History
The "Balinese" is not actually from Bali or any part of Indonesia. It is not a naturally occurring breed, but originates from human-controlled breeding efforts.
The Balinese was originally registered as a "long-haired Siamese", and examples were known from the early 1920s. The occasional long-haired kittens in a Siamese litter were seen as an oddity, and sold as household pets rather than as show cats. This changed in the mid-1950s, when two breeders, Marion Dorsey of Rai-Mar Cattery in California and Helen Smith of MerryMews Cattery in New York, decided that they would commence a breeding program for these longhaired cats.
The name was chosen on subjective grounds: Smith named the cats "Balinese" as she felt they showed the grace and beauty of Balinese dancers, and because "long-haired Siamese" seemed a rather clunky name for such graceful felines. The breed became quite popular after this, and a number of breeders began working on "perfecting" the Balinese appearance. This led eventually to the development of two entirely separate "strands" of Balinese cat – some owners prefer a traditional or "apple-headed" Balinese, while breeders and judges tend to prefer a more contemporary "wedge-head" appearance. It is unknown whether or not Smith actually visited Indonesia.
Read more about this topic: Balinese (cat)
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