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Balinese

The Balinese is a long-coated Siamese.

It arose from long-haired kittens appearing spontaneously in Siamese litters in the United States in the 1940s and 50s — a recessive gene present in the Siamese population — and was developed rather than crossed into existence.

It weighs 2.5 to 5 kilograms, keeping the Siamese's long, fine-boned, elegant body and colourpoint markings, with a silky single coat and a plumed tail. Because there is no undercoat, the coat lies flat and mats far less than its length suggests. Temperament is entirely Siamese: extremely vocal, highly intelligent, demanding of interaction, and inclined to hold long conversations with anyone who will respond.

Origin
United States, 1940s–50s, from longhaired Siamese kittens
Size
2.5–5 kg
Lifespan
12–20 years
Coat
Silky, single, with no undercoat; a plumed tail
Temperament
Very vocal, very intelligent, very demanding of attention
Health
Progressive retinal atrophy, amyloidosis, asthma and crossed eyes

Related: Siamese

3 balinese photos, newest first

Balinese feed
  • Mei, a balinese

    Mei

    Mei crosses the sunlit stretch of hallway very slowly, in case anybody was not watching.

    FrostyOtter · 6 days ago

  • Cinnamon III, a balinese

    Cinnamon III

    Cinnamon III is holding down one leaf twice her own size. The ribbon has been round the whole glasshouse.

    FrostyOtter · 1 week ago

  • Cinnamon III, a balinese

    Cinnamon III

    Cinnamon III heard the treat bag from two rooms away.

    MerryBadger · 2 weeks ago

Living with a balinese

Be sure about the noise. Balinese are as vocal as Siamese, which means a loud, insistent, conversational cat that comments on everything. It is a defining trait, not a phase, and it is the commonest reason these cats are rehomed.

Ask about progressive retinal atrophy, which has a DNA test in Siamese-derived lines. Amyloidosis, affecting the liver or kidneys, also occurs and is harder to screen for — ask about the breeder's lines.

Siamese-type cats have a raised incidence of asthma. Coughing or wheezing is not a hairball and needs investigating.

The single coat needs only weekly combing and mats rarely.

They are intelligent enough to need work: puzzle feeders, training, and a companion. A bored Balinese is a destructive one.

General guidance, not veterinary advice. Individual cats vary, and anything about a specific animal is a question for a vet who has seen it.

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