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 designer colors of the Colorpoint Shorthair. Named for the next island over from Bali, 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.

Native Country

United States

Breed Description

Head: Medium-sized, can be inscribed in a triangle. In profile, the skull is slightly convex. Slender muzzle. Long, straight nose continuing the line of the forehead without break. Medium-sized chin.
Eyes: Medium-sized, almond-shaped, set slightly at a slant toward the nose. Color: luminous green. Colorpoints and white-coated cats have dark blue eyes.
Neck: Long and slender.
Body: Long, svelte, graceful but muscular.
Paw: Long, slender, in proportion to the body. Small, oval paws.
Tail: Very long and slender, even at the base, tapering to the tip.
Coat: Thin, silky hair moderately long on the body, slightly longer on the ruff, shoulders, and tail (plume). No wooly undercoat. Even color without tabby markings or shading in non-agouti varieties. Varieties are those of the Oriental type. The eyes are green, except in the white-coated Javanese, which has dark blue eyes. Colorpoint with dark blue eyes, in the varieties recognized for the Siamese.

History

Like the Oriental Shorthair or the Balinese, but with semilong hair Despite its name, this cat did not originate in Java. During breeding programs that led to the creation of the Balinese (semilonghaired Siamese), American breeders obtained a semilonghaired Oriental called the Javanese because of its type. Feline associations are divided on the issue of whether the Javanese is truly a new breed or simply a variety of Balinese. The F.I.Fe., for example, considers it a semilonghaired Oriental type with a solid coat and green eyes. The C.F.A. considers the Javanese simply as a Balinese with coloring other than the four recognized basic colors (seal, blue, chocolate, and lilac point). The Javanese is therefore a colorpoint with dark blue eyes like the Siamese. The Javanese is still quite rare in Europe.

Behavior

The Javanese has the character and temperament of an Oriental type cat. Javanese cats are extraverted and “talk” a lot in a melodious voice. They are possessive, following their owner like a small dog, and they know how to get all the petting they want. They are easy to groom, especially since they love being brushed.