Balinese cat care: amyloidosis, retinal disease and grooming

The Balinese is a longhaired Siamese, so the health research on Siamese-type cats is the best guide to its risks, even where the Balinese itself was not studied separately. Two inherited diseases described in that group are worth knowing by name: familial amyloidosis, which mainly damages the liver and can appear in young adults, and an inherited retinal degeneration that is common in Siamese. The coat, by contrast, is far less work than its length suggests.

A single coat that rarely mats

According to the Cat Fanciers' Association, the Balinese is single-coated. With no downy undercoat, the fine, close-lying coat is not prone to mats, and combing or brushing several times a month is enough to control shedding. A fine-toothed comb run through to the skin, with extra attention to the plumed tail and the backs of the legs, does the job.

The CFA also notes that natural oils can make some Balinese look greasy, which is the signal for a bath with a gentle cat shampoo. There is no need to blow-dry. Keeping the cat in a warm room until the coat dries is enough.

Regular combing also removes loose hair before the cat swallows it. A cat that retches often, brings up hairballs more than occasionally or stops passing normal feces needs a vet check, since hairballs can also be a sign of over-grooming or a gut problem.

Familial amyloidosis

Amyloidosis is a disease in which an abnormal protein, amyloid, is laid down in organs and gradually disrupts them. In Siamese and Oriental cats the protein is amyloid A, and the liver bears the brunt. A pathology study of 194 Siamese and Oriental cats examined after death found amyloidosis in 12 of them, a little over 6%. Affected cats had enlarged, pale livers with hemorrhages, and their pedigrees suggested a familial trait.

A later genetic analysis of affected Oriental Shorthair families estimated the heritability of the disease at 0.56 and found the pattern best explained by one major gene plus several smaller ones. The authors describe the disease as fatal, with signs usually appearing between one and seven years of age. In the cats examined after death the liver had become fragile enough to rupture, bleeding into the abdomen, and amyloid was also found in the thyroid gland.

There is no specific diet that prevents or treats amyloidosis. Diet for an affected cat is set by the vet according to which organs are involved and the blood results.

Inherited retinal degeneration

The rdAc form of progressive retinal atrophy was first described in Abyssinian and Somali cats. It is recessive, so a cat must inherit the CEP290 gene variant from both parents to be affected, and it causes gradual loss of the light-sensing cells of the retina. When researchers tested 846 cats from 41 breeds, they found the variant in 16 breeds. It was especially common in Siamese, with about a third of the gene copies in North American and European Siamese carrying it. Cats with two copies developed the same disease seen in Abyssinians, and the authors singled out the Siamese breed group as the one most at risk. The Balinese belongs to that group.

A DNA test identifies clear, carrier and affected cats, so ask whether a kitten's parents were tested. Early signs are subtle, and owners often notice only once vision loss is advanced: bumping into objects in dim light, reluctance to jump, or unusually wide pupils. Diet cannot prevent this inherited disease, although a separate, dietary retinal degeneration does exist. The Merck Veterinary Manual notes that taurine deficiency can cause central retinal degeneration and dilated cardiomyopathy in cats. Complete commercial cat foods contain taurine. Home-made, vegetarian or dog food does not reliably supply it.

Breathing and bronchial disease

Siamese cats have been linked with lower airway disease, often called feline asthma, for decades. In a review of 65 cats with bronchial disease, Siamese were overrepresented and had more chronic disease. The main signs were coughing, labored breathing, sneezing and wheezing. Only about half of the cats in that series recovered fully. The rest needed continuing medication.

A cough in a cat is easy to mistake for a hairball attempt: the cat crouches low with its neck stretched out but brings nothing up. Record a video for the vet. Open-mouth breathing or breathing with obvious belly effort is an emergency. For a cat with airway disease, dust-free litter, no smoking or aerosol sprays indoors and keeping the cat lean all reduce the load on the lungs.

Teeth

Gum disease and painful tooth resorption are common in cats generally, and the signs are easy to miss. Watch for red gum margins, bad breath, drooling, chewing on one side or dropping food. Daily brushing with a cat toothpaste is the most effective home care for cats that accept it. The Veterinary Oral Health Council lists cat diets, treats and water additives that have passed its plaque or tartar trials. A cat that finds dry food painful to eat should be switched to wet food and examined, since dental pain rarely resolves on its own.

An active, talkative companion

The CFA describes the Balinese as vocal, affectionate and active, with a clownish love of play. Breeders and owners report that Balinese are somewhat quieter than Siamese, but they still keep up a running conversation. They get on well with dogs, and older children may keep up with their activity level better than very young ones.

A cat with this much energy needs an outlet indoors. Two or three short play sessions a day with a wand toy, climbing space and puzzle feeders that make the cat work for part of its food all help, and they burn calories in a breed that should stay lean. A Balinese left alone for long days is better off with a second, compatible cat.

Food and portions

Balinese have no breed-specific nutrient requirements. Merck notes that cats need dietary taurine, vitamin A and arachidonic acid, which is why a food labeled complete for cats matters more than any particular protein or carbohydrate target. Merck also points out that cats often drink little and that several water sources encourage drinking. Wet food, which is mostly water, adds more.

Energy needs start from the resting energy requirement (RER), which is 70 times body weight in kilograms raised to the power 0.75. Merck puts a neutered adult cat at about 1.2 times RER, an intact adult at 1.4 times and a cat prone to weight gain at 1.0 times. Rounded to the nearest 5 kcal:

These are starting points, and Merck notes that an individual can need 30% more or less. The coat hides the outline, so check condition with the hands: ribs easy to feel under a thin layer and a slight waist behind them. Weigh the cat monthly on a kitchen or baby scale. Unexplained weight loss in a young adult Balinese is a reason for blood tests rather than a bigger bowl.

Sources

1. Balinese. The Cat Fanciers' Association.
2. Generalized AA-amyloidosis in Siamese and Oriental cats. Veterinary Immunology and Immunopathology, 1997.
3. Complex segregation analysis of familial amyloidosis in Oriental shorthair cats. The Veterinary Journal, 2020.
4. Widespread retinal degenerative disease mutation (rdAc) discovered among a large number of popular cat breeds. The Veterinary Journal, 2010.
5. Nutritional Requirements of Small Animals. Merck Veterinary Manual, 2024.
6. Clinical, radiographic, and bronchial cytologic features of cats with bronchial disease: 65 cases (1980-1986). Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, 1989.