Balinese breed guide

Alert, affectionate and always curious, Balinese appear quite fond of dogs and become devoted members of any family. Older children keep up with the high activity level better than very young ones, per CFA.

A Balinese may seem ready to play forever and then curl up in a lap and fall asleep.

Owners say the Balinese believes it is a person: it helps with daily activities, sleeps under the covers and will try eating off your plate if not discouraged. It learns fetch quickly, then opens the drawer where the toy was hidden to restart the game.

The noise runs from a comforting purr to an occasional wail of protest about too little attention.

Balinese are single-coated, with no downy undercoat, so they resist mats. Combing or brushing several times a month controls shedding.

Natural coat oils can leave a cat looking greasy, which calls for a quick bath with a gentle cat shampoo, rinsed well and air dried in a warm room.

CFA says Balinese are predisposed to certain conditions from their Siamese ancestors. Some are minor, such as crossed eyes or tail kinks. Others need genetic or physical testing, which most breeders now do to remove carrier cats.

Longhaired kittens appeared in Siamese litters as far back as the early 1900s and went to pet homes. In the 1940s Helen Smith and Sylvia Holland began developing the Balinese as its own breed. The name nods to graceful Balinese dancers.

CFA accepted it for championship in 1970 in the four traditional Siamese colors, added lynx and tortie points in 1979 under the name Javanese and merged the two into one breed in 2008.