Breed Profiles

My Bombay cat, Soot, is black from the tip of his whiskers to the pads of his paws. People meet him and say he looks like a miniature panther. They are not wrong. He also purrs louder than any engine I have owned, which the panther comparison does not survive for long.

I did not set out to get a black cat. A friend's litter needed a home and he was the last one left, the one nobody picked because black cats are harder to place. That still stings to think about. He is the easiest, most affectionate animal I have ever lived with. The superstition around his colour cost him a home for weeks, and the only thing unlucky about him is how he hogs the warm side of the bed.

The breed was built to look like a small black leopard, with a short, tight coat that shines when the light catches it. Soot's fur is like polished onyx. Grooming is a non-event. A rub with a chamois cloth brings up the gloss, and that is the whole routine. He sheds, but less than the long-haired cats I grew up with, and a weekly once-over keeps the sofa presentable.

What caught me off guard was the voice. Bombays are talkative. Not yowly, not the constant nagging of a Siamese, but a steady commentary. He tells me when the bowl is half empty, when the door should open, when the window perch has the best sun. I answer him now without thinking, which is probably what he wanted.

Heating bills and a cat who feels the cold

Black cats soak up sun, but Soot feels the cold more than I expected. The short coat gives little insulation, so in winter he becomes a small heat-seeking thing that migrates from radiator to laptop to my lap. I bought a heated pad for the coldest months and he treats it like a throne. If you live somewhere cold, plan for this. A Bombay left to get chilly will simply attach himself to you and refuse to leave.

He is a people cat through and through. I work from home and by mid-morning he is across my keyboard, certain that whatever I am doing is less important than his chin needing a scratch. Visitors get the full welcome committee. Some breeds hang back and watch strangers; Soot walks up and sits on their feet. This is lovely until it is a delivery driver who does not want a cat on his boots.

Play is intense and brief. He will stalk a toy mouse with the seriousness of a hunter, pounce, shake it, then wander off as if bored by his own success. Feather wands bring out the real athlete in him. At night the zoomies hit and he tears the hallway, a black blur you hear more than see. I leave a nightlight on in the lounge so I do not trip over him mid-sprint.

His eyes are a coppery gold that stands out against the black, and they are his best feature in photos. They also need the usual cat care. I keep an eye on the third eyelid and the clarity of the iris. Nothing wrong so far, but black cats hide dirt and small changes, so I check him properly when I brush rather than just admiring the shine.

Food is normal. Measured meals, a water fountain because he prefers moving water and was knocking the bowl over to make his own. The fountain ended the floor floods. He is trim,muscular, heavier than he looks, which is the Bombay build. A solid little cat under all that black.

If I had known how good this breed was, I would not have waited for a leftover kitten. Soot is proof that the cat nobody chose at the shelter can turn out to be the best one you ever had. A small panther with a louder purr, and a heart that picks you the moment you walk in.

The breed carries a heart risk worth knowing, a thickening of the muscle some lines pass down, so Soot gets his check and I watch for any sudden tiring or breath that is not just the flat-face snoring. Nothing yet. I mention it because a black cat is easy to miss in the low light, and the easy things are the ones that slip. A yearly listen is cheap insurance on a cat who acts like he will live forever.

If you are thinking of a black cat, do not let the old fears talk you out of it. Soot is the proof that the one left in the cage is often the best one. He is affection, noise, warmth, and a small daily comedy, all in a coat the colour of a night with no stars. The panther look is a bonus. The purr that fills the room is the real reason he stayed.