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The Balinese cat was developed in the United States as a Breed of its own. The Balinese is a natural spontaneous mutation of the Siamese gene. On occasion long haired kittens appeared in short haired litters over the years, but breeders usually  dismissed them as undesirable anomalies. Records indicate, however, that  long-haired cats of  pure Siamese ancestry were registered with the Cat Fancier's Federation as early as 1928. In 1940, two breeders, Helen Smith of New York and Marion Dorsey of Southern California, admired the beauty of the long-haired coat,  and were the first pioneers to breed and have these cats recognized. Helen Smith gave them the name “Balinese” because their elegance and grace that reminded her of Ballerina dancers.  Combining together the prefix, “Bali”, from Ballerina,  and adding the suffix “nese”, from Siamese, she created the new name “Balinese”. At a glance, the Balinese cat resembles the Siamese cat, except for the length of the coat, including their distinctive Bushy tail.  is a beautiful Siamese cat. A Balinese cat possesses all of  the charm and beauty of the Siamese cat but has the added benefit of possessing a uniquely silky, angora-like coat.

 Balinese cats are intelligent and playful. They easily adapt to the sounds and idiosyncrasies  of children, often engaging into the middle of the fun.  Balinese are fluffy and affectionate, their silky-soft  fur makes them an ideal warmer.  Along with their temperament they have longer periods of  playing energy without tiring, making them a great companion for children who handle them properly.

Unlike the Short-haired, the Balinese cat is a more laid back cat and can often adjust well to a variety of animals. They can easily adapt and are accepted immediately, fitting in well into their home with established cats.  Like a Short haired Siamese, they will soon dominant the household, ruling over other non-Siamese cats.  However, unlike the Short Haired, their laid back nature allows them to rule with sensitivity.   The Balinese cat also makes a great companion for your dog. They are often seen curled up together and will even allow themselves to be groomed.

The Balinese are extremely intelligent cats. Barron's Encyclopedia of Cat Breeds, which rates cat intelligence on a scale of 1 to 10, rated the  Siamese and Balinese on  the highest percentile,  scoring  nine.  Additionally, the Balinese is rated the highest in intelligence of all the long-haired breeds. Other breeds such a Persians and Himalayans rated a six and seven respectively.  One endearing characteristic that is related to high feline intelligence is that Balinese will often sense when their humans are sick or unhappy and will lay close and try to comfort them.

Traditional Balinese tend to be, on average, slightly larger in size than the Short Haired Siamese.  Males weigh from 12-16 pounds and females 8-12. Balinese are known for their Longevity making them the longest living Breed of all the Long Haired cats. Their life span is equal to the Short Haired, ranging from 18-22 years for a healthy cat.

The acme of intelligence, curious, openly affectionate and calmer nature of the Balinese makes them a wonderful pet because it makes them so ‘human like’.  Their loyalty, which exceeds that of the Short Haired Siamese, often resembles that of a dog more than a cat. They will follow you about or wait patiently outside a door for you to return  home so they can once again resume interacting with you.   They love to sleep in your bed, play fetch or make up other games. Unlike the Short Haired Siamese, they are independent enough to adjust better to periods of being alone. Their voices are far softer and they speak only when they have something they think is important to say. Like their short haired descendants that guarded the temples, they have been known to be  'watch-cats' often alerting their family when strangers approach. The Long Haired Siamese is a graceful rare beauty that has the loyalty and affection of a dog  yet is playful and patient enough to entertain children for hours and to handle the inevitable mistreats that come from them. These creatures show remarkable memory for people and places. The patience and calm nature of the Long Haired Siamese therefore makes them suitable as pets for families of any size.

Early History shows that  the Traditional Balinese has the same History as the Traditional Siamese. The Siamese is considered by many to be a 'natural' breed - that is to say,  developed without human intervention.

It is said that Long Haired Siamese kittens began appearing now and again in purebred Siamese litters. These long haired Siamese kittens resulted from natural spontaneous mutation that occurred within the breed itself. Early drawings depicted pointed cats with what seems like longer fur. Others say that the longer coat is a result of the early British breeders crossing the Siamese with the Angora or Turkish Angora, a cat that has a tremendous history as a companion cat.

The truth may be a bit of both. Nevertheless, the long-haired gene continues to persist. The first Long Haired Siamese that was registered was with CFF in 1928. They were not recognized as a breed until 1955, however, when a woman named Marion Dorsey of California began breeding and showing the longer-haired variety.

Further, the Long Haired Siamese bred 'true'. This means that when two Long Haired Siamese were bred,  they resulted in litters that always produce the Long Haired, thus qualifying it to be a 'pure breed'.  It should also be pointed out, that Traditional Balinese are purebred cats in that they have descended from the original cats  imported from Siam. During the early part of its history they were still referred to as Long-Haired Siamese but soon were christened 'Balinese' by a Woman named Helen Smith because they resembled the gracefulness and athleticism of a Balinese dancer. Currently, the Traditional Balinese is quite rare, although they are beginning to make a comeback as many pet buyers who prefer a long haired cat appreciate the  many benefits these cats have  to offer. Their intelligence, longevity, the fact that they experience less health problems, their loyalty, their companionship and affectionate nature make them an attractive option over their long haired counterparts.  

Although cat personalities differ between male and female, especially if they are neutered or spayed, their sex plays a relatively  small role in their personality. Having said that, generally speaking, it seems that females tends to be more temperamental and perhaps slightly less intelligent than the  males. However, due to the laid back nature of the Long Haired Siamese, both male and female Balinese make wonderful pets for children.

Surprisingly, the Traditional Balinese shed very little and generally less fur than the Short Haired Siamese, making grooming requirements almost unnecessary. Further, Balinese shed significantly less fur than other long haired varieties. The Himalayan, Persian, Birman, Ragdolls and other Long Haired varieties shed a great deal of fur and their coat easily molts,  requiring daily grooming. "The Encyclopedia of Cat Breeds", by  J. Anne Helgren, which offers comparative evaluations of various traits of various breeds, lists the Persians and Himalayans as a 10 on a scale of 1-10 regarding grooming time and the Balinese a '4' on a scale of 1-10. Only short-haired cats require less grooming, according to her book, the Siamese and Tonkinese being listed as a '2'.The Long Haired Siamese coat is only 1.5 inch long towards the end of it body with a bush like tail. The fur consists of a  thin, silky angora structure that has no undercoat,  single coat,  and this decreases the occurrence of molting.  Consequently, the Balinese make the desired choice for allergy and Asthma suffers. Despite popular beliefs, it is the protein excreted in feline salvia and skin glands that bring about an allergic reaction, not the cat dander itself. A cat like the Balinese, who is a spontaneous mutation of the Siamese, excrete feline salvia at a lower molecular weight, reducing the likelihood of an allergic reaction.   For this reason, it is their unique silky angora fur structure which gives the Balinese cat  the advantage over their counterparts.

The Long-Haired Siamese/Balinese is a particularly attractive option for the discerning pet-seeker. It possesses all those famously unique characteristics that the Short Haired Siamese offers and then some. I encourage you to consider these beautiful creatures as an option next time you consider purchasing a cat. We currently posses both Queens and Sires  from some of the very best Balinese lines found anywhere in America and sell their kittens for significantly less than what you  would generally pay when purchasing other long haired varieties from other reputable catteries. You might want to be quick, however. Once all of the wonderful features that the Balinese offer are more widely known, demand will increase and we will be forced to increase the price to a level comparable to those offered for the other long haired breeds mentioned above.