{"id":2125,"date":"2022-05-08T17:00:06","date_gmt":"2022-05-08T15:00:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/onlinecatworld.com\/?p=2125"},"modified":"2022-05-08T17:00:06","modified_gmt":"2022-05-08T15:00:06","slug":"balinese","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/onlinecatworld.com\/balinese\/","title":{"rendered":"The Balinese: a long-haired and elegant cat"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Balinese descends from the Siamese. It is actually the long-haired variant of the Siamese, but has its own name for it. It is a breed developed by breeders and was not recognized as a real breed for a long time. It is a very affectionate cat with an elegant appearance. The best known characteristics are the azure blue eyes and the enormous jumps the Balinese can make with ease.<\/strong> Do you think you know how the Balinese got his name? Probably you are wrong. Read on!<\/p>\n

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The origin: No, unfortunately, not from Bali!<\/h2>\n

When you think of the name Balinese, you probably think of Bali, but this is not the case with regard to the origin of the Balinese. The breed has its origins in the East, but from Thailand.<\/strong> The Balinese is also not a naturally born breed, but was created by breeding the Siamese. Still in the 19th century Siamese cats were brought from Thailand to the United Kingdom and the United States. In these countries they were then bred on the basis of a breeding programme.<\/p>\n

The resulting litters occasionally contained a long-haired Siamese kitten. These were not seen as purebred Siamese, so they were sold as regular pets. In fact, the value of these animals was so low that if there weren’t enough fanciers for the long-haired Siamese kittens, they would simply be slaughtered.<\/p>\n

In 1950 when the breeding programmes for the Siamese had developed in such a way, there were still some long-haired Siamese kittens. Only from this moment on the breeders were charmed with this appearance and decided to breed them as well. They then found out that if both parents are long-haired Siamese, the whole litter of kittens would also become long-haired.<\/p>\n

In 1950 this breed was finally recognized in the United States. Only the breeders didn’t agree on the name for this breed. The original idea was to call the breed the Long-haired Siamese, but according to some breeders more distinction had to be made with the Siamese. That’s why the breeders took a good look at the animal and found the elegant and graceful movements they make of natures fit well with Balinese temple dancers. This is how the name Balinese was coined in the end.<\/p>\n

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The character: a talkative high jumper<\/h2>\n

The Balinese is a very active cat. They have inherited these traits from the Siamese ancestors. The most characteristic of the Balinese is their urge to jump everywhere. On top of a high cupboard or on the door, they don’t turn their hand for it. It is therefore important for the Balinese to have enough space to express this active attitude. A garden or spacious house is therefore better suited for the Balinese than a cramped flat.<\/p>\n

Furthermore, the Balinese is a very loving and affectionate cat.<\/strong> The Balinese like to sit on his owners lap to be petted and answer this by purring loudly. Because of the affection this breed is not suitable to be left alone at home for a long time. The Balinese loves to be kept busy all day by everything that happens in the house. They also like toys very much, but prefer to be kept busy by their owners. That is why the Balinese is also very suitable for families with children or with other animals.<\/p>\n

Furthermore, the Balinese is a bit calmer than the Siamese ancestors. A characteristic that the Balinese also inherited from his ancestors is the talkative character. They like to let their voice be heard and this is a softer voice than most Siamese. The Balinese can have a conversation with themselves or with their owners for hours at a time.<\/p>\n

\"Balinese\"<\/p>\n

Appearance: an elegant and slim appearance<\/h2>\n

The Balinese is a slim cat that looks muscular and supple. They belong to the medium-sized cats and are reasonably light with a weight between 2.5 and 5 kilograms. The males are often a bit heavier than the females.<\/p>\n

The construction of the Balinese nowadays is different than it used to be. The breed was always fairly solidly built with a round head and small ears. Nowadays breeders think that the Balinese should have a slimmer cat with a triangular head and bigger ears. This is the image the Siamese has and after targeted breeding the Balinese also looks more like it. The ‘original’ appearance is almost no longer maintained by any breeding farm.<\/p>\n

So the head of the Balinese is triangular with a flat and fine muzzle. On this are large, wide ears that are quite apart with a lot of hair on it. The eyes are almond-shaped and are known for their deep blue colour. The rest of the body is slender with fine bones, which gives it a lean appearance. Also the tail is thin and long. And finally this slender structure also applies to the legs, which are long and end in oval feet with tufts of hair between the toes.<\/p>\n

The Balinese coat is long-haired and very soft. So this is a coat that requires a bit more attention than most short-haired cats. Only this breed has no undercoat. This is a short downy coat which is under the visible hairs. This undercoat provides an insulating effect, but this is not necessary with Balinese cats thanks to its long coat. This makes the coat easy to comb.<\/p>\n

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The coat colour and coat patterns that occur<\/h2>\n

The Balinese has inherited the coat pattern from his Siamese ancestors. This pattern is called colourpoint. This pattern has the characteristic that only certain parts of the coat are coloured. The pattern is created by a mutation of a gene that causes less pigment to be produced. This mutation is temperature dependent, which means that the mutation has more influence on warm spots. This causes the coat to be lighter in warm areas. These are areas such as the belly and neck. Colder spots such as the muzzle, tail and legs therefore colour darker.<\/p>\n

When the Balinese is born the coat doesn’t show a colourpoint pattern yet. This will develop later and after a year it will be more or less its permanent colour.<\/p>\n

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The coat colours<\/strong><\/h2>\n

The coat of the Balinese must comply with the colours that are also allowed for the Siamese. In America they are stricter with regard to the colours and these may only be the first four colours mentioned in the list below. In Europe they are less strict. The colours for the Balinese and Siamese are often mentioned together with the pattern. So instead of Lila, they say Lila-point.<\/p>\n

The allowed colours of this breed are:<\/p>\n