The breeder set her sights on producing a copper-eyed black shorthaired cat with the exotic appearance of a "mini", or "parlor-panther." The black leopard of India inspired her choice of the breed's name. The breeder  began her effort in 1953 with the selection of a black American Shorthair male with deep copper eye color and a Grand Champion sable Burmese female. Through a long process of inbreeding and outcrossing and careful selection, she was able to consistently produce a black cat unlike any other. The Bombay achieved CFA Championship status in 1976, eighteen years after it was created. Outcrossing to Black American Shorthairs and sable Burmese is still allowed. Bombays are congenial and outgoing, and make intelligent, affectionate companions. The Bombay generally combines the easy-going temperament and robust nature of the American Shorthair and the social, inquisitive, lap-loving character of the Burmese With the exception of color, the Bombay and Burmese standards are very similar. Whereas the Burmese body presents a compact sturdy appearance, the Bombay body is of medium length, neither compact nor rangy, presenting a more lithesome appearance than its Burmese cousin. The coat is the most defining characteristic of the Bombay. It’s short, flat, and gleaming, black-to-the-roots coat accentuates its rippling muscular form. Its conspicuous gold to copper eye color, leads to the Bombay being described as the "Patent leather kid with the copper penny eyes."