How to Sell Bombay Kittens in the United States | PetzLover

Is it legal to sell Bombay kittens in the US?

Yes, but the rules sit at three levels, and most of them depend on where you live.

• Federal: under the USDA's Animal Welfare Act rules, people with four or fewer breeding females are exempt. Above that, selling kittens that buyers do not see in person before buying, such as shipping after an online sale, generally needs a USDA license.
• State: some states set a minimum age. Massachusetts bars transferring a cat under 8 weeks, and New York's pet lemon law gives buyers rights against commercial sellers.
• City or county: some require a breeding permit. The City of Los Angeles, for example, requires one before a cat kept in the city is bred.

Never declaw kittens or offer to; New York, Maryland and Massachusetts ban declawing except for medical reasons. Do not post kittens either: the US Postal Service does not accept cats as mail.

Which health tests should Bombay parents have?

CFA calls the Bombay quite healthy but names HCM as a condition found in the breed. The Bombay's Burmese ancestry adds a genetic concern that buyers increasingly know about.

Animal welfare comes first. Two carriers of the head-defect variant can produce kittens with two copies, which the study's authors describe as incompatible with life, and carriers themselves tend to have shorter faces. Pair a carrier only with a clear cat, test any kitten you keep for breeding, and do not breed a cat whose heart scan shows changes.

How do you label a black kitten honestly?

Petful's 2026 price guide warns buyers that a black kitten with green eyes, white hairs or faint tabby markings sold at a pedigree price is most likely an ordinary black cat, and the CFA standard disqualifies green eyes and white lockets or spots. Use only the name the papers support.

• Registered Bombay: CFA or TICA papers, with both parents registered as Bombays.
• Outcross litter: CFA lists the black American Shorthair and the sable Burmese as the Bombay's allowable outcross breeds. Tell buyers which breeds the parents are and how each kitten is registered.
• No papers: a black domestic shorthair, however good the eyes and coat. Do not use Bombay or Bombay mix as a sales word.

Kittens' eyes open light blue and, Chewy notes, can take up to a year to reach their final color, so do not promise copper eyes in a young kitten. Show the parents instead.

How do you prepare Bombay kittens for new homes?

• Keep kittens with their mother and littermates; International Cat Care notes pedigree kittens often leave at about 13 weeks, once the first vaccines are complete.
• Book vet checks: core FVRCP vaccines, deworming and a written record with next due dates.
• Microchip each kitten and register the chip so you can transfer it.
• Register the litter. CFA registers kittens as Not for Breeding unless you supply the litter PIN, so decide which kittens, if any, are sold with breeding rights.
• Handle the kittens every day, including gentle face wiping, since some Bombays need regular eye care.
• Write a care sheet: food and amounts, a rubber curry brush two or three times a month (CFA), and a reminder that PetMD names obesity as a key concern.

How should you price Bombay kittens?

Look at current Bombay kittens for sale near you, then set a price that reflects your testing and registration.

Petful says buyers are paying for health testing, a clean cattery, registration and a breeder who will take the cat back at any point in its life, so list each of those. The FTC names unusually cheap purebred pets as a common scam sign, so a price far below the market can put careful buyers off.

How do you write a Bombay kitten ad that attracts good buyers?

• Original, recent photos of each kitten and both parents in daylight; buyers run reverse image searches, and black coats photograph alike.
• Date of birth, sex and registry, with both parents' registered names.
• Both parents' head-defect results and the dates of their heart scans.
• What the price includes and whether the kitten is sold as a pet or with breeding rights.
• An honest note on temperament: affectionate and people-focused, and in PetMD's words a breed that requires company.

When the ad is ready, post your Bombay kittens for sale on PetzLover, and keep your phone number out of the ad text so buyers message you first and you can ask your own questions before sharing your address.

How do you vet buyers and hand over a Bombay kitten safely?

• Ask who is home during the day and what other pets live there; PetMD warns that a Bombay left alone for long periods risks separation anxiety.
• Check that a landlord allows a cat.
• Invite a visit before you take a deposit, and give a written receipt.
• Sign a contract covering the price, health guarantee, spay or neuter terms, when papers are released, and a promise to return the cat to you if the buyer cannot keep it.
• Take cash or a payment you have confirmed has cleared. Never refund an overpayment from a check; the FTC describes this as a fake check scam.
• Hand over papers, test reports, vet records, a care sheet and food, and transfer the microchip the same day.

Be cautious of buyers who will not visit, want a courier to collect, or ask only about breeding rights. Buyers may read how to buy a Bombay kitten, so meeting its standards helps. If someone has posted a wanted ad, see how to respond to a Bombay wanted ad; for a retired breeding cat, read how to rehome your Bombay responsibly.