No breeder is on record here yet. Portugal’s FIFe member club does not list this breed in its breeder directory at all, so an absence here says nothing about whether anyone breeds it in Portugal.
Elegant, svelte cat with long silky coat and striking blue eyes. Essentially a longhaired Siamese with the same pointed coloration and athletic build.
Developed from longhaired kittens that appeared in Siamese litters. Formally bred starting in the 1940s-50s. Named for the graceful dancers of Bali, though the breed has no connection to Indonesia.
Generally described as affectionate, intelligent, playful, active, social and curious.
That is the breed in general, not a promise about one animal. Ask the breeder what their own line is like, and meet the parents before you decide.
Breed reference from The Cat API.
Drawn from sources, not opinion: The Cat API; UC Davis VGL — PRA rdAc (CEP290) test; FIFe breed standard. An empty column means we hold nothing for that side, not that there is nothing to say.
The Balinese standard is published by the FIFe (Fédération Internationale Féline), the international federation of pedigree-cat clubs, and it is what show judges apply. This section sums up what it says about coat and colour. It does not assess any one animal: use it to know what to ask the breeder.
Fine and silky
of medium length on the body, slightly longer at the frill and shoulders and on the tail, which forms a plume.
No woolly undercoat.
Base colour
mask in the face, points on ears, legs and tail
Permissible
Shortened from FIFe standard BAL — each label is the standard’s own wording with the verdict lifted into the tag beside it. Read the full clause at source. FIFe lists this standard’s last modification as 2025. Text read on 31 Aug 2026.
A tick means FIFe recognises that colour in at least one variety with that pattern. It does not mean every combination is recognised.
| Colour | Solid | Tabby | Pointed | With white |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Black | Not accepted | Accepted | Accepted | Accepted |
| Blue | Not accepted | Accepted | Accepted | Accepted |
| Chocolate | Not accepted | Accepted | Accepted | Accepted |
| Lilac | Not accepted | Accepted | Accepted | Accepted |
| Cinnamon | Not accepted | Accepted | Accepted | Accepted |
| Fawn | Not accepted | Accepted | Accepted | Accepted |
| Red | Not accepted | Accepted | Accepted | Accepted |
| Cream | Not accepted | Accepted | Accepted | Accepted |
| Black tortie | Not accepted | Accepted | Accepted | Accepted |
| Blue tortie | Not accepted | Accepted | Accepted | Accepted |
| Chocolate tortie | Not accepted | Accepted | Accepted | Accepted |
| Lilac tortie | Not accepted | Accepted | Accepted | Accepted |
| Cinnamon tortie | Not accepted | Accepted | Accepted | Accepted |
| Fawn tortie | Not accepted | Accepted | Accepted | Accepted |
| White | Accepted | Not accepted | Not accepted | Not accepted |
Read from the table at the end of the FIFe standard. Smoke, silver, golden and corin are FIFe’s own names; the exact EMS codes and the eye colours are in the standard.
The colour varieties FIFe recognises for this breed are listed, with their EMS codes, in the table at the end of its standard. FIFe describes each colour group in the General Part of its standards.
The colours and patterns the standard admits, and what it prefers, discourages or disqualifies in each. An accepted colour says nothing about health. Quotations from the FIFe are in English, as the standard publishes them; the headings are ours.
Known hereditary risks for the Balinese breed, and the specific documentation to request from any breeder before paying a deposit. A responsible breeder will have these readily available; deflection is a red flag.
2 conditions documentedThis is breed-level literature, not veterinary advice about an individual animal — your vet knows the animal.
Health checklist (PDF)Found in more than about one in twenty of the breed's dogs screened, or described as common in the sources.
Breed-level information from The Cat API. It describes the Balinese in general; any individual animal can differ.
Balinese cats carry the same CEP290 mutation found across the wider Siamese group; a 2010 survey found it in 14 of 24 unrelated Balinese and Javanese cats (12 with one copy and 2 with two), and a 2022 screen of over 11,000 cats found 15 of 76 Balinese carrying it, about one in five (10 with one copy and 5 with two).
What to ask for
UC Davis VGL PRA rdAc (CEP290) DNA test result, on both parents
Balinese cats carry the same CEP290 mutation found across the wider Siamese group; a 2010 survey found it in 14 of 24 unrelated Balinese and Javanese cats (12 with one copy and 2 with two), and a 2022 screen of over 11,000 cats found 15 of 76 Balinese carrying it, about one in five (10 with one copy and 5 with two).
What to ask for
UC Davis VGL PRA rdAc (CEP290) DNA test result, on both parents
Documented in this breed, but no source says how many of its dogs carry or have them. That is a gap in the evidence, not a sign they are rare.
An outward or inward bend in the lower chest bone, seen mostly in oriental-bodied breeds; CFA names Balinese directly among the breeds most often affected. Outward protrusion is usually harmless; an inward one can affect the chest cavity and needs veterinary assessment.
What to ask for
No DNA test exists — ask for a veterinary chest exam noting sternum conformation, on both parents
An outward or inward bend in the lower chest bone, seen mostly in oriental-bodied breeds; CFA names Balinese directly among the breeds most often affected. Outward protrusion is usually harmless; an inward one can affect the chest cavity and needs veterinary assessment.
What to ask for
No DNA test exists — ask for a veterinary chest exam noting sternum conformation, on both parents
