The Bombay weighs between 3.5 kg and 5.5 kg and has medium energy. The breed carries no documented genetic predisposition — the real attention is that of any medium cat living only indoors: controlling weight, because a sedentary life reduces energy expenditure, and encouraging water intake to protect the urinary tract.
In the current My Pet Magazine analysis, the best food for the Bombay is ACANA Indoor Entrée (ACANA), with a technical score of 87.8/100 (🌟 Superior Quality), calculated with the My Pet Magazine IDNM/IPFI methodology across 50 cat foods reviewed in July 2026. See the full ranking ↓
What to weigh in food for the Bombay
Weight and a sedentary life. The Bombay does not carry a genetic predisposition documented in the veterinary literature consulted for this guide — the breed was created by crossing the sable Burmese with the black American Shorthair, and the result is a small, sociable cat. That weighs on feeding in an indirect way: a cat who lives only indoors, with little hunting and exploring, spends less energy, and the same portion of food becomes extra weight over time. According to AAFCO (Association of American Feed Control Officials), a food's nutritional adequacy statement indicates the life stage and activity level the product was formulated for — it is that information, not the breed, that should guide the amount served.
Urinary tract. Like any domestic cat, the Bombay benefits from greater water intake across the day — that dilutes the urine and reduces crystal formation. According to the Merck Veterinary Manual, increasing water consumption or using a high-moisture diet helps reduce urine concentration, a strategy used in the management of feline urolithiasis. Wet food already delivers part of that water in the meal itself; dry food works too, as long as the cat is encouraged to drink — several water bowls spread around the house help.
Criteria scored against the My Pet Magazine nutritional targets (protein, fat, calcium and caloric density ranges by size — see our methodology).
Breed profile and predispositions
The Bombay is one of the cat breeds with no genetic predisposition documented in the veterinary literature consulted for this guide — neither cardiac, nor orthopedic, nor metabolic. That does not mean an absence of care; it means the priority changes: instead of protecting a specific organ, the Bombay's food follows the small-size baseline, with a focus on weight control and hydration, the two factors that weigh most on the health of any cat living indoors.
According to AAFCO — Reading Labels, a cat food's nutritional adequacy statement reports the life stage (kitten, adult, senior) and, where applicable, the recommended activity level — the most reliable tool for setting the right portion, more so than any breed characteristic. On the urinary side, the Merck Veterinary Manual — Urolithiasis in Cats recommends increasing water intake or using a high-moisture diet to reduce urine concentration, guidance that applies to the Bombay as to any domestic cat.
Recommended foods for the Bombay
Ranked by IDNM/IPFI technical score across 50 cat foods — no manual product curation.
- 1
ACANA Indoor Entrée · ACANA
87.8/100 - 2
Purina Pro Plan Sensitive Skin & Stomach · Purina Pro Plan
86.5/100 - 3
BLUE Wilderness Adult Indoor · Blue Buffalo
86/100 - 4
Nulo Freestyle Cat & Kitten · Nulo
85.8/100 - 5
Tiki Cat Born Carnivore Indoor Health · Tiki Cat
85.8/100
Frequently asked questions about Bombay food
- Does the Bombay have any documented genetic predisposition that requires special food?
- No, at least not in the veterinary literature consulted for this guide. The Bombay is a breed with no documented hereditary condition — neither cardiac, nor orthopedic, nor metabolic. That changes the food's priority: instead of protecting a specific organ, the focus goes to weight control and hydration, care that applies to any small cat living indoors.
- Why is a Bombay who lives only indoors at risk of gaining weight?
- Because he moves less. Without hunting or exploring, energy expenditure drops, and the same amount of food becomes extra weight over time. According to AAFCO, the food's nutritional adequacy statement — not the breed — is the piece of information that should guide the right portion for the cat's life stage and activity level.
- Does dry or wet food help more with the Bombay's urinary health?
- What matters is the total amount of water the cat drinks, not the format of the bowl. According to the Merck Veterinary Manual, increasing water intake or using a high-moisture diet reduces urine concentration — a strategy used in the management of feline urolithiasis. Wet food already delivers part of that water; dry food works too, as long as the cat is encouraged to drink more.
- Does the Bombay's short black coat call for any special nutrient in the food?
- There is no evidence in the veterinary literature that the color or length of the Bombay's coat requires differentiated supplementation. As in any short-haired cat, a food meeting AAFCO's nutrient profiles for adult cats — with quality protein and essential fatty acids — keeps the coat healthy, without requiring extra supplementation because of the color or length of the coat.
- Does every Bombay need strict calorie control?
- Not necessarily. The breed's energy is considered medium, and the risk of weight gain comes from lifestyle — a sedentary cat, indoors only — not from a genetic predisposition. An active Bombay, with day-to-day stimulation, needs far less strictness in the portion than a sedate cat in a small apartment.
Methodology
The block of recommended foods on this page is ordered by My Pet Magazine's IDNM/IPFI technical methodology, which evaluates the nutritional density and ingredient purity of each product in the active dataset for the Bombay's small-size profile — with no manual curation or brand influence.
The score takes into account calorie control and a formulation that favors water intake as factors that weigh in the ranking, recalculated whenever the product dataset is updated.
The ranking on this page is a projection of the My Pet Magazine IDNM/IPFI scoring engine over the cat dataset, with no manual product curation. See the full methodology →
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