Siamese queen, Jasmine, babysits her own and Li Ping's kittens. The fuzzy ones are Balis.
ORIGINS
Long haired kittens can be born to parents who are both long haired or to short haired parents who carry the gene for long hair or a combination of both.
It is generally accepted that the Balinese cat is a natural mutation of a Siamese gene. Longhaired kittens appeared occasionally in short haired litters over the years. Breeders usually quietly gave the kittens away. A Balinese cat was first registered in 1928 and Balinese was established as a separate breed in the 1950's. Interest in the breed was slow to catch on and did not blossom until much later.
Another school of thought is that the breed originated from breeding Siamese with Persians, Turkish Angoras or other, longhaired cats. The flaw in this theory is that those cats have a double coat with the shorter guard hairs. Balis do not. It should be noted that some of the original imported cats around 1871 had longer, fluffy coats and could very well have carried the longhaired gene.
The old "Traditional" Cat verses the Modern cat
Unfortunately, in both shorthaired Siamese and the longhaired Balinese cat, immersion in the cat show world has been highly detrimental to the breed. Early in the 1960's the extreme look of the modern wedge cat became popular. To keep up with the fad, the CFA changed their breed guidelines and would no longer allow the old cats into the show rings. Many breeders began breeding the modern "wedge head" cats. Some cats were bred back to parents to increase the likelihood that their desirable characteristics would be passed on to later generations. The inescapable genetic fact is that the chance for defects is also increased by inbreeding and health problems and shorter life spans have been the long-term effects.
A few die-hard breeders did not like the new extreme look and the politics of the show ring. These breeders, myself included (who never bothered with the cat show scene), continued breeding and selling the old cats to people wanting companion cats. I never liked the practice of inbreeding or even line breeding (pairing cats not immediately related, but of the same bloodline). Over the years I would locate other small breeders and either sell or exchange kittens or loan stud cats to keep the gene pool healthy. These are common practices with small breeders today as well.
I set exacting standards on health, personality, bone structure and coloring. I breed what have come to be known as Traditional Balinese and Siamese cats that are descendants of the original, hardy cats.. The Traditional Balinese still have the wonderful full coats that the modern cats have lost over years of inbreeding. I like to think their wonderful personalities are also similar to those that inspired fascination in the original breeders and importers.
About Orecatay and Diane Varni
I have been breeding Siamese cats since 1959 and purchased my first Balinese cat in 1990. I am a retired newspaper photographer and now devote all my time to raising these wonderful cats. More information about my cattery and cats can be viewed on my Siamese web site: www.orecatay.com
Kittens are "imprinted" to the human scent soon after birth. This means that I hold them securely in both hands close to my face so they can smell my skin and breath. I try to always be near when a queen is due. This is especially true for new moms or if she has had any trouble in the past. I assist her with cleaning noses and even tying umbilical cords with dental floss if she can't keep up with the process. I make sure the new babies get their mom's scent first then usually imprint them an hour or so after birth. Sometimes even the newest kitten will hiss vigorously at the new scent, and I hold them until they calm before lining them back up to nurse. These babies are handled, loved and kissed daily. By the time they are three weeks old they will cry for me to pick them up. Siamese and Balinese cats naturally need human interaction. My method of raising my kittens enhances this natural trait.
