Grand Champion Rakkestad's Legacy
Champion Rakkestad's Calypso of Staccato
Red Point Javanese LittermatesPhoto Copyright (C) Carl Widmer
Take one Balinese, dip in the colors of the rainbow and you have a Javanese. The Javanese is everything that is Balinese, and then some... the intelligence, grace and refinement of the Siamese, the luxurious silk of the Balinese coat, combined with the crazy mixed-up colors of the Colorpoint Shorthair. Javanese have been around for about as long as the Balinese, some appeared in litters of Colorpoint Shorthairs, most likely a result of the longhair gene being introduced via the domestic shorthair when the red, lynx and tortie point colors and patterns were first introduced to the Siamese breed. Most are the result of Balinese breeders using the Colorpoint Shorthair to introduce these colors and patterns into the Balinese breed.
Although records show that a longhaired cat of pure Siamese ancestry was registered with the Cat Fanciers Federation (CFF) as early as 1928, there was no serious effort to promote this variation. Longhaired kittens appearing in Siamese litters were quietly sold as pets and their existence conveniently forgotten. It was not until 1950, when two longhaired kittens were born into a litter of registered Siamese that their breeder, Marion Dorsey (Rai-Mar; California), realized that she had something special. She bred the two together and much to her surprise they bred true for the long coat, thus the breed was formally started. Sylvia Holland (Holland's Farm; California) became interested in 1956 and soon afterwards, Helen Smith (Merry Mews; New York) also became involved. The name Balinese has nothing to do with Bali, Helen Smith chose the name because the svelte lines of the cat's body, flowing coat and effortless grace reminded her of the Balinese dancers. It wasn't until 1961 that the Balinese were first accepted for championship competition in CFF as a separate breed - in all championship colors of the Siamese. It was through the diligent efforts of Sylvia Holland that Balinese were finally accepted in 1970 for championship competition by the Cat Fanciers' Association (CFA, the world's largest registry of pedigreed cats).
Most registering bodies around the world group all shorthair cats of Siamese type and markings as Siamese, and all longhair cats of Siamese type and markings as Balinese - regardless of point color or pattern. CFA is one of the very few to draw a distinction between cats of "pure" Siamese ancestry and colors (seal, blue, chocolate and lilac point) and the hybridized Colorpoint Shorthair (lynx, tortie and red or cream point) - the result of breeding Siamese to domestic shorthairs during the 1950s and 1960s. Because of this distinction, Balinese in "non-traditional colors" were not initially accepted for registration by CFA.
During the late 1970's, breeders around the country banded together and in 1979 achieved CFA registration for their "other color" Balinese. Named for the next island over from Bali, Javanese were finally accepted for championship competition in 1986. In 2004, the Silver Anniversary of the breed, the breed council presented genetic proof of silver, smoke, cinnamon and fawn existing within the gene pool… a carryover from the unknown ancestors behind the earliest Colorpoint Shorthairs. Silver and smoke variations of accepted championship colors were added to the standard, cinnamon and fawn variations were accepted for registration.
February 2008, the CFA Board of Directors approved the request of the Balinese and Javanese Breed Councils to be recognized as a single breed: Balinese, while continuing to show in separate Balinese/Javanese Divisions (according to color) effective May 2008. This step finally brings us in line with the other worldwide registries while continuing to recognize and respect the history and accomplishments of both breeds in CFA. Balinese and Javanese are judged according to the Siamese standard with additional emphasis on the longer hair which lies close to the body, flowing along the cat's lines, longest on the tail forming a proud plume. The coat is the most unique feature of the breed, silky in texture, it doesn't mat like other longhaired breeds and tends to shed less than the Siamese.
 Grand Champion, National Winner Zinzani St John's Revelation Blue Lynx Point Javanese Male Photo Copyright (C) Larry Johnson |
 Grand Champion, Regional Winner Staccato's Coffee Cantata Choc-Tortie Point Javanese Female Photo Copyright (C) Carl Widmer |
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