  a black cat is a domestic cat with black fur that may be a mixed or specific breed. the cat fanciers' association (cfa) recognizes 22 cat breeds that can come with solid black coats.black cat breeds catchannel.com the bombay breed is exclusively black. all-black fur pigmentation is slightly more prevalent in male cats than female cats. their high melanin pigment content causes most black cats to have yellow (golden) eyes (irises). ==coat==  thumb|black short hair domestic cat.  any cat whose fur is a single color, including black, is known as a "solid" or "self". a "solid black" cat may be coal black, grayish black, or brownish black. most solid colored cats result from a recessive gene that suppresses the tabby pattern. sometimes the tabby pattern is not completely suppressed; faint markings may appear in certain lights, even on a solid black cat. a cat having black fur with white roots is known as a "black smoke." black cats can also "rust" in sunlight, the coat turning a lighter brownish shade. thumb|a black cat "rusting" (coat turning a lighter brown shade) in sunlight in addition to the bombay, the cat fanciers' association allows solid black as a color option in 21 other breeds. the color description for those breeds is: :black: dense coal black, sound from roots to tip of fur. free from any tinge of rust on the tips. nose leather: black. paw pads: black or brown. the exceptions are: *oriental - ebony: dense coal black. free from any tinge of rust on tips or smoke undercoat. nose leather: black. paw pads: black or brown. *sphynx - black: black. one level tone from nose to tip of tail. nose leather: black. paw pads: black or brown. *ragamuffin - although black is not specifically mentioned, the standard allows for "any color, with or without white," so technically speaking, an all-black ragamuffin would be allowed under the breed standard.{{cite web|url=http://cats.about.com/od/blackcats/ss/factsaboutblackcats_5.htm|title=facts about black cats |author=syufy, franny|publisher=about.com |archiveurl= http://www.webcitation.org/62isnsofs|archivedate= 2011-
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