Javanese cats are faithful companions who will follow you from room to room, chatting at you along the way. The Javanese shares many similarities with the Siamese, but there are subtle differences between the two.
Playfulness
Activity Level
Friendliness to Other Pets
Friendliness to Children
Grooming Requirements
Vocality
Need for attention
Affection towards owners
Docility
Intelligence
Independence
Hardiness
Disclaimer: While the characteristics mentioned here may frequently represent this breed, cats are individuals whose personalities and appearances will vary. Please consult the adoption organization for details on a specific pet.
Personality
Javanese cats, like their Balinese relatives, are playful, devoted, and always eager to tell you their views on life, love, and what you’ve served them for dinner. Javanese (and their Siamese relatives) have a fascination with food, and, while some will burn off the extra calories in playful antics, care must be taken that the less active don’t turn into butterballs.
Known for their curiosity, intelligence, and excellent communication skills, the Javanese breed is perfect if you want a responsive, interactive cat, one that will blow in your ear and follow you everywhere. Their meows seem definite attempts to communicate, and they look you directly in the eye and seem to answer when spoken to. Fanciers say that the Javanese are easy to train, and are not quite as demanding of your time and energy as are Siamese.
Physical Attributes
Body
Thick semi-foreign body, not compact. Back gently slopes upward from
shoulders to tail. Well-rounded chest and firm hips. Boning medium, without undue bulk. Firmly developed muscular strength.
Head
Modified wedge with rounded contours, in proportion with body. High,
defined cheekbones. Chin firm, but not overly prominent; aligns with
nose. Muzzle moderate with gentle contours in proportion with head. Nose medium in length; slight bump is acceptable; slight stop. Forehead is flat.
Ears
In proportion with head, broader at base, ending in slightly rounded
tips; placed as much on top of head as on sides; not flaring; alert.
Eyes
Walnut shaped; spaced rather wide apart giving an open and alert
expression, and at a slight angle toward base of ears. No relationship
between coat and eye color.
Legs & Paws
Legs short, set evenly apart when viewed from front or back. Upper and
lower forelegs equal in length. Hind legs, thigh and lower leg approximately
equal in length. Feet are round, compact in proportion with body. All four feet
pointed directly straight forward, not inward or outward.
Tail
Carried erect when in motion, tapering to a rounded tip. Not overly
thick. Length of the body.
Color
Red, cream, tortie, lynx point; may have white lockets or buttons
Coat: Long Hair
Semi-long. Texture flowing and silky, all-weather, with moderate and
medium undercoat. Slight to moderate ruff permissible. Britches are
shaggy; tail has full plume.
Coat: Short Hair
Medium to short. Solid colors may have a less dense coat. Texture
semi-plush, all-weather, resilient, with medium undercoat and lustrous
appearance.
History
The Javanese is one breed in a line of designer Siamese-style cats that includes the Balinese, Colorpoint Shorthair, Oriental Shorthair, and Oriental Longhair. These breeds were inspired by breeders who wanted to take the qualities of the Siamese and alter the coat and colors to their liking. All of these breeds share similar conformations and personality types. The differences between these breeds lie in the coat length, colors, patterns, and the cat association to which you happen to subscribe.
The Siamese comes in four pointed colors: seal, blue, chocolate, and lilac. The Balinese is a long haired version of the Siamese in the same color schemes. The Colorpoint Shorthair comes in pointed colors outside the four traditional Siamese colors; they come in red, cream, tortie, and lynx points. The Javanese is a long haired version of the Colorpoint Shorthair.
The CFA is the only registry that separates the breeds into the classifications Colorpoint Shorthair and Javanese. The other registries merely extended the color parameters of the Siamese and the Balinese to include the wider range of colors. The CFA’s reasoning behind the separate designations is that Colorpoint Shorthairs and Javanese are hybrids, which they are, since these colors were created by crossing the Siamese with other breeds. However, some breeders feel that separating the Balinese and the Javanese is like splitting cat hairs; both breeds share a body type, personality, and coat, and the hybridization happened so long ago that it no longer matters. Other breeders zealously want the breeds kept separate to maintain the purity of the Siamese and Balinese lines.
The Javanese shares much of its history with the Balinese breed. The Javanese isn’t from the Isle of Java any more than the Balinese is from Bali; the name was bestowed because of the nice, romantic ring. One of the foundation cats of the Javanese breed was created by crossing a Balinese to a Colorpoint Shorthair. The result was a cat with all the characteristics of a Siamese but with a longer coat length and a color outside the basic four. These colorful longhairs were recognized by the CFA in 1987.
