognised by the Cat Fanciers&rsquo; Association in 1970 and The International Cat Association in 1979. British Bombays, a cross between <a href="/cat-insurance/cat-breed-guides/burmese-cat-insurance-care-and-health-advice" style="font-size:20px" title="Link to Everypaw's Burmese Cat Breed Guide">Burmese</a> and <a href="https://www.everypaw.com/cat-insurance/cat-breed-guides/british-shorthair-cat-insurance-care-and-health-advice" style="font-size:20px" title="Link to Everypaw's British Shorthair Cat Breed Guide">British Shorthair cats</a>, and if you want to find out more about this sleek-looking breed, this guide is for you.

Domestic

Type

12 - 16 years

Lifespan

Medium

Size

3.6 - 6.8 kg

Weight

23 - 33 cm

Height

Intelligent, playful, attention-seeking

Temperament

20 - 60 mins per day

Exercise

Low maintenance

Grooming

No, not all black cats are Bombays, but all Bombays are black! They even have black paw pads and a black nose. British Bombays have eyes that are a brilliant copper or green. American Bombays have gold or copper eyes.

Bombays are medium sized cats and grow up to 33cm in height. They have a solid, muscular build and are often heavier than they look, weighing between 3.6 and 6.8kg.

Bombays are identified by their glossy, jet-black coats, bright copper, gold or green eyes and black paw pads. They have round heads with short noses and walk with a distinctive panther-like sway. If you&rsquo;re wondering if your solid black cat is Bombay, it&rsquo;s unlikely.

No, Bombays aren&rsquo;t hypoallergenic. They still produce the Fel d 1 protein in their saliva and sebaceous glands that&rsquo;s spread over their fur. It&rsquo;s this protein that&rsquo;s responsible for cat allergies. But with their close, short coat, they do shed less than some other breeds.

The common lifespan of a Bombay cat is typically between 12 to 16 years. With proper care, some Bombay cats may live even longer.

<ul>
	<li>Vetstream Ltd (online) Bombay. In: Vetlexicon Felis. Vetstream Ltd, UK. Website: <a href="https://www.vetstream.com/treat/felis/freeform/bombay" target="_blank" title="Link to Vetstream's Bombay Cat freeform page">https://www.vetstream.com/treat/felis/freeform/bombay</a></li>
	<li>Leslie A Lyons, Susan Little (online) Craniofacial defect. In: Vetlexicon Felis. Vetstream Ltd, UK. Website: <a href="https://www.vetstream.com/treat/felis/diseases/feline-craniofacial-defect" target="_blank" title="Link to Vetstream's feline craniofacial defect page">https://www.vetstream.com/treat/felis/diseases/feline-craniofacial-defect</a></li>
	<li>Prof Richard Malik, Severine Tasker (online) Hypokalemic myopathy (Burmese). In: Vetlexicon Felis. Vetstream Ltd, UK. Website: <a href="https://www.vetstream.com/treat/felis/diseases/hypokalemic-myopathy-(burmese)" target="_blank" title="Link to Vetstream's Burmese Cat hypokalemic myopathy page">https://www.vetstream.com/treat/felis/diseases/hypokalemic-myopathy-(burmese)</a></li>
	<li>Serena Brownlie, Phil Fox, Philip K Nicholls, Penny Watson (online) Heart: hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. In: Vetlexicon Felis. Vetstream Ltd, UK. Website: <a href="https://www.vetstream.com/treat/felis/diseases/heart-hypertrophic-cardiomyopathy" target="_blank" title="Link to Vetstream's cat heart hypertrophic cardiomyopathy page">https://www.vetstream.com/treat/felis/diseases/heart-hypertrophic-cardiomyopathy</a></li>
	<li>Vetstream Ltd (online) Cardiomyopathy in your cat. In: Vetlexicon Felis. Vetstream Ltd, UK. Website: <a href="https://www.vetlexicon.com/treat/felis/client-information/cardiomyopathy-in-your-cat" target="_blank" title="Link to Vetstream's cat cardiomyopathy page">https://www.vetlexicon.com/treat/felis/client-information/cardiomyopathy-in-your-cat</a></li>
</ul>

Content provided from&nbsp;<a href="https://www.vetlexicon.com/felis" rel="nofollow" target="_blank" title="Link to Vetstream's cat information">Vetstream&#39;s Vetlexicon Felis</a>.

Vetlexicon is the world&rsquo;s largest peer-reviewed online clinical reference source. All our content is written and peer-reviewed by over 1,000 of the world&rsquo;s leading veterinarians, ensuring relevance, accuracy and quality.

That’s All You Need to Know About Bombays

Bombays can make the purr-fect feline friend, especially if you&#39;re a cat owner looking for a faithful, social and loving cat. With a Bombay, you won&#39;t be short of someone looking to help you out around the house or cuddles. Definitely more suited to be an indoor cat, if this ticks all your boxes, a Bombay could be the cat for you.

Bombay kittens <a href="/all-things-pet/kitten-development-3-6-months-old" title="Link to Everypaw's guide to kitten development from 3-6 months">reach sexual maturity at around 5 months</a>, reaching physical maturity when they&rsquo;re around 2 years old. Like all <a href="/kitten-insurance" title="Link to Everypaw's Kitten Insurance page">kittens</a>, they love to play and interact and should be well-socialised so they learn to cope with anything new.

They like to form strong bonds often with one particular member of the family. They&rsquo;ll follow their owner around the house and will want to be involved in whatever they&rsquo;re doing. Bombays are quite vocal and have a <a href="/all-things-pet/why-do-cats-purr" title="Link to Everypaw's article explaining why cats purr">loud distinctive purr</a>.

Bombays combine the personalities of their easy-going American Shorthair and curious, sociable Burmese ancestors. It has been said that if you want to combine the characters of a cat, dog and monkey, you&rsquo;ll end up with a Bombay. They love attention so can get lonely if everyone&#39;s out at work all day.

Bombays are happy to be kept as indoor cats and are definitely lap cats. They&#39;ll seek out any heat source, so you&rsquo;ll often find them in the warmest spot of the house. Bombays are not known to have high prey drives so don&rsquo;t expect them to be reliable mousers.

Always <a href="/all-things-pet/guide-to-feeding-kittens" title="Link to Everypaw's guide on feeding kittens">feed your Bombay kitten</a> or adult cat a balanced, high-quality diet. Kittens should follow the same feeding schedule they were fed by their breeder and fed the same food at the same time every day. If you want to change their diet, do it gradually as this will help avoid any tummy upsets. You can find guidelines on portion size on the side of the food packaging.

If you&rsquo;re unsure, you can also ask your vet which cat food they recommend to best fit the needs of your Bombay, and how much to feed. Keeping your Bombay at a healthy weight by not overfeeding will reduce the likelihood of <a href="/all-things-pet/diabetes-in-cats" title="Link to Everypaw's guide to diabetes in cats">diabetes</a>, <a href="/all-things-pet/arthritis-in-cats" title="Link to Everypaw's guide to arthritis in cats">arthritis</a> and other problems later on in life.

Bombays have short coats that are sleek, glossy and jet-black in colour. They&rsquo;re low shedders and a weekly brushing with a <a href="/all-things-pet/bad-fur-day-read-our-cat-grooming-101" title="Link to Everypaw's guide to cat grooming">grooming glove or rubber brush</a> to remove any dead hair is all that&rsquo;s needed.

Bombays are smart and will quickly pick up <a href="/all-things-pet/kitten-litter-training-tips" title="Link to Everypaw's guide on how to litter train a kitten">litter training</a> (always provide at least one litterbox per cat in the house and make sure they&rsquo;re always kept clean). They&rsquo;ll enjoy being taught new tricks such as fetch or walking on a leash.

As these are lively social cats, interactive or puzzle toys will help to keep them from getting bored. You may find <a href="/all-things-pet/how-to-stop-cat-scratching" title="Link to Everypaw's guide on how to stop a cat scratching">they&rsquo;ll scratch the furniture</a> if they don&rsquo;t have anything to play with!

Make sure they have a scratching post or two so they can scratch away! They&rsquo;ll also like a cat tree or perch as they love to climb and jump. A perch also provides them somewhere high to sit and view the world below.

Bombays are medium-sized, muscular cats. Their solid body type means they&rsquo;re often heavier than they appear.

Link to get an Everypaw Cat Insurance quote

With their sleek black short-haired coat and striking eyes, a Bombay certainly knows how to leave an impression. If you&#39;re welcoming a Bombay into your home, understanding the best ways to care for them is one thing, it&#39;s also good to think about protecting those paws with Cat Insurance.

<a href="/Home/cat-insurance.html" target="_blank" title="Link to Everypaw's Cat Insurance page">Everypaw&#39;s Cat Insurance</a> is available from 8 weeks of age and no age limit on new cover either. Whether you have a baby Bombay or an older one, we can cover them.

With their sleek black short-haired coat and striking eyes, a Bombay certainly knows how to leave an impression. If you&#39;re welcoming a Bombay into your home, understanding the best ways to care for them is one thing, it&#39;s also good to think about protecting those paws with Cat Insurance.

<a href="https://www.everypaw.com/cat-insurance" target="_blank" title="Link to Everypaw's Cat Insurance page">Everypaw&#39;s Cat Insurance</a>&nbsp;is available from <a href="/all-things-pet/kitten-development-8-12-weeks-old" title="Link to Everypaw's Article about kitten development from 8 - 12 weeks">8 weeks of age</a> and no age limit on new cover either. Whether you have a baby Bombay or an <a href="/pet-insurance-for-older-pets" title="Link to Everypaw's Pet Insurance for Older Pets">older one</a>, we can cover them.

Bombays will fit in with busy households and are great for families with children, and cat-friendly <a href="/dog-insurance" title="Link to Everypaw's Dog Insurance page">dogs</a>. But they might like to be the dominant cat, so if there are other cats in the household <a href="/all-things-pet/how-to-make-sure-your-kitten-and-cat-become-friends" title="Link to Everypaw's guide to introducing cats">introduce them slowly</a> to be sure they accept each other. This will help avoid any potential disputes.

Bombays love to play and prefer not to be left alone for too long. If you can give the attention they crave, they&rsquo;ll be the perfect addition to your household.

The breed was created in the 1950s in Kentucky, USA by the breeder Nicki Horner. Descended from black American Shorthair cat and sable Burmese cats, the breed was named after the Indian black panther. They&rsquo;re also known as the Asian Self or Black Burmese.

Bombays will fit in with busy households and are great for families with children, and cat-friendly dogs. But they might like to be the dominant cat, so if there are other cats in the household introduce them slowly to be sure they accept each other. This will help avoid any potential disputes.

Bombays love to play and prefer not to be left alone for too long. If you can give the attention they crave, they&rsquo;ll be the perfect addition to your household.

Due to their Burmese ancestry, Bombays can be affected by a craniofacial defect, also known as Burmese Head Defect. Affected kittens are born with a severe malformation of the head and face and sadly <a href="/all-things-pet/pet-euthanasia-when-should-i-put-my-pet-down" title="Link to Everypaw's guide to knowing when to put your pet down">have to be put to sleep</a>.

Unfortunately, there&rsquo;s no treatment, but a genetic test is available to identify carriers of the gene responsible for the condition. Breeders should make sure they don&rsquo;t breed from cats that carry the gene.

Hypokalaemic Myopathy is another inherited condition that can be seen in some Bombays. Affected cats will have muscle weakness and ventroflexion of the head and neck where their chin tucks down to their chest. The condition can be treated with potassium supplementation.

A genetic test is available and responsible breeders should have their cats tested for the gene mutation. Only cats negative for the gene should be used for breeding.

<a href="/all-things-pet/hypertrophic-cardiomyopathy-hcm-in-cats" title="Link to Everypaw's blog about HCM in cats">Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy in cats</a> (HCM) is a serious heart condition that can affect many breeds of cats including the Burmese. The heart muscle becomes abnormally thick, and the heart is unable to work properly, leading to heart failure. There isn&rsquo;t a cure for HCM, but long-term medication can slow the disease down.

Bombays have short muzzles and can be prone to respiratory problems such as sneezing, coughing, nose and eye discharge, rhinitis, sinusitis, and breathing difficulties. Most cases clear up within 10 days or so, but antibiotics may be needed to treat any bacterial infection.

Common Bombay Cat Health Problems by Vetstream

The Bombay breed is generally healthy but there are a couple of <a href="/all-things-pet/10-common-cat-illnesses-and-symptoms" title="Link to Everypaw's guide to 10 common cat health conditions">common cat health problems</a> they can suffer from. We&#39;ve got together with veterinary experts Vetstream to give you an idea of what to keep an eye out for in your Bombay.

Bombay Cat Insurance and Health Advice | Everypaw

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Bombay

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The benefit values featured in the table may vary across the different levels of cover and will depend on the cover you choose. Please check your cover before purchasing. Be aware, for some breeds of dogs we do not provide our &pound;8k and &pound;10k Lifetime cover. 
 
All policies and features are subject to special conditions and exclusions of the insurers, please click the link to read about&nbsp;<a href="/Home/pet-insurance-policy-exclusions.html" title="Link to Everypaw's Pet Insurance Exclusions page">our policy exclusions.</a> 
 
Excess is applicable to all vet fees claims. When your pet reaches a certain age, the excess payable may change. The excess will be your set excess plus a percentage of your claim amount.

Getting your furry friend covered shouldn&#39;t just come down to cost. There&#39;s a lot more to it than that, so take the time to do a pet insurance comparison. Think about their breed, the level of cover they might need, and what would be important to you. After all, insurance is there for both of you.

One of the best ways to do that is to compare cover levels. This will give you an idea of how much your pet insurance will cost, how much you can claim against vet bills, as well as the policy benefits. It&#39;s all about finding the Lifetime Pet Insurance that works best for you and your pet.

*Based on Everypaw claims data from February 2024 to March 2025

An older dog for pet insurance for older pets

As our furry companions age, they&#39;re more likely to suffer from ailments and illnesses here and there. And we want you to be able to look after your pet well into retirement. That&#39;s why we don&#39;t have age limits on our policies. Our <a href="/Home/pet-insurance-for-older-pets.html">pet insurance for older pets</a> can help you do the most important thing &ndash; looking after your pet.

What about younger pets? We also offer <a href="/cat-insurance/kitten-insurance" title="Link to Everypaw's Kitten Insurance page">kitten</a> and <a href="/dog-insurance/puppy-insurance" title="Link to Everypaw's Puppy Insurance page">puppy insurance</a>, covered by our cat and dog insurance. No matter how old or young your purr-fect pet is, our pet insurance can give you all-important peace of mind.&nbsp;

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Whether you are looking for a playmate for your pet or if your house is more like a <a href="/dog-insurance" title="Link to Everypaw's Dog Insurance page">dog</a>, <a href="/cat-insurance" title="Link to Everypaw's Cat Insurance page">cat</a> and <a href="/rabbit-insurance" title="Link to Everypaw's Rabbit Insurance page">rabbit</a> smallholding, you need multi-pet insurance that works for you. Everypaw&#39;s policies are just that and give you a discount on every pet too. No matter how many pets you have, from glorious <a href="/dog-insurance/dog-breed-guides/golden-retriever-insurance-care-and-health-advice" title="Link to Everypaw's Golden Retriever Dog Breed Guide page">Golden Retrievers</a> and majestic <a href="/cat-insurance/cat-breed-guides/maine-coon-cat-insurance-care-and-health-advice" title="Link to Everypaw's Maine Coon Cat Breed Guide page">Maine Coons</a> to lovely <a href="/rabbit-insurance/rabbit-breed-guides/lionhead-rabbit-insurance-care-and-health-advice" title="Link to Everypaw's Lionhead Rabbit Breed Guide page">Lionheads</a>, it&#39;s there for every single paw.

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How Does Pet Insurance Work: Getting a Quote

Our pet insurance quote form takes just 3 minutes to fill out. Here&#39;s how it works:

<ul>
	<li>Select which type of pet you&#39;re looking to insure and enter their age, breed and sex</li>
	<li>Enter basic personal details about yourself including your email and home addresses</li>
	<li>Select your vet fees limit</li>
	<li>We&#39;ll give you a pet insurance price! And we&#39;ll show you what the cost is for the year, plus what your monthly instalments will look like if you choose to pay that way</li>
</ul>

Will my pet insurance cover pre-existing conditions?

Ever found the urge to discover what the best dog breeds to train are or maybe you want to get to the bottom of your pet&#39;s worm problem.&nbsp;<a href="/Home/all-things-pet.html" title="Link to Everypaw's All Things Pet blog">Everypaw&#39;s All Things Pet blog</a>&nbsp;has the content to keep you informed.

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For that extra peace of mind when your pets get up to mischief, there&#39;s Everypaw. Our pet insurance is for cats, dogs and rabbits, and every policy comes with unlimited 24/7 access to vet nurses and vets. So, if you ever feel a bit &#39;for pet&#39;s sake&#39;, know Everypaw is here for you and your pet when you need us most!

Why Choose Everypaw for Pet Insurance in the UK?

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Manage your UK pet insurance policy online in the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.everypaw.com/pet-portal-info" title="Link to Everypaw's Pet Portal Information page">Pet Portal</a>

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Choosing the right pet health insurance isn&#39;t always easy. We know that. And we also know that a key part of deciding is knowing what&#39;s not covered. That way, at least there are no nasty surprises in terms of coughing up for bills that you thought were going to be taken care of by your policy.

So, here are a few of the main exclusions on our pet insurances:

<ul>
	<li>Treatment for any pre-existing conditions</li>
	<li>Treatment for poisoning or any accidental injury that occurs in the first 3 days of your policy*</li>
	<li>Treatment for any illness that occurs in the first 14 days of your policy*</li>
	<li>Treatment related to vaccine-preventable conditions</li>
	<li>Treatment related to breeding, pregnancy or birthing</li>
	<li>Treatment on baby teeth if your pet is over 16 weeks when your policy starts</li>
</ul>

*Switching to Everypaw Pet Insurance? If you can prove your previous insurance runs up to the policy start date, we can waive this for you.

Please see our <a href="/Home/pet-insurance-policy-exclusions.html" title="Link to Everypaw's Policy Exclusions page">exclusions page</a>&nbsp;for further details.

Fingers crossed, you never have to! We want to reassure you that claiming on your pet health insurance is as hassle-free as possible. That&rsquo;s why we have Vet Pawtal. A direct platform for vets so they can submit claims and leave you to care for your pet.

Vet Pawtal is the fastest and most efficient way to claim. There&rsquo;s no more paperwork for you, and we&rsquo;ll keep you updated every step of the way.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

If your vet can&rsquo;t submit the claim, don&rsquo;t worry; you can still submit it in the <a href="https://petportal.everypaw.com/register#login" target="_blank" title="Link to the Everypaw Pet Portal">Everypaw Pet Portal</a>. It&rsquo;s straightforward; just log in and follow the instructions. Alternatively,&nbsp;you can <a href="https://www.everypaw.com/downloads-2020/everypaw-claim-form.pdf" target="_blank" title="Link to download an Everypaw claim form">download a claim form</a>, but this can take longer.

Please refer to the guidance in your policy documents for Third Party Liability claims.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

For more information, head to our <a href="/Home/claims.html">Pet Insurance Claims information page</a>.

We know pets are just as much a part of your family as any human. So, we know how important it is to you that they&#39;re protected. Choose Everypaw for pet insurance in the UK and give yourself that priceless peace of mind.

We know things can be tough right now, with many people facing money worries. If you have such concerns, please get in touch with us, as we may be able to offer some options to help, which could include reducing your cover or increasing your excess.

If you wish to find out more and your eligibility for any options, please call <a href="tel:03445431009" title="Call Everypaw Customer Services and Claims">0344 543 1009</a>.

Two levels of our Lifetime Pet Insurance cover have been rated 5 Stars by independent financial business, Defaqto, for 8 years in a row.

Deciding which pet insurance your furry bundle of fun needs can be tricky, especially if you&#39;re a new fur-parent. That&#39;s why here at Everypaw.com, we&#39;re trying to keep things simple, we&#39;re all about&nbsp;<a href="/Home/lifetime-pet-insurance.html" title="Link to Everypaw's Lifetime Pet Insurance page">Lifetime Pet Insurance</a>.

Our Lifetime cover is available for your cats, dogs and rabbits. And if you&#39;re looking to cover your cat or dog, there&#39;s a range of cover levels to choose from. Lifetime covers your pet up to a set vet fee limit, and the limits reset for every year of cover.

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Pet Insurance | UK Pet Insurance Quotes | Everypaw

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Bombay Cat Insurance, Care and Health Advice

Bombay Cat Facts

Is a Bombay Right for Me?

What are Bombay Kittens Like?

Life with a Bombay Cat

Caring for Your Bombay Cat

Dinner time

Grooming time

Training & exercise

Bombay Cat Insurance

Common Bombay Cat Health Problems by Vetstream

Burmese head defect

Hypokalaemic Myopathy

Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy (HCM)

Respiratory issues

Quick Bombay Cat Q&A

Are all black cats Bombay cats?

How big do Bombay cats get?

How to identify a Bombay cat?

Are Bombay cats hypoallergenic?

What is the average Bombay cat lifespan?

That’s All You Need to Know About Bombays

References