History: The Balinese Cats history is the same as the Siamese Cat dating back to 1884 in Great Britain. The Balinese was developed from a recessive gene in the Siamese gene pool. This recessive gene was for long hair. These longhaired kittens appeared in purebred Siamese kitten litters in the 1940s. In the 1950s a lady from California began breeding these longhaired kittens which produced more longhaired Siamese-like kittens creating a new breed called the Balinese. In the 1970s this breed was introduced to Europe and the United Kingdom.
Appearance: The Balinese is a medium-sized cat. These cats have long, slender legs with the hind legs slightly higher than the front but in proportion to its body. The tail is feather like and tapers to the end. The Balinese Cats coat is fine, silky and medium in length. These cats have no woolly undercoat. The eyes are usually a color of blue and almond-shaped and slightly slanting towards the nose.
Size: Weight: 2.5 - 5kg
Temperament: They are playful and can be taught to retrieve. They are extremely vocal and almost seem to talk to their owners. They are immensely loyal and don’t always suffer rivals for their owner’s attention lightly. They are smart, affectionate, curious and gentle with the people they love. Balinese are very sociable, and like very much to spend time with their humans. They need to be part of the family and to have nearly constant company and they are possibly not an ideal cat to have if you are out to work all day. This can be overcome by having two cats! They are quite content to be indoor cats.
Health: As a rule, the Balinese do not have specific health problems and are capable of living a long and active life well into their teens. It is advisable for them to have an annual health check from about the age of eight to check teeth and kidney and liver function.
Life expectancy: 9 - 15 years
Grooming: The Balinese cats do require regular grooming to keep their lovely coats in good condition and free from knots and tangles, though this is less of a task than with a Perisan, thanks to the Balinese’s finer coat. It is recommended to brush and comb them. It is best to start as a young kitten even before the full coat is established so that the cat is used to being groomed as some cats do object. The job will be made easier if it is often done to prevent a build up of tangles.
Kitten price: $600.00 – $800.00