Mary Allen
As with many other breed stories, the beginning of the Snowshoe was a coincidence – and of course a little bit of luck. Learn all about the Snowshoe cat breed here.
Snowshoe cats are among the most popular pedigree cats among cat lovers. Here you will find the most important information about the Snowshoe.
Origin Of The Snowshoe
The history of the Snowshoe – also known as the snowshoe cat – began in the American state of Pennsylvania in the 1950s. But it took another ten years before the desired breeding result – a cat with point markings and white paws at the same time – was achieved.
A cat breeder received kittens with “snowshoes” on their feet in a litter of Siamese cats. This event was initially viewed as an unwanted and unwelcome blunder of nature. The white socks on the legs were completely in contrast to the darkly marked legs required for the Siamese. However, the differently colored kittens quickly became known and so a new breed was created from the Siamese tribe, which was particularly noticeable because of its distinctive white paws and the characteristic facial mask. In Germany, the short-haired Snowshoe cat breed is still rare.
In order to consolidate the current standards of the Snowshoe, American Shorthair cats were outbred and then mated back to Siamese cats. The Snowshoe was recognized as a breed in 1982. The first European breeders started their breeding programs in Great Britain in 1986. In Europe, recognition as a breed was followed in 2004 by the largest European breeding association, FiFé.
The Appearance Of The Snowshoe
The Snowshoe is a medium-sized, massive cat with the slender yet powerful body of its Siamese ancestors. The supple muscles are very well developed, the back is slightly arched. The Snowshoe’s head sits wedge-shaped on the body, its ears are large and pointed, and its large, almond-shaped eyes are a bright blue. With a tail that tapers towards the end, the snowshoe underlines its elegant and supple appearance. The tail is thick at the base. The Snowshoe stands on long and straight legs.
Coat And Colors Of The Snowshoe
The Snowshoe is a short-haired white point cat with a dense and close-fitting coat to the body. The typical and eponymous “snowshoes” on the paws of the Snowshoe are shorter on the front legs than on the back legs. The Snowshoe has the coat color of the Siamese with white markings on the face, chest, feet, and some parts of the legs. On the face, the white marking is an inverted V. Preferred colors are seal and blue.
A litter of snowshoe kittens is always a surprise package. The young kittens are born white and only develop the different colorings in the course of their further development. After about ten days you can see the coloring of the Snowshoe kittens.
The Temperament Of The Snowshoe
The Snowshoe unites several souls behind its white bib: on the one hand, it is a sensitive cat that needs a lot of rest, on the other hand, it is very lively and sociable and has great difficulty being alone. She is considered cheeky, curious, and intelligent. Like almost all cats, the Snowshoe has a mind of its own. In keeping with their Siamese heritage, Snowshoes are also talkative and love to chatter.
However, the Snowshoe is not a family cat and should ideally not be in a household with small children. Owners should spend a lot of time with her.
Gaming is her great passion, which should also be encouraged. To avoid boredom and keep the Snowshoe busy with as varied play options as possible. The intelligence of the inquisitive animals can be challenged with a fiddle board or daily clicker training.
Keeping And Caring For The Snowshoe
With its pleasant and balanced nature, the Snowshoe is very well suited for an indoor cat. This sensitive cat does not tolerate a noisy environment at all. But the Snowshoe needs a way to withdraw from the hustle and bustle. Therefore, she is not suitable for new cats: Owners should recognize the signs of this need for rest and allow her the desired freedom. However, since she is very sociable, her two-legged roommates should plan a lot of time for the human-oriented breed and support their joy of movement with a wide range of playing and climbing opportunities.
As intensively as owners have to take care of the Snowshoe, the sensitive cats do as little work in grooming. Despite this, she should be brushed several times a week.