Balinese | breed profile

Appearance and Personality

It is unsurprising that the Balinese shares many traits with the Siamese. They have characteristic coloured points and brilliant blue eyes. The point colours are typically brown, blue, chocolate, lilac, red and cream.

Balinese are intelligent and talkative. There is a “meow” for every occasion and if they want something, they will let you know about it. Bear this in mind if you prefer a quiet companion or live in an apartment complex. Because they tend to enjoy companionship, they can become lonely if left for long periods of time. They may therefore be better suited to a household where someone is home to keep them company, or perhaps adopting two could be a way to ensure they have suitable company if you are out a lot. They are well suited to apartment living if they are given plenty of toys to keep them occupied. Balinese cats are playful well into adulthood, so providing them with cat trees and toys is vital. Keep your Balinese cat indoors or in a cat friendly enclosure to help keep them safe from roads, other cats and snakes as well as helps to keep wildlife safe from your cat.

The coat is long and fine and sheds frequently. There is no undercoat. Daily maintenance with a cat grooming glove is a great option for your Balinese cat.

Common Health Concerns

The five most common reasons for a Balinese cat to visit the vet (excluding routine care visits) according to PetSure data from 2016 to 2020 included urinary tract disease, diabetes, gastrointestinal problems like Inflammatory Bowel Disease, as well respiratory tract disease and heart problems. The breed is known for developing Feline Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy (HCM).

According to PetSure data from 2016-2020, the five most common reasons for a Balinese cat to visit the vet (excluding for routine visits like vaccinations) are as follows:

Disclaimer: Reimbursement for these claims would be subject to limits, such as annual benefit limits or sub-limits, benefit percentage, applicable waiting periods and any applicable excess. Cover is subject to the policy terms and conditions. You should consider the relevant Product Disclosure Statement or policy wording available from the relevant provider.

For the same five-year period (2016-2020), the top five highest single vet treatments (or highest pet insurance claims) for Balinesecats from PetSure data were:

Disclaimer: Reimbursement for these claims would be subject to limits, such as annual benefit limits or sub-limits, benefit percentage, applicable waiting periods and any applicable excess. Cover is subject to the policy terms and conditions. You should consider the relevant Product Disclosure Statement or policy wording available from the relevant provider.

Most popular Balinese names, PetSure data 2010-2020.

According to PetSure data from 2010-2020, the post popular names for Balinese cats were:

Most popular names:

1. Coco
2. Atticus
3. Bailey
4. Claude
5. Pepper
6. Alex
7. Baby
8. Barney
9. Basil
10. Bruno

Most popular female names:

1. Coco
2. Pepper
3. Chelsea
4. Jess
5. Loki
6. Lucy
7. Lulu
8. Luna
9. Mila
10. Milli

Most popular male names:

1. Atticus
2. Bailey
3. Claude
4. Alex
5. Baby
6. Barney
7. Basil
8. Bruno
9. Buddha
10. Buddy

Did you know?

Balinese and Siamese cats are described by their head shapes. There is the “apple-head” or old style who have a shorter, and more “normal” looking face, and the modern style, which have the characteristic long and wedge-shaped head.

References

1. Cattime.com, Balinese, accessed on 23/03/2021, available at: https://cattime.com/cat-breeds/balinese-cats
2. The Cat Fanciers Association, The Balinese, accessed on 23/03/2021, available at: https://cfa.org/balinese/
3. Wikipedia, Balinese cat, accessed on 23/03/2021, available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Balinese_cat