Balinese

The Balinese is the semi-longhaired relation of the Siamese, developed from longhaired kittens that appeared in Siamese breeding lines. It has the same colorpoint pattern, with darker ears, mask, legs, and tail, and kittens are born pale before their points deepen. Modern show lines are often slender and angular, while some breeders maintain a more moderate traditional look. The coat is silky, close lying, and usually lacks a heavy undercoat, ending in a plumed tail that distinguishes it from the shorthaired Siamese.

Life with a Balinese is usually life with a talkative, people-focused cat that wants company and mental work. Climbing furniture, games, leash training, or food puzzles can help channel its energy in an indoor home. The coat mats less readily than many longhaired cats, but a weekly comb catches loose hair and prevents tangles behind the ears or in the tail. Responsible breeders discuss health issues seen in Siamese-family cats, including progressive retinal atrophy and heart history in their lines. Buyers should also clarify whether the breeder works with traditional, modern, or mixed-type Balinese.

Colors: Bicolor, Black, Blue, Blue-Cream Point, Blue Lynx Point, Blue Point, Brown, Calico, Chocolate, Chocolate Lynx Point, Chocolate Point, Chocolate Tortie Point, Cinnamon, Classic Tabby, Cream, Cream Lynx Point, Cream Point, Dilute Calico, Dilute Tortoiseshell, Fawn, Flame Point, Golden, Harlequin, Lilac, Lilac Cream Point, Lilac Lynx Point, Lilac Point, Lynx Point, Mackerel Tabby, Mink, Pointed, Red, Red Lynx Point, Red Point, Seal Lynx Point, Seal Point, Sepia, Shaded, Shell, Silver, Smoke, Spotted Tabby, Tabby, Ticked Tabby, Torbie, Tortie Lynx Point, Tortie Point, Tortoiseshell, Van, White