Balinese

They are extremely affectionate and love to be in contact with their people. A Balinese is a cat that will be noticed. They will be there with you in times of need, consoling you with their company, and they will be there in your times of joy, ready to play and join in the fun. Life with a Balinese is an adventure, always on the move and never dull.

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Appearance

A Balinese is a Siamese wrapped in a long flowing silky negligee.

Intelligent and elegant, to see one glide across the room in it’s coat made of silken threads flowing gently down its body, culminating into a magnificent plume tail is truly a marvel to behold.

Elegant, luxurious, regal and refined are some of the words that help describe this living piece of art.

A Balinese should be the same as a Siamese in most respects, the main difference is a beautiful Semi-longhaired coat.

Some say that everything on a Balinese is slightly ‘softer’ than on a Siamese, the length of coat giving ‘softness’ to the lines of the cat and that the voice is a little quieter.

The Balinese has a wedge head, in the shape of an equilateral triangle, with large flared ears positioned so as to continue the triangle. The eyes are rich brilliant sapphire blue and are oriental or almond in shape.

A long slender neck leads into a refined, lengthy body, well muscled and tubular in shape, the legs are fine boned yet strong, with delicate oval paws.

A soft silky coat lays close to the body and flows gently downward towards a magnificent plumed tail.

Although long and refined, Balinese cats are also strong, muscular and powerful and could be called ‘the ballet dancers’ of the cat world.

Personality

Balinese are wonderful companions. If you live with one of these cats, you will always have your best friend close.

Highly talkative, these cats can always find something to chat about, and it is common to see people having conversations with their cats.

Balinese are also very active and like to keep themselves busy, usually by being with you, helping with the dinner, chewing the broom as you sweep, and keeping your newspaper warm as you read it.

They are incredibly affectionate and love to be in contact with their people, sitting on their lap or draped across their shoulders as they walk. A Balinese is a cat that will be noticed.

They will be there with you in times of need, consoling you with their company, and they will be there in your times of joy, ready to play and join in the fun.

Life with a Balinese is an adventure, always on the move and never dull.

You will never be the same once these beautiful creatures touch your heart.

Care

Because the Balinese coat is Semi-longhaired (a single coat with no downy or woolly undercoat), it does not matter or tangle, which makes it extremely easy to manage.

An occasional brush, lots of exercises, and a good diet including raw chicken wings and diced raw meat are all it should take to have the coat looking glossy and clean and keep a lean muscular body (A Balinese should never be flabby or fat).

Show cats may be bathed before a show, and entire males may get ‘stud tail’, which will require bathing, but these two things will be rarely or never needed for home neuter.

Breed History

The Balinese cat is relatively new to the cat world, beginning in the mid-1950s (although a longhaired Siamese was registered in 1928).

Although the occasional ‘fluffy’ popped up from time to time in pure Siamese lines, they were sold off as pets until a few breeders in the U.S decided they were so taken with them that they would start up a breeding program.

Mrs Helen Smith (Prefix ‘Merry Mews’), one of the pioneer breeders, came up with the name ‘Balinese’ because, as they walked, their tails gently waved from side to side, and this reminded her of the exotic Balinese dancers.

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