Balinese
The Balinese cat is a long-haired Siamese with sapphire eyes and a plumed tail, known for high intelligence and vocal nature, though health risks like PRA exist.
The Balinese is a long-haired Siamese, essentially the same cat as the Siamese but with a medium-length silky coat and a distinctively plumed tail. The breed originated from a natural genetic mutation in the Siamese population, not from the Indonesian island of Bali, and is defined by its sapphire-blue eyes and point coloration.
History and development
The breed traces its roots to Siamese cats imported from Thailand to the United States and the United Kingdom in the mid-1800s, some of whom carried a recessive gene for long hair. For decades, long-haired kittens were considered a fault in the bloodline and sold only as pets, though records show "Long-haired Siamese" were first registered as show cats by the American Cat Fanciers' Federation in 1928. It was not until the mid-1950s that breeders in the US began deliberate efforts to develop this variant as a separate breed.
Initial breeder Helen Smith named the new breed "Balinese" to reference the grace of Balinese dancers, a name chosen because "Long-haired Siamese" was deemed too cumbersome. By the 1960s and 1970s, breeder Sylvia Holland, an illustrator for Walt Disney Studios, worked to establish the breed standard, recognizing only cats with classic Siamese points in seal, chocolate, blue, and lilac as true Balinese. She refused to accept cats with other colors, believing they likely originated from crosses with other breeds.
Traditional versus modern body types
Like their short-haired counterparts, the Balinese split into two distinct varieties: the traditional "old-style" and the modern "contemporary" type. The traditional Balinese, which still closely resembles the cats from early breeding programs, is more substantial with a broader head and sturdier body. This type was in vogue when the breed was established and shares ancestry with the old-style Siamese, now often called the Thai.
As the Siamese breed gained popularity, a trend developed favoring a more extremely elongated, slender type with a wedge-shaped head. The modern Balinese was derived directly from this newer Siamese ideal, featuring a noticeably more wedge-shaped head, long tapering muzzle, and a more slender, elongated body. By the mid-1980s, the old-style Balinese had largely disappeared from cat shows, leaving the two varieties with very few, if any, recent ancestors in common.
Coat, color, and the Javanese distinction
The Balinese coat is medium-length, soft, and silky, lacking the fluffy undercoat typical of most long-haired breeds. While there is individual variance, the tail must always feature a definite plume or fringe of longer hair. Kittens are born pure cream or white and gradually develop visible points on the face, ears, paws, and tail as they mature, with color usually identifiable by four weeks of age. Eye color ranges from pale blue to sapphire or violet, and intensity can shift slightly with age and diet.
There is a significant administrative distinction regarding color variants. The Cat Fanciers' Association (CFA) classifies cats with red, cream, lynx, or tortoiseshell points as a separate breed called the Javanese, while the Cat Fanciers' Federation and most other worldwide registries accept these colors as part of the Balinese breed. In 2008, the Balinese and Javanese Breed Councils voted to combine the two, declaring Javanese a color division of the Balinese to streamline breeding programs, though the CFA maintained the separation.
Temperament and intelligence
Balinese cats are notably social, vocal, and playful, sharing the intense interest in activity and persistent vocalization of the Siamese, albeit at a lower volume. They are often described as dog-like due to their clinginess and high maintenance needs for attention, and they possess the highest intelligence of all long-haired breeds. Their acrobatic nature and enjoyment of intimate contact with owners make them highly interactive companions.
Genetics and health risks
The distinctive point coloration is the result of a mutation in the tyrosinase enzyme, which is heat-sensitive and fails to function at normal body temperatures, causing dark coloration only in the cooler extremities and face. Because the breed was developed from a small gene pool of Siamese cats with the long hair mutation, they are susceptible to inherited health disorders. The most confirmed disease is Progressive Retinal Atrophy (PRA), a degeneration of the retina that can lead to weak or impaired vision.