This is the longhaired version of the Siamese cat, named the Balinese because Siamese breeders disliked the use of the name Siamese Longhair and because a southeast Asian name, which also recalled the dancers of the Indonesian is land, seemed appropriate. Breeding began in the USA in the late 1940s but it was not until 20 years later that recognition was given by most American associations and more than another decade before it was recognized in Europe.