The Balinese is an oriental breed of cat with long hair and a Siamese look.  They have a medium-length silky coat and a plumed tail.  They are not nearly as fluffy as a Himalayan and require much less grooming.

The following physical description is given for you to use as informational tips for deciding if this breed of cat is right for you and your lifestyle.

Physical Description:

• Long, fine, silky coat that covers its long, hard, tubular body
• The coat ends in a plume tail with no appearance of a ruff around the neck
• When you first see a Balinese, your first thought might be, this is a Siamese cat
• The Balinese cat comes in four colors that are seal point (dark brown) chocolate point, blue point and lilac point
• Color is restricted to the points of the cat, which are the tail, the feet, the mask (entire face) and the ears
• The head is a long, tapering wedge that starts at the nose and flares out in straight lines to the tips of the ears and forms a triangle
• The ears are large and flared following the wedge
• There should be no breaks at the whiskers
• Balinese breed of cats have very striking deep blue eyes
• They are a medium size cat with males ranging from 6 to 8 pounds and females ranging from 5 to 7 pounds
• The most distinctive feature is the luxurious tail plume

The following personality description is given for you to use as informational tips for deciding if this breed of cat is right for you and your lifestyle.

Personality

• Balinese cats are very intelligent, however, less talkative than their Siamese ancestors
• Active
• Social
• They like being included in the everyday lives of their family or owners
• They can learn to play fetch
• They care capable of jumping very high
• The Balinese love attention and are very playful

Balinese cats were original

ly registered as longhaired Siamese with examples known from the early 1920s.  The Balinese name comes from a breeder who first started raising them.   Her name was Helen Smith.  She felt they showed grace and beauty like Balinese dancers.  Today there are two entirely separate strands of Balinese cats.  Some owners prefer a traditional or apple headed Balinese.  Breeders and judges tend to prefer a more contemporary appearance.

The following are grooming tips to help you decide whether or not the Balinese breed of cat is right for you and/or your family and lifestyle.

• The Balinese has a long, fine and silky coat with not much undercoat, therefore, they shed very little hair
• The coat does not mat
• Little grooming is actually required for the pet Balinese
• Occasional brushing and a bath when it appears necessary for the pet
• Grooming for the show cat involves bathing the cat as close to the show as possible, preferably the night before.
• Cat’s nails should be trimmed before the bath
• Type of shampoo varies according to what works best for the cat you own, so will take some experimenting most likely with different kinds of shampoo

Who is this cat just right for?  Families, singles and elderly people able to play with the cat as this is a very playful breed that may not like just perching in one spot all day.  The Balinese is active, so be prepared to be active with this type of cat.

Follow the link in the resource box of this article to find pictures and more information about many different breeds of cats.

Written by:  Connie Limon.  Visit “Adopting Kittens” at http://smalldogs2.com/AdoptingKittens to find a complete online reference for choosing and caring for the perfect kitten, which matches you and your lifestyle.  Learn about litter box training at http://smalldogs2.com/LitterBoxTraining

This article is FREE to publish with the resource box.

Copyright © 2008 All Rights Reserved Connie Limon