Is he just a black cat or something more?

My newest cat Salem has some unique characteristics that make me think he might be more than a domestic shorthair.

* He has an odd coat, it's very glossy and sleek.

*His whiskers and paw pads are also black and his hair is completely black, even the strands of hair are pure black.

*He has this wide head and thick neck, his body is very lean and muscular with a long torso and a long tapered tail.

*He is deceptively heavy!!! He doesn't seem like he is ten pounds but when you pick him up he feels like more than his ten  

*He has these runny eyes, I took him to the vet to make sure it wasn't infected too but he just has runny eyes (it's just the shape of his eyes and head together that cause them to run I think?)

*He is very friendly with me, loves to be pet but with my other two cats he is pretty indifferent, I also heard from he shelter than his previous owners said he was good with dogs but not their cat (reason for rehoming was that he didn't mesh with their kitty)

*He is very sweet and loving in disposition  

Hello countrycatlady, Salem looks like DSH to me and his eyes does represent a DSH coloration. Unless there's a link to the Bombay?

Wait for Advisor StefanZ to comment.

Its simply impossible to know for sure. There are many Bombay look alikes, but very few of them ARE Bombays for real, as the breed is rare...

The real question is why they did constructed this breed, which is a perfect alike so many black  domestics?   I presume simply because they could.  

I had wondered if he might be a Bombay because of his coat and build (and deceptive weight, he's pretty solid and heavy once you pick him up!)

Since the Bombay is just a mix of two breeds though I imagine it would make sense that he isn't an real Bombay but just a mix similar to how the Bombay works. I was just curious because of the heath concerns related to Bombay's and this fella of mine has already made several trips to the vet with a swollen testicle from his neuter, an eye infection and pancreatitis! Let's just say it was a big surprise when I took him in for his first wellness check. Fingers crossed he gets over his pancreatitis with medication, his eyes and testicle are already back to normal. 

Whether he's a Bombay or not, your guess is as good as ours. But most importantly is his health. Nothing matters more than that.
Continue to give your loving to him and enjoy his presence