The bombay breed was created by Nikki Horner in Kentucky, USA. She had the cattery Shawnee and had Siameses, Persians, Burmeses and American Shorthairs. All of which she both breed and shown. She wanted to create a miniature panther, in the mid 1950s she started to breed a sable Burmese to a black American Shorthair. In 1965 she had succeded with her vision, she had created a black miniature panther, the Bombay.

From that point more people started joining her in the development of the Bombay breed. Herb and Suzanne Zwecker also joined her in the development of the breed. They used different American Shorthair and Burmese mating and developed new lines. Which were later used in other breeding programs. 

Since then the breed has only grown.

The breed has been accepted into championship status in TICA since 1979. More than 45 years ago.

The Bombay are a shorthaired breed, with no undercoat. The coat is black to the roots, close lying and silky smooth. The eyes are large and round with a copper color. The breed does not come in other color than solid black.