The Balinese is a longhaired breed of domestic cat with Siamesestyle point coloration and sapphireblue eyes. The Balinese is also known as the purebred longhaired Siamese, since it originated as a natural mutation of that breed and hence is essentially the same cat with a mediumlength silky coat and a distinctively plumed tail.[1]

As is the case with their shorthaired counterparts, a genetic distinction is made between traditional or "oldstyle" and modern body types. In the American standard, color variants derived from the Colorpoint Shorthair are further considered a separate breed, known as the Javanese. There is no particular connection between these cats and the Indonesian islands of Bali and Java, from which they derive their names.

Like their Siamese ancestors, Balinese are sociable, vocal, playful and inquisitive, and an intelligent breed.