SIAMESE / BALINESE / ORIENTAL BREED GROUP (SI / BA / OS / OL)

GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF THE BREED

• Siamese (SI): shorthaired, medium-sized cat, pointed pattern, oriental type.
• Balinese (BA): semi-longhaired, medium-sized cat, pointed pattern, oriental type.
• Oriental Shorthair (OS): shorthaired, medium-sized cat, not pointed, oriental type.
• Oriental Longhair (OL): semi-longhaired, medium-sized cat, not pointed, oriental type.

POINT SCORE

HEAD: 35 points

• Shape: 5
• Ears: 7
• Eyes: 12
• Chin: 3
• Profile: 5
• Neck: 3

BODY: 35 points

• Torso: 10
• Legs: 5
• Feet: 4
• Tail: 6
• Musculature: 10

COAT / COLOR / PATTERN: 30 points

• Texture: 10
• Length: 10
• Color: 5
• Pattern: 5

CLASSIFICATION

• Category:
  • SI / BA: Pointed
  • OS / OL: Traditional
• Divisions: All
• Colors:
  • SI / BA: All pointed colors
  • OS / OL: All traditional colors
• Allowable Outcrosses: None

HEAD STANDARD

Shape

Wedge formed by straight lines running from the nose to the tips of the ears, forming a triangle.
 Fine muzzle, with no whisker break.
 Flat forehead.

Profile

A long, straight line from the forehead to the nose, or a slight change of angle at eye level (two-plane profile).

Ears

Broad base, extremely large.
 Set to continue the line of the wedge; neither too high nor excessively flared.

Eyes

Almond-shaped, medium to large.
 Set with an oriental slant toward the nose, so that a line from the inner to the outer corner lines up with the center of the ear base.
 There should be at least one eye-width between them.

Deep, vivid colors are preferred.

• SI / BA: Blue
• OS / OL: Green (preferred in all colors), gold acceptable
• In solid whites and/or particolors: green, blue or odd eyes

Points are divided equally between eye color and size/shape/setting.

Chin

Tip of the nose in line with the tip of the chin.

Neck

Long and slender.

Note

Allow for jowls in males.

BODY STANDARD

Torso

Long and tubular, with equal width at the shoulders and hips.
 Medium size.
 Fine boning.

Musculature

Very firm, lithe, well developed.

Legs

Long, hind legs higher than the front legs.
 Fine boning, in proportion to the length and weight of the body.
 Firm musculature.

Feet

Small and oval.

Tail

Long, in proportion to the body.

• (SI / OS): Narrow at the base, tapering to a fine, “whip-like” tip.
• (BA / OL): Plumed, long and fringed.

Note

Allow for proportionally larger size in males.

COAT / COLOR / PATTERN

Coat

(SI / OS)
Very short, tight, close-lying, fine texture.

(BA / OL)
Semi-long, close-lying, light undercoat, fine, silky texture.
A shorter coat on the shoulders is allowed.

Color / Pattern

It is understood that there is variation in shade within each class.
 The emphasis is on soundness and clarity of color, not on the specific shade.

(SI / BA)

Even body color, with shading only in the point color.
 Allow for a darker body in older cats.
 There should be a definite contrast between body and points.

“Any color with white”: variable white and color markings all over the body; spots are not a fault.

Desirable:

• No stripes on the legs and tail (except lynx points)
• No body barring in any pattern

(OS / OL)

Even solid color in solid coats.
 Well-defined pattern, with clear contrast between markings and ground color.

GENERAL DESCRIPTION (IDEAL)

The ideal cat of this group is slender, graceful and refined, medium-sized, with long, tapering lines.

It should be in excellent physical condition: strong, lithe and muscular, conveying solid weight without excess bulk.

Although it is considered medium-sized, balance and proportion are more important.

The cat should “fit together”.
 If one part is extreme, all should be, to keep balance.

ALLOWANCES

• Slight dip above the eyes (“headache band”) in kittens and young cats up to 12 months
• Ghost barring in kittens up to 12 months
• SI / BA: incomplete development of the points and mask up to 12 months

PENALIZE

• Receding or excessively heavy chin
• Roman profile
• Roman nose
• Miniature size
• Any evidence of poor physical condition

SI / BA:

• Spots on the belly and flanks
• Tabby markings on the body in lynx points

WITHHOLD AWARDS (WW)

• Evidence of illness, poor health or extreme emaciation
• White lockets and buttons
• White toes and feet (including pads), except in “any color with white”
• White spots on the points (except “any color with white”)

DISQUALIFICATION (DQ)

• Visible tail defects
• Strabismus
• Visible protrusion of the cartilage at the end of the sternum (xiphoid process)

TEMPERAMENT AND GENERAL DISQUALIFICATIONS

Temperament must be gentle.
 Any sign of aggression results in disqualification.

Mandatory disqualifications include:

• Biting
• Fraud
• Males without two testicles
• Unauthorized absence of tail
• Unauthorized polydactyly
• Tail defects (where required)
• Strabismus (where required)
• Total blindness
• Incompatible size
• Chest deformity