When these breeders saw that litters of Longhairs were produced by breeding these Longhair cats to each other, they determined to promote these cats as a separate breed. However, two Siamese breeders, Helen Smith in New York and Marion Dorsey in California, fell in love with the look of the longer-haired Siamese (Balinese?) and felt that they should continue to be bred. Although the beauty of these cats was recognized, these kittens were placed as pets rather than breeding animals. They knew that no other breed was inserted into their breeding program and that their program was sound, but they still saw these kittens with fur that was too long to meet the Siamese standard. In the early 1950s, some Siamese (Balinese?) breeders in the United States discovered that they were seeing kittens puffier than a Siamese should be.

The Siamese (Balinese?) breed has always been popular. She will sit quietly with her parent, purring and being petted. If given enough exercise space, the Balinese is generally able to avoid getting too heavy. Because of this build, care must be taken that she does not become obese. You may find her leaping effortlessly to the top of your refrigerator, bookcases and even the tops of doors. If these are not provided, the Balinese will make anything tall her own special perch her slender figure conceals a powerful jumper.

Cat trees and high perches are necessary equipment when you live with a Balinese. The Balinese is an active, vocal cat as befits a Siamese descendent. The coat is soft and silky and has no undercoat. You can see the length best by looking at the fur on the tail. The hair on the Balinese is not really long but is medium in length. The deep blue, slanted eyes and the darker color on the extremities, tail, ears and face of the breed give the Balinese her own special look. The head is a long triangle and the ears are set so they appear to continue the triangle. She is definitely a slender cat with fine bones but does not appear to be emaciated. The graceful Balinese is a medium-sized cat with a long, tubular body.

Calico cat personality