Bombay cats are the parlor sized panthers of the cat world, created by Nikki Horner, they are a very people oriented breed that crave human attention.

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Caring For Your New Bombaby

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Grooming

     Grooming your Bombay is pretty easy, with their short coats and lack of any significant undercoat, grooming doesn’t require too much work.  Brush once a week or so, with a stainless steel flea comb and finish up with a wipe down with a damp washcloth  The washcloth also works well if they have gotten something on themselves, or picked up some dust on their coat. The occasional bath is doesn't hurt; see the Bathing page for more on that.  Claws should be clipped about every two weeks, when doing so, clip only the clear white portion of the claw, not the quick (pink part) if you cut into the quick, it will hurt your kitten and cause the claw to bleed, some styptic powder will stop the bleeding if this occurs.  If you’re unsure, have your vet show you how.  From time to time, it will be necessary to clean your kittens face around the eyes, the kitten will already be used to this, and will tolerate it, but may not like it.  You can use a Q-tip, but I’ve found the square swabs used for cosmetics work better.  Dampen opposite corners of the square, and holding the head firmly with one hand wipe from the inside of the eye outward, then wipe with the dry corner, repeat on that eye if necessary, and use another swab for the other eye.

Feeding

Dishes and bowls should be ceramic, glass or stainless steel, not plastic.  Plastic becomes scratched, providing a home for bacteria to grow and is also known to be a cause of feline chin acne.  For water, a ceramic bowl is ideal; it’s easy to clean, keeps water cooler and has some weight to hold it in place.  For dry food, either one of the ceramic bowls are used, or a larger glass one that is slightly smaller than a pie plate, this holds more food and can accommodate more than one cat at a time.   For canned food a small glass plate (5” diameter) is used, many cats prefer a shorter dish, and with Bombays having a somewhat short nose, they should be fed on something very close to being flat. Your kitten will be used to eating on one of these and it should not be changed, doing so may cause your kitten to refuse its food.  When choosing ceramic products, be careful where the product is made, avoid products which may contain lead in the glazing.  Stay clear of products made anywhere other than USA, Canada or western European countries, you can not be sure products from other areas are lead free.  Our ceramic bowls are made by Waechtersbach, Petsmart sells decorated versions of these or you can get plain ones from Waechtersbach USA, I believe they are the 12oz, 2.5" by 5" bowls.  Our glass dishes are by Anchor Hocking but any brand will due with glass.

                                   Litter & Boxes

 We use jumbo size,  Petmate Hooded Litter Box the lid to most enclosed litter boxes will not wear our or break, but the pan gets scratched from the cats using it and from cleaning. Petmate sells the pans separately, this saves having to buy an entirely new box when the pan becomes so scratched that it’s difficult to clean, it can be replaced without buying a new lid which is likely perfectly serviceable.

     Interestingly, both of these products can be purchased at Albertson’s for less than Petsmart.  Avoid using plastic liners, they will only get holes in them and are more trouble than they are worth.  Instead scoop all wastes daily, adding litter as necessary, or put in a thin layer and dump the entire contents daily.  Either way, a weekly scrubbing with bleach to disinfect is recommended.  Both result in a virtually order free litter box.  Placing some type of mat in front of the entrance is a good idea, it will reduce litter tracking.

     Having tried a number of different types of litter, the clay type Fresh Step has proven to be the best performer, it controls odors well, absorbs virtually all liquid wastes, and when changed regularly, little or no odors will be noticed.  Clumping litter does work, and controls odors fairly well, but it tracks considerably further from the box than clay and tends to embed itself in carpets.  It still requires weekly box cleaning and can cause severe digestive problems if ingested, something virtually all kittens do.  If you choose to use it, wait till your kitten is at least 6 months old, and then make a gradual change.

Scratching Posts

A cats scratching behaviour is instinctive, your kitten has learned by example, what surfaces are appropriate to scratch on.  The cats do all the teaching here, by watching it’s mother and the other adult cats, kittens learn what is acceptable to scratch on, though like any child they may make mistakes need an occasional reminder, a spray bottle of water is generally all that’s needed.  Posts covered with carpet and/or sisal rope work well, though the carpet seems to be preferred, cardboard has not proven to be that popular, but you never know. A simple vertical post is the absolute minimum, and if you can spring for one of the larger posts or kitty condos, it will be great entertainment for both you and your Bombay.  Place scratching posts in

prominent places, where they will be used, not hidden away to be forgotten in favour of other surfaces like the sofa.   Placing a simple vertical post at the ends of the sofa, keeps them from getting “ideas” about the sofa, kitty condos are best placed in front of a window so they can be used as a bird watching perch.  It's important  the base is stable enough to prevent it tipping over when used, if it falls over and scares your kitten, you just taught the kitten not to use the post, and it will substitute something more solid like your sofa. Shown is a Play Gym Condo, by Cats Are In, available at some (but not all)  Petsmart stores.

Kitten Proofing

     Just like any child, kittens can and will get into everything you can think of, and 6 more places you didn’t think of.  So it’s important that you protect or remove access to a variety of things your kitten could damage or that may cause them harm.  Remove all objects that could be swallowed, chewed or eaten, especially things like thread, yarn, ribbon, plastic bags, and any small objects.  Remember that everything looks like a toy to a kitten and it will end up in their mouth at some point.  Get down on the floor and look at things from a kittens point of view, remove anything that does not look right, and block off any areas you don’t want the kitten getting into.

      If you have ornaments, valuables or other breakable objects around, these should be placed out of reach, in display a cabinet or in a room off limits to cats, remember that kittens (and cats) like to explore and may knock things over in the process. You can also use something called museum (or earthquake) putty available at hardware stores, to prevent things from being knocked over.  Any houseplants, should be placed out of reach if possible, the dirt should be covered with large rocks to discourage digging.

Many plants are toxic, (some fatally so) so be sure that you don’t have any of these  in your house, again, remember that kittens like to chew.  Household appliances can cause severe injury or death to a kitten or cat, never turn on, or close the door to the washer, dryer, refrigerator oven, microwave, or even the toilet without checking that no cats got in while you were not looking.  It’s very easy for this to happen, even when you think your being careful, I’ve had this happen.  Just before leaving for work, keys in hand and the front door open, I heard a faint meowing, checking all the cupboards, and finding no cat; I opened to refrigerator and out jumps a 14 week old kitten.  The door had been open only a few seconds, but he managed to slip in unnoticed, imagine what you would find when you get home to make supper.  Toilet seat lids must be kept DOWN at all times, or I guarantee a cat will fall in.  With an adult, this is merely funny and results and a wet, unhappy camper, but a young kitten may not be able to escape and could drown.

     Electrical and telephone cords must be hidden under or behind something or otherwise protected so that they can’t be chewed on.  To cover, use some of that plastic wire loom you see under the hood of your car, it’s available at most hardware stores in the electrical department.  I’ve seen some cats that have no interest in the cord itself, but have an intense desire to chew on what’s supposed to “protect” the cord, eventually they will chew through the plastic and pierce the cord itself.  To prevent this, double wrap cords, first with 3/8” wire loom, then a second time with the 1/2”, this size is large enough so as to be unattractive to chew on and will be left alone.

Outdoors

     Your kitten, as well as all the adult Bombays here at Mustang have lived their entire lives indoors and are ill equipped with the survival skills necessary to live outdoors.  And their friendly nature makes them far too trusting of people who may not have their best interests in mind, so they MUST be kept indoors   That’s not to say they cant ever go out, so long as you are there to supervise.  It’s quite possible to leash train your Bombay, and many love going out for a walk, and may walk on a leash better than some dogs I’ve seen.  First, choose and area that is quiet, and unlikely that you will encounter any dogs, if you kittens first experience outdoors is traumatic, forget about ever leash training them.  Don’t get to far from the door at first, keep the trips short, and be ready to pick up the kitten and get it inside if it appears overly frightened. It's also important to be aware of the surrounding area, looking for such things  a dog or noisy car approaching that may upset your kitten, or a stray cat that you should not allow your kitten contact with since it's health is an unknown. The important thing when leash training a cat, is to go slow and let the cat explore at it’s own pace, it will literally want to stop and smell the roses.  Once they discover all the fun things to explore…...……..well,

 you may have created a monster!   When walking, try to stay on paved walkways to minimize the chances for fleas to jump on your kitten. Whether or not you leash train your kitten, be very careful with opening and closing doors that lead outside, they are naturally curious and very fast, many will attempt to dart out the door when you open it, if unnoticed, you may never seen your baby again.  A Microchip is a good idea, should your kitten get out, it will improve your chances of getting your baby back.

Carriers

     Whether taking your kitten to the vet, going on a trip or maybe you’ve decided to enter your kitten in a show, it will eventually be necessary to take your kitten outside the house.  To do so safely, you will need some sort of carrier designed for animals.  There are two basic types, either a rigid, which is usually made of plastic, or a soft carrier which is made of some type of fabric and nylon mesh, and resembles a gym bag.  To get your kitten used to the carrier, leave it open on the floor for your kitten to explore, put some bedding or a towel inside and it may even go there to nap.  Probably the best rigid carrier  is the 100 size (or small) Petmate Vari-Kennel, these are the type usually used for air travel so they are very durable, have a positive

locking door, are well ventilated, roomy enough for an adult cat, and should last the lifetime of your cat.  Soft carriers are also great to have, they usually have some sort of soft pad in them, and many cats find them more comfortable  They work well for short trips, are easy to carry, and most airlines (except Southwest, they don't take any pets) allow you to take your cat with you  in cabin with one of these.

     There are numerous soft carriers on the market, some cheap, some not so cheap but best one I’ve seen is the Sturdi-Bag, they are lightweight, have a rigid bottom, ventilation on three sides, a seatbelt attachment, are airline approved and will not collapse on the cat.  Sturdi-Products, also makes a number of related items, such as pet tents, portable litter boxes and show enclosures  that are really great.

     While your kitten is young, it’s a good idea to get it used to going out on short trips; this will make it easier if you need to take them out later on.  When traveling in the car, always do so with your cat inside the carrier and be sure that the carrier is attached to the seatbelt so it cannot move if you must brake suddenly.  Store the carrier indoors, in a easily accessible location within your living area, and in a clean ready to use condition.  In an emergency you must be able to get to it, and get your cat out of the house quickly.