If you've always dreamed of having a cat with a princely appearance and who particularly appreciates cuddling, the Balinese is the breed for you. Full of affection and sparkling with joy of living, it will get along very well with children and even dogs.
Characteristics of the Balinese
Agility and elegance are the main physical characteristics of the Balinese. This breed of cat with an athletic silhouette has a long and slender body with firm muscles and fine bones. The long, thin neck is another feature of the Balinese, which also has shoulders and hips of equal width.
The tail is called "whip" and has fine hair almost identical to that of an ostrich feather. The head reminds a little that of the Sphynx. It is triangular with a flat forehead and skull. The ears are very spread out, big and wide. The eyes are almond-shaped and must always be blue, otherwise it is considered a serious defect. The coat is semi-long, silky and very fine. In the LOOF (Livre Officiel des Origines Félines), the coat must have only the colorpoint pattern. But the CFA (Cat Fanciers' Association) admits other colors such as chocolate, blue, seal or lilac.
History of the Balinese breed
Just by hearing its name, one would tend to believe that the Balinese would come from Asia. But it is not. This cat is originally from the United States. In fact, this breed has not had a very glorious history. It would be born a little bit by accident. While breeders were doing a selection work, they obtained Siamese kittens with semi-long hair. As they did not correspond to the standard, they were put aside, sometimes even sacrificed. Later, breeders finally got interested in these semi-long-haired Siamese breeds and started a proper breeding. From the 70's, the CFA, the TICA (The International Cat Association), the LOOF and the FIFe (Fédération Internationale Féline) will successively recognize the Balinese.
Necessary living conditions and behavior of the Balinese
The Balinese has kept some of the personality traits of the Siamese. They are active, outgoing, curious and very playful. However, he has a less volcanic temperament than his cousin. But like him, it is a great talker who gets along wonderfully with children and has no problem of sociability with its congeneric nor even with the dogs. The Balinese is always asking for attention and cuddles and does not like to be alone. It is a bit of a "cat-dog" that is always following its master. As such, the Balinese is possessive of its owner and tends to become attached to only one person in the house.
Diet and main health problems of the Balinese
Amyloidosis is one of the pathologies that can affect the Balinese. This disease causes kidney failure and can lead to death. Symptoms include loss of appetite, depression, diarrhea, anemia or various inflammations. The cat may also suffer from convergent strabismus, a common condition in colorpoint breeds. As far as food is concerned, to avoid possible kidney problems, it is better to combine dry and wet food and not only too dry food.
