The Balinese cat is known to be a very chatty cat and whose intelligence make it easy to train. What is the difference between the Balinese and Siamese cats? They look so much alike!
Check out these cool facts we learned from Vet Street:
- The Balinese looks like a longhaired Siamese and comes in the same Siamese point colors: seal, chocolate, blue and lilac.
- This cat is named for the island of Bali, famed for its graceful dancers, but it doesn't actually come from there!
- The primary difference between the Balinese and the Siamese is coat length.
The Balinese shares the muscular body of the Siamese, as well as his wedge-shaped head, blue eyes and large triangular ears.
The history of the Balinese cat
The Spruce Pets tells us that this breed doesn't have a long history. Longhaired kittens showed up occasionally in Siamese litters, but the first breeding program for them didn't begin until the 1950s.
"Siamese breeders Marion Dorsey in California and Helen Smith in New York each had longhaired kittens born in Siamese litters and fell in love with them. In a romantic gesture, Smith called them Balinese because their grace and elegance reminded her of the dancers for which the island of Bali is famous."
Overall care
They are so intelligent that you'll need plenty of enrichment opportunities lined up during the day! They can also be trained more easily than most cat breeds. With that in mind, your Balinese car will love your company and you cannot be gone for long periods of time.
They will need hiding spots should they want some personal space so make sure you have plenty of high-vantage places for him to spend time in during the day.
Balinese cat personality
These cats are known to be chatty but perhaps not quite as talkative as the Siamese. These cats are extremely extroverted and do well with dogs, cats, and children.
They will demand your attention so don't bring home this cat unless you're ready to get their 'help' with whatever you're doing!
Quick facts about their coat
The Balinese cat breed is a long-haired breed.
They have a medium length, silky coat, which doesn't require too much maintenance. A good brushing once a week should work well, as they don't have an undercoat.
According to The Spruce Pets, this cat has bright blue eyes and a plumed tail.
"The main body of the coat is usually a creamy white, but they have distinctive color points that are found on the face, ears, full tail and legs. The most common of these are seal point, chocolate point, blue point and lilac point, and these are the four that are recognized as acceptable official breed standards. They can also come in red, lynx and tortoiseshell color points."
Balinese long-haired cats are beautiful.
Health problems that may affect the Balinese include lysosomal storage disease, a condition that can result in neurological signs, and feline acromelanism, a condition that can causes changes in coat color with variations in temperature.
Always buy your Balinese kitten from a reputable Balinese breeder.
Are you lucky enough to live with a Balinese? If you do, tell us what they're like below in the comments!
