Your guide to finding and caring for a Balinese in SLC
A Balinese is a good match for an apartment in the Avenues or Central City, as long as someone's home often. These silky, talkative cats don't need much floor space, but they do want a tall cat tree, a window perch and a person to follow from room to room. Wand toys and puzzle feeders fill the quiet afternoons. In SLC's older Avenues buildings and newer Central City complexes, a Balinese will happily supervise whatever you're doing.
Fall for a Balinese
F, 6 mo.-2 y., 492 miles
Siamese
M, 6 mo.-2 y., 492 miles
Siamese
M, 0-6 mo., 492 miles
Siamese
F, 0-6 mo., 492 miles
Siamese
M, 0-6 mo., 492 miles
Siamese
F, 7 y., 492 miles
Siamese
F, 3-7 y., 493 miles
Siamese
F, 8 y. +, 493 miles
Siamese
M, 4 mo., 494 miles
Siamese, Domestic Medium Hair
F, 0-6 mo., 495 miles
Domestic Short Hair, Siamese
Despite the name, the Balinese has no link to Indonesia. It's essentially a longhaired Siamese, developed in the United States in the 1940s and 1950s from kittens that carried a recessive longhair gene, and named for the graceful movement of Balinese dancers. It has the Siamese colorpoint pattern, vivid blue eyes and a slender body, with a silky single coat that ends in a plumed tail. A modern wedge-headed type and a sturdier traditional type both exist.
Many Balinese are bright, social and playful, usually a little quieter than Siamese but still chatty. Because the coat has no dense undercoat, grooming is easy, which helps in a small Salt Lake City apartment where fur on the couch is a daily concern. Daily play and company matter more than space, so these cats do best with people around much of the day.
Having a Balinese in SLC
Balinese pair Siamese-style brains and sociability with an easy-care coat. Their need for company, active play, inherited eye and liver concerns and love of high perches shape daily life most, and they adapt well to indoor living in SLC.
Many Balinese bond closely, follow their people from room to room and comment on the day in a softer voice than most Siamese. They're curious and clever, and some get clingy or bored alone, which matters if your workdays in SLC keep you out of the house. Personalities vary, especially in adult cats.
Plan several short play sessions a day: wand toys, fetch, puzzle feeders and a tall cat tree. On snowy or smoggy winter days, indoor play covers everything a Balinese needs, and a window perch gives it something to watch. Rotating toys keeps a clever cat from getting bored.
Balinese can be prone to progressive retinal atrophy, liver amyloidosis, dental disease and crossed eyes, which is usually harmless, though many cats never develop these problems. Regular checkups and dental care help, as does attention to vision changes or weight loss. Schedule a full veterinary exam soon after adopting so a vet can check eyes and teeth.
Balinese do well in the apartments and rentals common in Salt Lake City, as long as they have vertical space: cat trees, shelves and window perches. A home with people around much of the day suits them best, or one with a compatible feline companion. A bare, quiet home matters more than square footage.
| Expense | Typical cost | Per year |
|---|---|---|
| Food | $25 to $50 per month | $300 to $600 |
| Pet insurance | $25 to $50 per month | $300 to $600 |
| Routine vet care | $150 to $350 per year | $150 to $350 |
| Other* | $475 to $1,175 per year | $475 to $1,175 |
| Estimated yearly total (after year one) | $1,225 to $2,725 | |
Other costs are estimates and vary with size, age and health.
* Litter, the $25 Salt Lake City cat license for a spayed or neutered cat, flea prevention, a dental cleaning allowance, toys, scratchers and cat trees, and minimal grooming for a single coat.
Now that you know more, let’s find you a new best friend. These rescues and shelters below have cats available in and near Salt Lake City.
Salt Lake City's shelters and rescues list their adoptable cats here, and Balinese-type cats and mixes may appear among them. Here are the rescues & shelters in the SLC area with cats available for adoption, worth asking whether a Balinese is coming in.
Salt Lake City
511 West 3900 South, Salt Lake City
Salt Lake City
Salt Lake City
Salt Lake City
Salt Lake City
Yes, a Balinese can live happily in a Salt Lake City apartment. These cats care more about stimulation than square footage, so a tall cat tree, shelves and a window perch matter most. Because buildings set their own pet rules, confirm the pet policy and any fees in writing before signing a lease. Plenty of play and company keep a talkative Balinese content in a small space.
Yes. Salt Lake City requires cats to be licensed by five months of age, or within 30 days of moving or adopting, with proof of vaccination and sterilization. Licenses renew yearly and cost less for spayed or neutered cats. The city sets no known cap on licensed cats, but leases may, so check your building's rules.
Yes, but only in a carrier. UTA allows pets on its buses, TRAX light rail and FrontRunner only if they're securely contained in a cage, kennel, carrier or container, and UTA staff won't carry it for you. Choose a sturdy, ventilated carrier your Balinese is used to, and expect a chatty cat to comment on the ride.
Yes, as indoor cats. Salt Lake City winters bring freezing nights from November through March and heavy snow, and a Balinese's single silky coat gives little insulation. Keep the cat inside, provide a warm bed away from drafts and a sunny window perch, and on smoggy inversion days keep play indoors. Cold rarely bothers a cat that lives inside.
Very little. A Balinese's silky single coat has no dense undercoat, so a weekly comb is usually enough and professional grooming is rarely needed. Salt Lake City's dry climate doesn't change that, though a quick brush during seasonal shedding helps. Grooming costs are small and already counted in the yearly Other costs, which run roughly $475 to $1,175.
No, Balinese cats are not hypoallergenic. Claims that they produce less of the main cat allergen, Fel d 1, are widely repeated but not supported by solid research. Their single coat sheds less than many longhaired breeds, which some allergic people find easier. Reactions vary between people and cats, so spend time with the individual cat before adopting.
Balinese is usually pronounced BAH-lih-neez, with the stress on the first syllable, the same way people say the word for something from Bali. Some people say BAL-ih-neez instead, and both are understood. The name was chosen to evoke the grace of Balinese dancers, not because the cats come from Bali.
Balinese cats shed, but usually less than you might expect from a longhaired cat. Their fine, silky coat has no dense undercoat, so it sheds lightly year-round with modest seasonal increases. The coat rarely mats. Brushing or combing once or twice a week removes loose hair and helps reduce hairballs.
A Balinese is a longhaired version of the Siamese cat, with the same colorpoint pattern, blue eyes and slender build. It was developed in the United States from longhaired kittens born in Siamese litters. Balinese have a silky, single coat and a plumed tail. Many are intelligent, social and talkative, and they bond closely with their families.
A Balinese typically costs about $1,200 to $2,700 a year in Salt Lake City. Food runs $25–$50 a month, insurance $25–$50 a month, routine vet care $150–$350 a year, and other costs such as litter, flea prevention, dental care, supplies and the license $475–$1,175 a year. Grooming costs stay low.
Looking for a different breed? Browse other cats available for adoption in Salt Lake City.
