This is a Helmi Flick photograph of the prize-winning Bombay cat PASSION; full name: Toriland Passion of Chaparral (human companions: Jeff & Heather Roberts). The photograph is strictly ©copyright Helmi Flick. Please respect Helmi’s copyright – thank you.
Below is another well-known Bombay cat being photograph by Helmi Flick. It shows the table set up and her husband, Ken, wrangling the cat to stimulate interest and to create some animation.
At the Waxahachie Turkish Van Cat Connection show on 22-23rd November 2008 this cat was outstanding in the ALTER category, coming resoundingly top of that category. The judges and their final placements were as follows:
| Judge | Final Placement |
| D’Ann Kovic AB (All Breed) | 1 |
| Mark Coleman AB | 1 |
| Vicki Jo Harrison AB | 1 |
| Nancy Nolen AB | 1 |
| Toni Jones AB | 1 |
| Pascale Portelas AB | 1 |
| Elaine Hawksworth-Weitz AB | 1 |
| Marylou Anderson AB | 1 |
| Rene Knapp SP (Specialty judge) | 3S |
| Fate Mays SP | 1S |
| Kim Tomlin SP | 1S |
| Ana Maria Sosa SP | 3S |
This cat has that magical combination of deep copper eyes and a patent leather, slick and shiny black coat. The Bombay cat is short haired and semi-cobby. Bombay cats are surprisingly heavy for their size. The head is round and the muzzle short but not snubbed like the Ultra Persian. This cat is moderate in appearance.
TORILAND PASSION OF CHAPARRAL was top (by a clear margin) of TICA Alter Standings as at 12th November 2008 and won best Alter at The International Cat Association’s 2008 Annual Championship Cat Show on August 31, 2008 in Arlington, Texas. PASSION is a very special cat.
RELATED: Bombay Cat – a full page on this interesting cat breed which perhaps does not receive as much attention as it should.
Update December 31, 2021:
This is a good opportunity to briefly talk about the Bombay cat. I may overlap slightly with information which I wrote earlier. This page was initially written in around 2008 or 2009. They are described as the “sleek black panther of the cat fancy”. The breed was created through selective breeding. It’s entirely human-made therefore. There is only one colour which is unusual because normally you will find cat breeds in a range of colours as allowed under the cat associations.
RELATED: Bombay cat health issues
The breed was developed by Nikki Horner in the late 1950s in Louisville, Kentucky, USA. Her objective was to create a miniature black panther. She crossed a sable Burmese with a black American Shorthair. Initially she was disappointed. She tried again a few years later working with different cats. She got the results that she was looking for.
She wanted a cat with good musculature and a short, close-lying coat. In 1976 the CFA accepted the breed for championship status.
The cat is described as semi-cobby. This means slightly stocky looking as opposed to slender. The cat should have a strong, solid feel. The Bombay is not meant to be a delicate cat. The head is rounded and the ears are medium-sized. The muzzle is short but not “pugged”. In other words the cat should be moderate in terms of its breeding. However, some associations allow the cat to have an extreme appearance.
They are described as a very relaxed, friendly and intelligent cat. They are lap cats. They also like to be on your bed or under the covers. They are described as being calm and quiet in nature and suited to an apartment life.
Looks like my Willow exactly. She has a shorter rounded head and those eyes. Found her in a bank parking lots. Sure she had been thrown out of car because her back legs and tail just hung. After much therapy she is fine now only she hates the whole world but me. If another cat just looks at her she’s ready to fight, lol. Her picture doesn’t do her eyes justice.
Yes, you are right. The face is very similar to the face of the purebred Bombay cat. Her eyes have a nice golden colour as well. A lovely cat.