Balinese

The Balinese is a long-haired, colour-pointed cat breed developed in the United States from the Siamese in the mid-twentieth century.

Kittens with longer coats, caused by a recessive gene, appeared now and then in Siamese litters in the early 1900s. In the 1950s the breeders Marion Dorsey in California and Helen Smith in New York started planned programmes to breed them true. Smith chose the name Balinese because the graceful movement of the cats reminded her of dancers from Bali. The Cat Fanciers' Association accepted the breed for championship in 1970, The International Cat Association has recognised it since its founding in 1979, and the Fédération Internationale Féline added it in 1983.

The Balinese has the long, slim body of the Siamese, with fine bones, firm muscles, long legs and a wedge-shaped head with large ears. Females weigh about 2.5-3.5 kg (5-8 lb) and males 3.5-5.5 kg (8-12 lb). The coat is medium-long, fine and silky, without a woolly undercoat, and the tail carries a long plume. The face, ears, legs and tail are darker than the pale body, as in the Siamese. The standards describe an affectionate, curious and talkative cat that wants to stay close to its people.

With no undercoat the fur rarely mats, and a brush once a week is usually enough. The breed is active and needs climbing furniture, scratching posts and puzzle toys indoors. Like the Siamese, it can be affected by amyloidosis, progressive retinal atrophy and asthma.