The Balinese cat is a beautiful elegant medium-sized cat breed with the same long svelte lines as the Siamese. The body is slender and graceful and the head has a straight profile with large ears which may have tufts. It has a fine, silky flowing coat which can be from one to several centimetres long and lies flat against the body. The tail is long and plumed with much longer hair. Th Balinese cat has no woolly undercoat and so it is classed officially as 'semi-longhaired'. The eyes are bright blue and oriental in shape and setting. The coat features the same coloured points (ears, face, legs, feet and tail) and mask as the Siamese. In the USA Balinese-type cats with additional markings to those accepted for the Balinese are known as Javanese.

The need-to-know

• Highly active and inquisitive cat
• Friendly but independent cat
• Very talkative cat
• Lean and elegant cat breed
• Requires grooming once a week
• Outdoor cat
• May require familiarisation before living with children

Bat-eared, big-eyed and wavy-coated, the Cornish Rex has a distinctive look and exceptionally silky coat due to not having guard hairs like other breeds. This active cat has a small, whippetlike body and loves to climb, leap and sprint. With kittenlike antics that last a lifetime, this feline likes to be where the action is. The Cornish Rex is perfect for those who want a cat to participate in their family life.

DID YOU KNOW? On July 21, 1950, in Cornwall, England, Nina Ennismore discovered that her domestic British Shorthair, a tortoiseshell-and-white cat named “Serena,” had given birth to a cream-colored male with tight rows of tiny curls that looked like a miniature lamb. Ennismore named the kitten “Kallibunker” and the breed Rex as it resembled the wavy fur of the Astrex rabbits she raised and exhibited.

The need-to-know

• Playful and curious cat
• Friendly but independent cat
• Somehow talkative cat
• Lean and elegant cat breed
• Requires grooming once a week
• Needs some out-door space
• May require familiarisation before living with children

The Devon Rex is sometimes called a poodle that purrs, due to her curly coat and wagging tail when she is happy. Also described as the pixie of the cat world, the Devon Rex has a pixielike face and large, inquisitive eyes. This extraordinarily social cat is a wonderful family pet that gets along well with cats and cat friendly dogs. A highly active breed, the Devon Rex is known for her clownlike antics.

DID YOU KNOW? Originally, it was thought that Devon Rex and Cornish Rex shared the same spontaneous genetic mutation responsible for their curly coats. When breeders realized that the cats had separate genetic variations, the first rexed cats, the Cornish Rex, were referred to as Gene I Rex and the Devon Rex as Gene II Rex.

The need-to-know

• Highly active and inquisitive cat
• Friendly but independent cat
• Somehow talkative cat
• Lean and elegant cat breed
• Requires grooming once a week
• Needs some out-door space
• May require familiarisation before living with children

The Munchkin cat breed is a medium sized cat with extremely short legs and a long spine. Munchkin cat's movements are described as being like that of a ferret, so it has not the feline grace of longer legged cats. Munchkin cats have a thick body with a well-rounded chest. The breed may have long or short hair. Both varieties have plush, all-weather coats with a silky appearance. The longhair Munchkin has a plumed tail. Munchkin cats can be in any colour or coat pattern and their walnut shaped eyes and can also be any colour.

The need-to-know

• Playful and curious cat
• Sociable and dependent cat
• Somehow talkative cat
• Average build cat breed
• Requires grooming once a week
• Indoor cat
• May require familiarisation before living with children

A Siamese in every nature except for her long, silky ermine coat, the Balinese, also known as the Javanese, has a distinctive luxurious tail plume. This long, slender cat is lithe but muscular. An easygoing breed with a clownlike personality, the Balinese adores people. This regal, aristocratic, intelligent cat is talkative, though less vocal than the Siamese. A healthy breed, the Balinese can live up to 20 years.

DID YOU KNOW? The long, elegant body of the Balinese prompted the breed being named after the graceful dancers from the island of Bali.

The need-to-know

• Highly active and inquisitive cat
• Friendly but independent cat
• Very talkative cat
• Average build cat breed
• Requires grooming once a week
• Non hypoallergenic breed
• Indoor cat
• Great family cat