Balinese cat: origin, nature and conditions of detention

In the life of each person there is a need to make a special friend who can tell about his painful issues, share good news and just hold him tight after a hard day's work. A certain circle of people chooses cats as a living outlet. They are quite cute, gentle, affectionate and kind creatures. If necessary, they will be able to calm their master and listen. Unfortunately, not all cats are able to descend to the role of man’s best friend. Among the vast diversity of faithful and devoted comrades considered the Balinese breed.

The Siamese breed became the ancestor of the Balinese cats, but it is not clear how this happened. To date, there are two versions of the occurrence of Balinese. The first is the Siamese mutation, the second is the crossing of the Siamese and the Angora.

Quite often, Siamese cats had babies with elongated fur. At that far time, the cat owners considered unusual kids a culling, they did not tell anyone about their appearance. And only in 1940, in the United States of America, one breeder decided not to get rid of long-haired kittens, but to give them the title of a separate breed.

Marion Dorset, the most decisive catwoman, in 1950 began serious work on breeding cats of the new breed. And 10 years later, Helen Smith joined her. It was she who decided to update the names of the breed with a Siamese longhair to Balinese. In her opinion, the new type of cats was distinguished by a special grace and elegance of movements, in many respects resembling dancers from the island of Bali, performing a musical number.

It may seem to some that this characteristic is not the basis for the name of the breed, but Helen Smith did not think so. Due to her sophistication and refinement, she managed to find a fine line and maximum similarity between the movements of an animal and a person engaged in professional dancing, which is why she decided to propose such a name.

After the official presentation of the Balinese breed, Siamese cat breeders became confused and began to feel a sense of hatred towards the representatives of the new type of feline family. In their opinion, the Balinese should have played a significant role in reducing the demand for short-haired kittens. Another fear of lovers of the Siamese breed was a genetic issue. They were afraid that long-haired animals would have a negative impact on the purity of the Siamese breed.

For a long time, Balinese cats received only negative recommendations, which were not recognized by society. And only because of the breeders' persistence in 1970, the Association of American Cat Fans recognized the Balinese as equal animals. And Europe took them in 1980. According to the world data, in 2012 the Balinese breed of cats ranked 28th place among 42 species officially recognized by the United States of America.

To date, Balinese cats are very popular among cat owners. Many people are attracted not only by external data, but also by the acceptable cost of the animal.

Choosing a purebred cat, you should know that they have special features that do not allow them to be confused with other species by representatives of the feline world.

• The head of the Balinese is distinguished by a wedge-shaped form of medium size. The ears are large, erect.
• The distinguishing feature of Balinese cats is their expressive blue eyes, resembling two bright sapphires. With this quality they look like Siamese brethren. In every look of a furry pet, one feels joy, curiosity and interest in the surrounding world.
• The extended body of the Balinese is distinguished by a developed musculature, due to which they are able to overcome considerable distances in a jump, and also easily conquer high peaks of furniture. The adult female of the breed in weight reaches 3.5 kilograms. Males weigh a little more, their body weight reaches a maximum of 5 kg.
• The specific characteristics of the structure of the representatives of the Balinese breed. Their hind legs are slightly longer than their forepaws, while their forepaws have a slightly oval shape, which ensures the grace and refinement of the gait. These qualities allow the animal to move silently around the house, as well as run and jump without making harsh sounds.
• Baline wool is soft and silky, very pleasant to the touch. Unlike other breeds, these fluffy creatures have no undercoat, as they were bred for living at home.
• In a thin and long tail the visual grace is felt. The luxurious skin of this limb is distinguished by its fluffiness, which is an important distinguishing feature of the breed, thanks to which even beginning breeders will not be able to confuse a purebred animal with a culling.

Representatives of the long-haired breed quite often have oblique eyes. Unfortunately, unscrupulous sellers expose this feature as a marriage, which is why they can sell even mongrel kittens with such a defect.

According to a similar scheme, the tail with a break on the tip, as well as contrasting spots in the chest, light hair on the ears and paws should be considered. To date, there are about 20 types of color Balinese cats, among which four points are considered the most common. It is worth noting that until 2008 only they were allowed to attend cat shows, and after a while the evaluation commission gave permission for the participation of Balinese specimens bred by crossing Javanese and Balinese species.

The distinctive feature of the Balinese points is the dark color of the face, paws and tail. No spots of a different color on these parts of the body should be present. To date, the following points with special colors are considered:

• blue - in this case it is a question of white wool, having a bluish tint on the body, gradually turning into a darker shade;

• frost or lilac - we are talking about a white coat of the animal, having a grayish-pink sheen of the body, smoothly flowing into a dark shade;

• chocolate - cats with a similar color have a light brown color of wool, reminiscent of milk chocolate;

• forces - a very interesting coat color, presented in dark colors; the almost black hue of the skin contrasts perfectly with the light tones on the body of the Balinese handsome.

Beginner breeders should be aware that there are no black or ginger Balinese cats.

Balinese cats have amazing character traits. They love their owners very much. Once in the family, they are attached to it as much as possible. Cats of the Balinese breed will be able to become the best friends of a person who will never quit or betray. They are ready to stay close to their hosts in any situation and at any time, be it a bad mood or a night's sleep.

Balinese cats, it is important to pay enough attention. They are very hard to tolerate loneliness, so do not leave them for a long time alone. Balinese quite positively to the joint with the owner of the games. They are able to turn any thing or object into a means for entertainment. An ordinary candy from a candy tied with a string will be able to lure a furry animal for a long time. Their friendliness allows you to find a common language with other apartment pets.

Children Balinese cats are with great interest. In some ways, they can become four-footed nannies for them. Here only parents should exercise some caution.

Balinese are considered long-lived cats. With proper care, representatives of this breed will be able to live a happy life, component 15, and even 20 years. Of course, there are cases when an animal may die at any time for health reasons. But pets have a much lower risk of sudden death than street individuals. Veterinarians note that Balinese have excellent health. But even this factor does not speak about absolute safety and animals.

It is very rare, but even in childbirth, Balinese kittens die. Most often it is associated with possible diseases of the mother, not identified during pregnancy, or with the weakness of the body of the baby.

Balinese cat breed by nature is undemanding to the conditions of detention. For them, a warm climate in the house, regular feeding, good attitude and an expression of love for the pet are extremely important. Before bringing a Balinese cat into the house, the future owner must determine if he can become a true friend to the animal. A person should understand that he will be able to provide a four-legged friend with the necessary care and love.

Balinese cats will experience the same feeling of coziness and comfort while living in both the apartment and the big house. The main thing is that the residential area was warm, because these cats have no heating undercoat. If we take out balinese in the winter outside, it will freeze very quickly, and in the warm season it is permissible to walk the cat outside or in the front garden. Feeling free, the animal can break out and run away from the owner, and then not find a way back. For this case, it is desirable to use a harness with an elongated leash.

Few people know, but Balinese cats are keenly cool or intensely hot. In the room where the animal lives, the air temperature should have an average value of + 23 ° C. If the temperature is below normal, the activity of a specific gene, which is responsible for coat color, decreases in the cat's body, which makes it darker.

Balinese in nature are active and playful creatures, in many ways reminiscent of small children. They need increased attention as well as spending time playing active games. It's funny that these four-footed pets can turn any household item into a unique and interesting toy. Although the majority of owners for such cases go to the pet shop and acquire special balls, teddy mice and balls of thread.

It is very important that there are a lot of gaming accessories, otherwise the pet will be bored by the lack of diversity. And if suddenly such a moment arrived, or the cat was fed up with his standard toys, he begins to indulge. If desired, he can easily jump on the cabinet, walk along the upper shelves, try to open the drawers to get their contents.

In the maintenance of Balinese cats, special attention is paid to the care of animals. Although representatives of this unique and special breed do not require trips to a specialized beauty salon. From the owner is required only regular inspection of the wool, care for the eyes, trimming claws and cleaning the ears.

Like all cats, representatives of the Balinese breed perceive the bathing procedure with the utmost dislike. In contact with water, they start grumbling, hissing and trying to escape. That is why it is necessary to wash the animal by a company of two or three people. It is best to have family members whom the cat knows are not the first day. One of them holds the animal, and the second washes. For bath procedures, it is very important to use specialized shampoos for long hair and balsam-conditioner after washing.

Special attention is paid to the Balinese cat fur coat. Its formation occurs in the period from one year to one and a half years of the animal. And already after this age it will be possible to understand how scrupulous the owner was to the pet's hair, what kind of food the four-legged friend had, how often it was combed. Balinese cats have no undercoat, which is why the hairs of his fur coat do not roll into mats, which greatly facilitates the care of the skin.

Unfortunately, most balinese have a risk of dental diseases. That is why the animal from the early months is important to teach to brush your teeth. Examination of the oral cavity should be done once a week, as well as the treatment of the tooth surface. For this procedure, you will need to purchase a special toothbrush and toothpaste, which are sold in pet stores. In order for the cat to enjoy the procedure, the toothpaste must have a taste of its favorite treats, for example, bacon.

Do not forget about ear hygiene. Experts recommend regular inspection of the ear cavity to detect contamination and parasites. If a gray patina appears in the ears, it should be removed with a cotton pad or wand. When detecting an ear mite, it is important to immediately contact a veterinarian. Otherwise, the animal will pursue a constant itch, due to which the inner part of the ears will be combed by the cat to the blood.

Claw processing requires special knowledge of the owner of the animal. To start the cat, you need to sit comfortably on your lap. After that, take the foot and press the pad so that the grown claws are in the zone of visibility of the person. Then with a special unit to bite off the sharp tips.

The final stage of processing claws is polishing, carried out using a file. In the structure of each cat's claw there is a blood vessel, which is strictly forbidden to touch with cutting and splitting objects. It is necessary to carry out the procedure of trimming claws as they grow.

Proper nutrition of a Balinese cat is the key to its health and excellent growth. The organization of feeding the animal does not have much difficulty. The main thing is to remember that you should not mix different types of food. That is why the owner of the four-legged pet it is necessary to determine in advance which type of diet is most acceptable.

For most people, this type of food for a Balinese feline family is considered normal. Choosing specialized premium food, each owner provides his four-legged friend with the most balanced nutrition that does not require any additional vitamins and mineral supplements. Dry food is conveniently stored by keeping the bag indoors at an acceptable temperature.

Modern manufacturers of dry food make different variations of cat food, among which special pads for cats during pregnancy and lactation are given special attention. They contain a special complex of vitamins, allowing the cat to get the maximum amount and give them the main part of the kittens. On the shelves of pet stores are dry food for cats suffering from urolithiasis, as well as dietary supplements.

Wet food is not recommended to use as a permanent power supply of Balinese. In their composition there is no complete set of vitamins, which are so important for the health of a fluffy friend.

The main thing - do not overdo the abundance of food and keep the animal on a certain diet. The proposed food should not be fatty and spicy. Balinese cats should not be offered smoked products. The basis of the natural diet should be lean meat varieties and any by-products. Meat must be given boiled or raw, but pre-scalded with boiling water. Fish products may cause an allergic reaction.therefore, they should be given no more than twice a month. Pollock and capelin can cause urolithiasis in an animal.

Compulsory products in the Balinese diet should be kefir, yogurt and sour cream.. Cats of the represented breed can be given a small amount of cereals and vegetable stews. Be careful with potatoes, as they contain large amounts of starch. When organizing natural food for a cat, it is important to remember that an animal needs to get the maximum amount of vitamins and minerals, which in ordinary foods may not be enough.

Experienced breeders shared the following tips on the organization of healthy nutrition for Balinese cats:

• the pet must have constant access to water, the drinking liquid must be boiled and clean;
• Prepared cat food should not be hot, it is permissible to offer food to an animal at room temperature; chopped pieces of food should not be large, especially when it comes to feeding kittens;
• products given to the animal must be fresh.

Beginner breeder, it is important to familiarize yourself with the following information about the mode of feeding the animal:

• kittens up to six months of age should be fed 4–5 times a day in small portions;
• at the age of six months to a year, cats should be transferred to three meals a day;
• It is enough to feed the grown individuals 2 times a day, in the morning and evening.

The difference between the Balinese and Siamese breeds of cats is only one gene, which is responsible for the length of the fur. Accordingly, the Balinese inherited from their progenitors the diseases and infections that the Siamese often suffer from. Of course, the Balinese representatives of the breed have excellent health, thanks to which they are able to live for 15 years, and some live to the age of 20.

And yet, some types of diseases plagued the Balinese family.

• The most common disease is amyloidosis. In simple terms, this is a violation of protein metabolism, which is accompanied by formations and deposits in the tissues of amyloid. This disease can affect the cat's liver and cause dysfunction of the entire body, followed by death. Also, the spleen, pancreas, and gastrointestinal tract may be affected. Most often this disease occurs in cats aged 1 to 4 years. The main symptoms are loss of appetite of the animal, constant thirst, the occurrence of vomiting, jaundice and depression.

• Another disease that has been inherited from the Siamese breed is dilated cardiomyopathy. In simple terms, this is heart disease. Special attention should be paid to dental diseases of the animal. At the genetic level, they are prone to tartar and gum disease. If you do not go to a doctor in a timely manner, the cat may lose teeth. Lack of dental treatment can lead to a weakening of the immune system, which in general will affect the health of the animal.
• Another trouble can be a hereditary heart disease. It is possible to identify the disease in the early stages of development, but the entire subsequent life of the animal will be held under the regular examination of the veterinarian. From the moment of birth, the kittens themselves are passive, they grow very slowly, and at low loads they begin to choke.
• Skin asthenia can also cause a lot of worries. This disease produces defective skin collagen, which makes it quite tender and vulnerable. Any impact on the animal appear wounds.
• Asthma among representatives of the feline family of Balinese in many respects resembles human bronchial asthma, the cause of which may be an allergen.
• Pretty unpleasant, but representatives of the Balinese breed suffer from oncological diseases. Aged Balinese often struggle with diabetes.
• Behind strabismus Balinese cats are answered by a special gene enclosed in an animal's DNA structure, inherited from Siamese cats and dependent on the point color of wool. Unfortunately, it is impossible to get rid of strabismus. Although some balinese innate strabismus may pass after some time.

For more information about Balinese cats or Balinese, see the following video.