Balinais

The Balinese is the long-haired variety of the Siamese. Their history is identical up to the 1950s. Various legends tell that these cats with colored extremities were sacred cats of temples, others that they were raised in Thailand under the supervision of the Siamese King or that they were presented to the English as sacred cats so that their true lucky cats, the Khao Manee, would not be stolen from them. The English were the ones who imported these cats to Europe from the end of the nineteenth century. They were already presented at exhibitions in London from 1881. This very exotic cat quickly captivated the English who appreciated it greatly. From 1930 to 1954, the number of colors accepted in the Siamese increased considerably, going from the only seal point to blue, lilac and chocolate point. A trace of a Siamese with semi-long hair was found dating from 1928. It is likely that this is a spontaneous genetic mutation because semi-long-haired kittens did indeed appear naturally among Siamese litters. These kittens were excluded from breeding circuits because they did not conform to the breed standard. After World War II, many Siamese were imported to the United States. It was one of the most popular breeds with the Persian. It was in fact two American Siamese breeders who launched the breeding of this long-haired Siamese. They selected the long-haired kittens born in their litters and gave the name Balinese to these cats. Indeed, their appearance made them think of Balinese dancers. Several Balinese breeders worked to get the breed recognized by holding many exhibitions. The TICA and the CFA accepted the Balinese as a separate breed in 1970, the FIFé in 1972 and the LOOF in 1983. The 1980s were devoted to refining the silhouette of the Balinese. Indeed, the Siamese had already evolved considerably and had become much more refined, moving from the traditional type (currently known as Thai) to the modern type. In order for the same change to occur in the Balinese, breeders resorted to crosses between Siamese and Balinese. The short-haired kittens born from these marriages are said to be 'variants'. More recently, through crosses, new colors appeared, the red, cream, cinnamon and fawn point being recognized today by the LOOF standard, in solid as in tabby.

The Balinese would share with the Siamese a playful, extroverted and active character. Like its cousin, it is also a big talker. It would be sociable and extremely affectionate. These character traits are however perfectly individual and are a function of each cat's history.