Balinese Cat Breed Guide
Chatty | Clever | Graceful. Known for being one of the most intelligent of all domesticated kitties, the Balinese cat is both brains and beauty. With all of the features of a Siamese cat but with longhair, this graceful cat is popular amongst exotic cat enthusiasts. But what really makes these cats tick? And, do they make good pets? Let’s find out.
BALINESE CAT BASICS
Average Lifespan: 10 - 15 years
Average Weight: 2.5 - 4.5kg
Coat Length: Long
Colouring: Point colouration in either seal, blue, chocolate, lilac, apricot, caramel, red, cream
Shedding: Moderate
ORIGINS OF THE BALINESE CAT
With a name like that, you’d think that the Balinese cat was from the exotic shores of Bali, right? Wrong. The Balinese cat doesn’t hail from Indonesia. Its origins don’t even lie anywhere in Southeast Asia. Rather this kittie first appeared on the scene in the USA in the 1940s when breeders decided to separate longhaired Siamese kittens from their litters in an attempt to strengthen this trait through interbreeding with other longhaired Siamese.
Eventually, they became their very own breed of cat with the help of a Walt Disney illustrator by the name of Sylvia Holland, and owe their name to their twinkle-toed elegance bearing resemblance to the elegant traditional Balinese dancers.
Balinese cats were first imported to the UK in the early 1970s and eventually gained GCCF recognition as a pedigree breed in 1986.
WHAT DOES A BALINESE CAT LOOK LIKE?
As the ancestry of the Balinese cat comes entirely from the Siamese breed, they essentially look identical to Siamese cats other than their longhair. They’re medium cats with a slender build. They’re coat is long and has the typical Siamese pointed colouration with a light body and dark extremities. Their darker coloured face is broken up by two deep blue eyes and their “points” can range in many colours giving each Balinese cat their own unique beauty. Their long-haired coat ends in a bushy tail that they wave expressively when demanding their favourite delicious cat food from their obedient hooman.
PURRSONALITY OF THE BALINESE CAT
Balinese cats love their furmilies dearly and can be demanding of their attention. They’re known for being chatterboxes and love to be a part of any conversation even if it doesn't include them. They’re lively and playful which paired with their high intelligence means that they need to be stimulated with plenty of toys and games particularly if their hooman isn’t at home all day to keep them busy. As they are highly people-focused they will always prefer to play with their pawrents though, so be sure to set aside at least 30 minutes per day to enrich their lives through cat playtime.
IS A BALINESE CAT A GOOD PET?
Balinese cats make excellent pets. They’re family-orientated and affectionate so make great additions to even young furmilies. Although they have a long coat, they actually require minimal grooming as they don’t possess an undercoat. A weekly brush is usually all they need to keep them glowing. They are known to be chatty individuals though, so if you don’t want a cat that doesn’t mind butting into conversation every now and then they may not be for you.
HOW TO FEED A BALINESE CAT
Like all kitties, Balinese cats are carnivorous floofs and need a diet high in top-quality animal meat to provide them with the essential nutrients and amino acids they require to sustain their playful and energetic temperaments. Balinese cats are known to be low-maintenance in terms of grooming as they do most of this themselves. Nevertheless, as a longhaired breed of cat, they are prone to hairballs, so feeding them a cat food or treat with adequate levels of fibre or added slippery elm will help to lubricate the digestive tract and help clump together the hair allowing it to pass freely.
As Balinese cats are linked to Siamese, they can be more prone to developing an eye disease known as Progressive Retinal Atrophy. You will need to discuss this condition with your vet to formulate a management plan, but a diet high in Zinc, omega-3s and Vitamin E will help maintain the general health of your Balinese cat’s eyes as well as keep their heart strong and coat glossy.
WHY SCRUMBLES IS THE PAWFECT FOOD FOR BALINESE CATS
Balinese cats will confidently tell you if they’re not in love with their dinner, so why not try one of our highly rated delicious gut friendly cat food recipes to keep them happy and purrfectly healthy?!
Here’s why you and your Balinese cat will love our cat food:
- High in Delicious Fish and Meat - With up to 77% human-grade fish or meat, impawtent for keeping carnivorous felines healthy, your Balinese cat will be drooling over our recipes. Plus with plenty of Omega 3’s, Zinc and Vitamin E in our Chicken and Salmon Dry Cat Food, you’ll be doing the best you can to maintain their general eye health.
- Digestible and Good For Hairballs - We add probiotics to all of our dry cat food recipes and prebiotic slippery elm to our wet cat food, helping to improve digestion and reduce nasty hairballs.
- Hypoallergenic - We avoid common allergens, purrfect for even the most sensitive floofs.
- Vet-Approved, Complete Recipes - Designed by nutritionists and approved by vets, you can have the confidence that you’re doing everything you can for your cat’s health in the food department!
- Climate Conscious - We use eco-friendly packaging and we’re proud to be the second ever pet food brand to be certified B-Corp meaning you don’t have to sacrifice your climate-pawsitive morals to choose Scrumbles!
