The Bombay cat gets its jet black coat color from its American Shorthair ancestors and its body shape from its Sable Burmese ancestors. This breed has very short hair that has a very smooth and silky feeling. This cat breed must have enormous copper colored eyes that have a round shape. Cats that do not develop the copper eye color or have eye color that fades as they age are automatically disqualified. These cats should be jet black, but occasional sable kittens still appear. For the small size of its compact body, the Bombay is no lightweight, weighing in at six to eleven solidly built pounds. 

Of course, since the Bombay is the descendant of two domestic cat breeds, it does not have the personality of a panther. In fact, this breed is known for being very friendly, sweet, and extremely intelligent. Just how smart is the Bombay? This is one of the few cat breeds that can learn to fetch and heel. The Bombay excels at learning parlor tricks, as well. While the Bombay is a bit talkative, it does not have a loud or shrill voice.

If you would like to own dogs and cats, this breed is a good choice. Bombays rarely meet a person or animal they do not like. Of course, you will still need to be sure that you choose a dog breed that is tolerant of cats. Households with children should also consider the Bombay. These cats are very patient and love people, including children. They even like complete strangers and often will greet visitors at the front door, instead of hiding under the sofa like most cats.

For people who spend a lot of time at home, the Bombay is a wonderful choice. These cats will spend all day hanging out with their humans and love to curl up in any available lap. Some people think that they crave the extra heat that our bodies give off, but most people prefer to think that these cats just enjoy being with their families. If you spend a lot of time away from home, you may want to think twice about owning a Bombay. If you do still decide that this breed is for you, you may want to get a second cat, as a single Bombay left home alone is a very unhappy cat.

With their short, sleek coats, these cats need very little grooming. In fact, rubbing your cat down once a week with a grooming glove should keep him glossy and beautiful.

If you want a cat who looks wild but has the personality of a teddy bear, then a Bombay is the perfect choice for you.

The American Wirehair started with a litter of kittens born in a farmer’s barn. When he noticed one of the kittens had an unusual coat, he consulted a cat fancier, who decided to try to breed cats with the wirehair trait. Unfortunately, this trait was not truly dominant, so there was quite a lot of inbreeding, and any cat who showed even the slightest tendency to be a wirehair was used for breeding. Concern that the breed would become susceptible to hereditary diseases and weaknesses led the people working with the American Wirehair to cross it with the American Shorthair, one of the other cat breeds to be developed in America.

Eventually, the American Wirehair breed developed a body type that was very similar to the American Shorthair, although the Wirehair has a slightly more rounded head and higher cheekbones. Despite the coat inconsistencies that still plague this breed, the American Wirehair is still a part of the Cat Fancier’s Association Championship Class. However, only shorthair Wirehairs with thick coats are used in the show ring. Longhair coats are considered to be a disqualification because Wirehairs with long coats look as though they are suffering from an extremely bad hair day, while Wirehairs with thin coats are not shown because they are prone to shedding their hair if they are stressed.

The American Wirehair is one of the few breeds that is required to have one eye color. Unless your Wirehair is silver, he should have deep gold eyes. This breed’s standard calls for large cats, but many Wirehairs are currently on the small side. Ideally, your Wirehair should be close to fifteen pounds, but these cats can weigh in at anywhere from eight to fifteen pounds.

While the American Wirehair is not a vocal cat, he can be a bit overbearing and demanding at times. However, overall, this breed is very sweet and affectionate. The friendly, sociable nature of the Wirehair makes it a good choice for families. These cats are playful, so be sure you have plenty of toys to entertain your pet.

While the American Wirehair is a fairly healthy breed, it does have a few quirks. Most of these cats have a greasy coat, which means they tend to need bathing more frequently than other cat breeds. Luckily, most Wirehairs enjoy being bathed. Also, these cats also frequently need to have their ears cleaned.

While you do need to groom your Wirehair to keep his coat healthy, you should do so carefully to avoid breaking off the fragile hairs. After all, Wirehair cats have hairs that are weaker and thinner than traditional cat hair.

If you want a cat with a very unique look, then an American Wirehair may be the perfect breed for you.

These cats, which are classified as a part of the Championship Class by the Cat Fancier’s Association, are on the large side, weighing in at eight to fifteen pounds. The Shorthair has a wide face with prominent cheeks and a powerful well muscled body. His tail is slightly thicker at the base than at the tip and is shorter than his body. His eyes are big and have an alert expression.

While tabbies are probably the most common Shorthair patterns, cats with self, tortie, smoke, and bicolors patterns are also available. The striking silver tabby color has been popular since one of these gorgeous cats was the winner of the nineteen sixty five United States Cat of the Year Award. However, the tortise shell and white cat, also known as a Calico is also quite popular.

The American Shorthair actually is a descendant of the European Shorthair. As this breed adapted to life in the United States, it developed a heavier, coarser coat to protect it from the bitter American winters. In addition, the American Shorthair is a bit larger than its ancestor, because of the many dangers the breed faced when it first arrived from Europe.

The American Shorthair is usually a mild mannered, quiet cat, although it can be a fairly formidable hunter of mice and other small rodents. Since this cat breed is quite content to curl up on the sofa, it is an ideal breed for apartment living. These cats are often tolerant of children and other pets, as long as they are not mishandled, which makes the American Shorthair breed a good choice for a family looking for a pet cat.

Since any cat that met the American Shorthair breed standard could originally be registered as a pedigreed American Shorthair, the breed did not suffer from the inbreeding that caused so many hereditary health conditions in other breeds. Of course, as the breed developed, unpedigreed cats could no longer be registered just because they resembled the American Shorthair.

Since this breed is not very active and already tends to be a bit on the large side, you may want to keep an eye on your cat’s weight. If he eats too much, you may have to stop offering unlimited amounts of dry food. You may also need to consult your veterinarian about feeding a weight control diet.

While American Shorthair cats do not have problems with matted coats, grooming is still important, as it helps cut down on shedding. You may want to accustom your kitten to having his teeth brushed, as well, since as cats age, they can develop severe dental problems if their teeth are not cared for properly.

If you want a cat that is an undemanding but enjoyable pet, then the American Shorthair may be the ideal choice for you.