Size: Small to medium.
Coat Length(s): Medium.
Body Type: Svelte.
Grooming Requirement: Every few weeks.
Talkativeness: Very vocal.
Activity Level: Very high.
Affection: Very affectionate.
Usually Good With: Adults, seniors, and children (6+).
Time Alone: 0 to 4 hours per day.
Attention: Needs lots of attention.
Handling: Can be a handful.

The Javanese is one of many Siamese-type breeds that include the Balinese, the Colorpoint Shorthair, Oriental Shorthair, and Oriental Longhair. These breeds were created by cat fanciers who loved the lithe look and charming qualities of the Siamese but wanted to expand the allowable colors and coat lengths.

The Javanese is a longhaired version of the Colorpoint Shorthair, created in the 1970s by crossing a Balinese (a longhaired version of the Siamese) to a Colorpoint Shorthair. This combined the lovely Balinese coat with the Colorpoint’s myriad colors. At first, fanciers were calling the breed "new-color Balinese." Like the early breeders of Balinese and Colorpoint Shorthairs before them, these breeders had an uphill battle convincing fanciers that their colorful crosses would make a good addition to the cat fancy.

Their persistence and enthusiasm won the day, however, and in 1979 the CFA board granted registration status to these cats, but not as Balinese. The Balinese was created solely from Siamese bloodlines and therefore was considered a natural mutation. Since the Javanese was created by crossing Balinese and Colorpoint Shorthairs, which in their turn were created by crossing Siamese, Abyssinians, American Shorthairs, and red domestic shorthairs, the new cats were considered hybrids. The breeders were told to come up with a separate name for their new breed and they chose the name Javanese. In May of 1986, CFA accepted the Javanese for championship competition.

However, almost all of the other cat associations merely extended the color parameters of the Balinese to include the colors and patterns of the Javanese. Only CFA and the Traditional Cat Association (TCA) considered the Javanese a separate breed. The others recognize the Balinese in red, cream, tortie and lynx points. This "rose by any other name" difference made it even more difficult to keep the Siamese lookalikes straight.

Because the Javanese and the Balinese are identical in every way except color, and the hybridization happened so long ago, many breeders felt the two breeds should be combined as they are in most associations, and petitioned CFA to change the breed’s status. Finally, CFA’s board relented and voted to make the Javanese breed a division of the Balinese breed, ending a long-standing policy that confused cat lovers and frustrated breeders. On May 1, 2008 the Javanese became a part of the Balinese, and a single standard was adopted. TCA still considers the Javanese a separate breed by the name of Traditional Colorpoint Balinese.

Javanese are intelligent, busy, demanding cats who need lots of attention. They love to play with their human companions and want to be a part of their everyday activities, whatever those may be. Inquisitive and mischievous, they like investigating things of interest—and just about everything interests them, particularly if their humans are involved. Keyboards, newspapers, shopping bags and purses are not safe from inquiring minds and agile paws. They can be very determined when they want something, which is most of their waking hours. They are particularly curious about what goes on behind closed doors, and will use their considerable intelligence and dexterity to find a way in.

Intensely social and very affectionate—some might say clingy—Javanese are happiest when they are underfoot and at the center of activity. Javanese are delighted to help you with your chores, share your lunch and try their best to teach you their favorite feline games. Fetch is very popular. Spry and athletic, they can jump amazing heights from a standstill.

Once you’ve settled down for the evening, however, they cheerfully curl up and snooze by your side or on your lap, and happily snuggle under your covers. They are loyal and devoted companions who get along well with the entire family and other pets; they seem to like the companionship of cat-friendly dogs as long as the proper introductions are made.

If your Javanese is quiet, she’s probably asleep. They are staunch supporters of the First Amendment, so if you like your cats to be seen and not heard, this is not the breed for you. They never hesitate to tell you what’s on their minds. Their distinctive yowl can be annoying to some, but Javanese fanciers consider it one of their endearing traits. Being talkative themselves, these cats truly appear to understand harsh words—or at least a harsh tone of voice. Scoldings hurt their sensitive feelings and you may find your Javanese sulking under the bed after a reprimand; apologetic petting and yummy kitty treats are required before your feline friend will forgive you.

The Traditional Colorpoint Balinese (see the description section) is similar in affection, intelligence, and temperament, but may not be quite as vocal or active.

Javanese are generally healthy and long-lived if kept inside. However, since they are closely related to the Siamese, the breed shares some of the same inheritable conditions and diseases. In particular, hereditary liver amyloidosis has been found in some Javanese bloodlines. The disease causes an insoluble protein called amyloid to be deposited in the liver, causing lesions, dysfunction, and eventual liver failure. In addition, incidences of dilated cardiomyopathy, an enlargement of the heart muscle that decreases heart function, have been found in some lines of Siamese and closely related breeds like the Javanese, but on the plus side they seem to be at a lower risk for the serious and often fatal feline hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) than some other breeds, according to Dr. Susan Little of the Winn Feline Foundation. It’s wise to buy from a breeder who provides a written health guarantee.

Some Javanese lines are prone to plaque buildup, tartar formation, and gingivitis. Gingivitis can lead to the dental disease periodontitis (an inflammatory disease affecting the tissues surrounding and supporting the teeth), which can cause tissue, tooth, and bone loss. Untreated, dental disease can undermine a cat’s overall health. Javanese need annual veterinary checkups, periodic teeth cleaning by your veterinarian as needed, and, if your cat will tolerate it, regular tooth brushing using cat toothpaste and a cat toothbrush or a soft child’s size toothbrush.

The head is a tapering wedge shape, medium in size, with a flat forehead, wedge-shaped muzzle and good width between the ears. In profile, a straight line can be drawn from the top of the head to the tip of the nose. The ears are very large, pointed, wide at the base and continuing the lines of the wedge. The eyes are almond-shaped, medium in size and deep, vivid blue. They are not crossed and are set not less than one eye width apart, with a slight slant toward the nose. The neck is slender; the legs are long and slim; the tail is long, thin, not kinked, and tapers to a fine point.

The medium length coat is fine, silky and lies against the body so it appears shorter than it really is. The longer coat gives the Balinese a softer, less angular appearance than breeds of similar type. The hair on the tail is long, soft and spreads out in a luxurious plume. Because the Javanese has no downy undercoat, this breed requires less grooming than many longhaired breeds.

The colors and patterns that define the Javanese are red point, cream point, lynx (tabby) point and tortie point (a mixture of black and red or their dilute colors, blue and cream). In CFA, Javanese allowable outcrosses are Balinese, Colorpoint Shorthair, Siamese and certain limited outcrossings with the Oriental Longhair. Other associations have different outcrosses; for example, in TICA Siamese, Balinese (includes the Javanese), Oriental Shorthair and Oriental Longhair are all part of the Siamese Breed Group, and all of these breeds can be crossed.

Fanciers have two body styles from which to choose: the Extreme Javanese and the Traditional Colorpoint Balinese. The Extreme Javanese is the only one you’ll see at CFA cat shows—it has the svelte body style and wedge-shaped head just described. The Traditional Colorpoint Balinese, recognized by the Traditional Cat Association, Inc. (TCA), has the stockier body style and the rounder head type of the Traditional Siamese, but has a medium-length coat and a wider range of colors and patterns. The traditional versions of the Siamese breeds are making comebacks among cat lovers who remember with affection yesterday’s sturdy, rounder Siamese. Traditional breeds are recognized by TCA, an association created to preserve, promote and protect the traditional appearance of these and other breeds. UFO also accepts Traditional Siamese, Colorpoint Shorthair, and Balinese. A Traditional Colorpoint Balinese won’t win any ribbons in the CFA show hall, but will make just as good a companion as the Extreme Javanese. According to Traditional fanciers, the Traditional Colorpoint Balinese is generally healthier than the Extreme Javanese and has fewer health concerns.