An honest answer about Bombay independence
No, a Bombay is not an independent cat in the way a British Shorthair or a Russian Blue often is. The breed was shaped from Burmese stock selected for companionship, and the typical Bombay greets visitors, shadows her owner between rooms, supervises cooking from a counter stool, and claims a lap the moment one becomes available. A normal working day with a morning and evening routine is manageable for many Bombays. A home that is empty from early morning until late evening, most days, asks this breed to spend its waking hours without the social contact it was essentially designed to seek.
What too much alone time looks like in a Bombay
Boredom in a Bombay rarely looks like quiet resignation. It more often shows up as insistent meowing when you return, frantic greeting behaviour, chewing or over-grooming, raiding cupboards, or waking the household very early to restart the social day. Some Bombays redirect their energy into pestering another pet or systematically knocking objects off shelves, which owners misread as naughtiness when it is really an under-occupied, people-oriented cat filling a long gap. A sudden change in clinginess, appetite, or grooming in a cat who is left alone a lot is also worth raising with your veterinarian, because stress and medical causes can look similar and only an examination can separate them.
Setups that genuinely help a working owner
The single most effective change is another animal companion, ideally a cat your Bombay already gets along with, because social Bombays draw real comfort from a housemate's presence during the day. Short of that, build the empty hours around hunting and watching: a puzzle feeder loaded before you leave, a sturdy perch at a window with bird activity, cardboard boxes and scratching posts rotated between rooms, and a timed play session before work that leaves her ready to nap. Leaving a radio or television on low is a minor comfort at best; it does not replace interaction, and owners should not count it as social time.
The routine at the ends of the day
Because a Bombay stores up social demand, the hour after you get home matters more than any gadget. Feed her, play an active game that ends with a small meal to mimic the hunt-catch-eat pattern, and let her settle on or near you for the evening rather than shutting her out of the room where you relax. In the morning, even fifteen minutes of play and attention before you leave lowers the contrast between a busy house and a silent one. If your schedule regularly stretches beyond a standard working day, a neighbour or sitter dropping in for a midday play visit will suit a Bombay far better than an extra automatic toy.
Who should choose a different breed
If your household travels most weekends, works very long shifts, and wants a cat who is largely decorative company in the evenings, a Bombay will likely frustrate both sides. A more self-contained breed, or adopting an adult Bombay whose previous owner can confirm she is unusually settled, is the kinder fit. If your heart is set on the breed and your weekdays are simply busy rather than absent, the gap can be organised: KinsLe helps through Care Teams, where feeding, play, and drop-in visits for your Bombay can be assigned to the people helping you, and everyone sees what has already been done.