Balinese Cat History & Profile

Balinese Cat History & Profile

Article by Annabel Cailles of Tresor Siamese & Balinese Cats (www.tresorsiamesecats.com)

Balinese Breed History::Balinese cats are the long haired version of the Siamese cat. They are considered to be a spontaneous mutation of the Siamese cat by some breed fanciers, but a stronger theory is that they are derived by past breedings between the Siamese & Turkish Angoras. This explains why many of todays Siamese cats still produce Balinese kittens in their litters from time to time. Balinese kittens that are resultant of Siamese breedings are explained as being the result of the ‘long hair recessive gene’ that is present in many of the Siamese lines today. Further proof lies in the fact that DNA testing facilities like UC Davis (CA) can actually test a Siamese cats DNA to find out if they carry the ‘long hair recessive gene’. Another strong fact that Balinese share a common link to the Turkish Angoras is that the Balinese are considered to be one of the top hypoallergenic breeds, but the Siamese cat is not.

In writing about the Balinese breeds history, I do need to mention that the breed originated in America. The Cat Fanciers Federation (CFF) had a longhair Siamese (which is what Balinese actually are and what they were formerly called) registered in 1928. But this history starts a lot later, in the 1950s, when true Balinese breeding programs were established for the Balinese breed. It is believed that “fluffy/fuzzy” kittens were born to Siamese litters from time to time, and unfortunately this was undesirable to Siamese breeders who bred for short haired cats. This all changed in the 1950’s when two Siamese breeders, Mrs. Marion Dorsey of Rai-Mar Cattery in California, and Mrs. Helen Smith of MerryMews Cattery in New York, both found longhairs in their Siamese litters and were quite smitten by their beauty. Instead of petting them out as other breeders had done, they began line breeding to produce longhair Siamese. Mrs. Helen Smith is credited with giving the Balinese breed their name, as they were formerly known and called “Long Haired Siamese”. Mrs. Helen Smith said that she decided to call them Balinese after Balinese Dancers, because their fur swayed gently and gracefully, which in turn reminded her of the Balinese Dancers from Bali. Marion Dorsey sold her cattery (Rai-Mar) to Sylvia Holland (Hollands Farm Cattery) in 1965. Sylvia Holland was a Siamese breeder originally, but once she was introduced to the Balinese breed she became the leading pioneer to have C.F.A., officially recognize the Balinese breed.

It is thanks to these three women’s efforts, that we are able to enjoy this breed today, and to see that it is recognized as an official breed by all cat registry associations in North America.

Balinese Breed Type’s::Similar to the Siamese, there are two known and accepted Balinese style type’s (head/body). There is the Original Balinese (commonly referred to also as the Applehead, Old Style type), and there is the Modern Balinese (aka Wedge Balinese, Show Style type)

Balinese (aka Applehead, Traditional, Original, Old Style):The Balinese breed is a hearty, robust type. The head is large and round, with small ears and large rounded shaped eyes with a small almond shaped slant at the ends. The body hair is about 2+ inches long throughout, with a thick and fully plumed tail. There is also a long top-coat, with a short-medium undercoat. They also have a thick lions mane type hairy chest and head of hair. The hair on their ears is also long fanning outwardly. The texture of the fur is silky, velvety that is clear of mats. The boning is thick on the legs, and the paws are large with fur tufts surrounding the paw pads. The nose is wide, and short.

Modern Balinese (aka Wedgehead, Show Style):The ideal Balinese is a medium sized, svelte, refined cat with long tapering lines, very lithe but muscular. The head is a long tapering wedge. The total wedge starts at the nose and flares out in straight lines to the tips of the ears forming a triangle, with no break at the whiskers. No less than the width of an eye between the eyes. When the whiskers are smoothed back, the underlying bone structure is apparent. The skull is flat. In profile, a long straight line is seen from the top of the head to the tip of the nose. The ears are strikingly large, pointed, wide at base; continuing the lines of the wedge. The eyes are almond shaped. Medium size. Neither protruding nor recessed. Slanted towards the nose in harmony with lines of wedge and ears. Uncrossed. The nose is long and straight. A continuation of the forehead with no break. The tail is long, whippy and plumed. Balinese Breed Personality::Balinese cats are highly intelligent, affectionate, playful and very fun to be around. Just like the Siamese, they are well known for their ability to communicate vocally. The Balinese breed has a special distinct vocal range, from a sweet low chirp to loud yowls when in distress. This breed is highly social, friendly, and sensitive to your moods and feelings. This is the type of cat you want around when you are feeling down, sad, or plain old bored. They are like little children, and need loads of attention and affection. They are the perfect companions for growing children, as they will be known to play for hours on end without being destructive. They have the most innocent little faces, that hide a sometimes mischievous personality trait. They crave attention from their human companions, and are known to sometimes act out to get it.

They are very agile, and can leap far distances of many feet. They can be taught to fetch just like a dog, and learn new games very easily and quickly. They can keep you entertained with their playful antics, and still maintain a loving disposition. They can be quite a bit assertive in their requests for love & attention, but will still possess a special dignity particular to the Balinese and Siamese breeds.

Color Points::There are four recognized color points in the Balinese breed. They are Seal Point, Chocolate Point, Blue Point & Lilac Point. I will describe the Color Points & Show Pictures of them as examples.

SEAL:Seal point Balinese cats have very dark, almost black, seal-brown points, with facial mask, ears, tail, paws, nose leather and paw pads all the same color.Of all the colorpoints, they have the widest variation in body color. At a young age they might be a pale cream, but seal points tend to change with age. There should always be a contrast between the body color, and the points. Though it is not unusual depending on the environmental climate for a Seal point to become the same color throughout. Although the fur on their chest, neck and stomach may stay lighter, their backs tend to darken to a warm-toned caramel-beige, and may even turn dark brown, so that in later life there may be little difference in color between the hair on their backs and their tails.

CHOCOLATE:The chocolate point generally has ivory-white fur which stays pale throughout their lifetime. This differs from seal points, whose coats tends to darken as they get older. Occasionally, though, you may find a chocolate point with a cinnamon tone to their coat. This is set off by warm-toned milk-chocolate colored points (facial mask, ears, tail, and paws). Their nose leather and especially their paw pads have a pinkish undertone. If in doubt, this pinkish undertone is a good way of telling a chocolate from a seal point, which has a dark brown nose and paw pads, with no pink showing at all. Chocolate point cats are less common than seal points and the kittens develop their coloring later than their darker seal and blue relatives.

BLUE:The blue point is related genetically to the seal point, being a ‘dilute’ or paler version of the very much darker seal. It has cold-toned, deep slate-grey-bluish points (facial mask, ears, tail, paws, nose leather and paw pads) and bluish-white body fur which, like that of seal points, tends to darken with age. All members of this point color should have this cold-toned, white fur rather than a warm-toned beige but occasionally you’ll find cats with lighter, silvery-blue rather than slate-grey points.

LILAC:Lilac points are the palest of pale, with pinkish-toned, light ‘frosty’ grey ears, tail and paws (lilacs are sometimes referred to, especially in the USA, as frost points). They are the lightest of the four major breed colors (seal, chocolate, blue and lilac). This color pattern is actually a paler version – what is known by breeders as a ‘dilute’ – of the chocolate point. Everything about a lilac should be pale, from their ears to their paws. Their nose leather and paw pads have a pale pink undertone and they should have light cream or magnolia-colored (not pure white) coats, which stay pale throughout their lives.

Grooming Of The Balinese Cat & Hypoallergenic Details::The Traditional Balinese shed very little and their coat is usually no longer than 2 to 2 .5 inches and does not mat, making grooming requirements minimal. However, there are certain hair textures that are very fine, and prone to static energy, that do require more care and brushing. According to “Encyclopedia of Cat Breeds” By J. Anne Helgren (which offers comparative evaluations of various traits of various breeds) lists Persians and Himalayans as a ’10’ on a scale of 1-10 regarding ‘need for grooming’ and the Balinese a ‘4’ on a scale of 1-10. Only short-haired cats require less grooming, the Siamese and Tonkinese being listed as a ‘2’.

It will be necessary at times to trim the hairs around the back-end area, as fecal matter or litter debris may clump onto the fur. This is only required on a need to basis depending on the cat. The paw pads do require some care and grooming, as there are hair tufts that grow around the paw pad that can grow quite long, and in order to help your cat with it’s grooming needs, these hairs should be trimmed to prevent excessive ingesting of litter over time. Bathing is not necessary except as needed.

Brushing as often as needed with a de-shedding tool is best advised as regular brushes do not remove enough loose fur, that subsequently ends up on furniture, clothing, and as hairballs after time. The best de-shedding tool I’ve found and currently use for my Balinese cats is the ‘furminator’, which can be found at select retail locations. You may find more information regarding the ‘furminator’ by visiting their web-site at: http://www.furminator.com.

There is great news for cat allergy sufferers! As mentioned earlier in this page, the Balinese breed is considered to be one of the top hypoallergenic cat breeds. The prefix ‘hypo’ in the word hypoallergenic means ‘less than normal’. Therefore the word hypoallergenic does not mean non-allergenic. A hypoallergenic cat is less likely than other cats to produce allergic reactions in some people.

The Balinese is one of the few breeds that produces less of the Fel d 1 protein than other cats, thus causing fewer allergic reactions in allergy sufferers. Cat allergies can be very serious in some people, so meeting a cat breed first before making a purchase or adoption is highly encouraged if a person suffers from cat allergies. “Cat Allergy” in humans is an allergic reaction to one or more of the five known allergens produced by cats. The most common of these are the glycoprotein Fel d 1, secreted by the cat’s sebaceous glands and Fel d 4, which is expressed in saliva. An allergic reaction is a histamine reaction that is usually characterized by coughing, wheezing, chest tightening, itching, nasal congestion, rash, watering eyes, sneezing and similar symptoms. Thankfully cat allergy sufferers now have several choices when picking a cat breed, listed are some of the other cat breeds considered to be hypoallergenic:

*Balinese*Oriental Shorthair*Javanese*Siberians*Sphynx*Cornish Rex*Devon Rex

Size & Longevity of The Balinese Cat::The Balinese breed is of a medium to large build. Males tend to weigh anywhere from 12-16 pounds and females average somewhere around 8-12 pounds full grown. A healthy diet, ensures proper growth and longevity. This breed is considered to be one of the longest lived in the long haired breed division. Wish proper diet, routine veterinary care, a Balinese cat can live anywhere from 17 years to mid 20’s.

Conclusion::The Balinese breed is a spectacular cat, with many benefits and positive breed traits. With an interesting history, breed type, personality and health benefits, they are the perfect choice for the most discerning cat fancier. This breed is highly exclusive, as only a small fraction of North American breeders specialize in Applehead Balinese. The Balinese is quickly gaining notoriety and popularity in the cat world so don’t wait any longer, enjoy one today!

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About the Author

Balinese cat breeder & aficionado since 2003. My articles may be viewed by visiting: http://www.tresorsiamesecats.com