Snowshoe cats are crossbred between a Siamese cat and an American Shorthair cat. It originated in Philadelphia, USA. The name `Snowshoe` refers to its significant white paws. The breed is a very friendly, affectionate, adorable Family companion.
The blended traits of Siamese cats and American Shorthair cats. This healthy and medium breed is adorable for cat lovers. A white-socked tabby cat breed.
Table of contents
Breed specialty of Snowshoe cat
Other names:
Silver Laces
Personality:
Intelligent, affectionate, playful, confident but attention seeker.
Coat patterns:
Tabby and colorpoint.
Coat colors:
Chocolate, Brown, Blue, Sable, Cinnamon, Lavender, Silver, Grey, Black, Ebony, Orange, Lilac, and Cream.
Coat Length: Short
Length:
Up to 30 Inches
Weight:
Up to 12 Pounds
Eye colors:
Only Blue
Life span:
Usually 15 years, but if you lead a good indoor life, it can be increased up to 20 years.
Hypoallergenic:
No
Origin:
United States
Origin of the Snowshoe cat breed
There was a cat breeder in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA, named Dorothy, hind daughter. In 1960, she discovered 3 litters of Siamese cats with white legs and paws with unique markings. She was delighted and decided to cross those Siamese kittens with American Shorthairs to retain the markings and White legs.
But offspring of Siamese and American Shorthairs missed the unique markings, but Dorothy’s desired look was accomplished, and she gave the breed name Snowshoe cats. Dorothy started to present the cats in local cat shows, but it wasn’t recognized then. Eventually, Dorothy left the Snowshoe breeding program.
Moving forward, Vicky Olander took the program. He wrote the first breed standard for Snowshoe cats and successfully obtained recognition from the Cat Fancier’s Federation (CFF) and American Cat Association (ACA). The Associations gave the experimental breed status for Showshoes in 1974. Olander was the last breeder of Snowshoes in the USA by 1977, and he was struggling for recognition and champion status for the breed.
There were two breeders in the USA, Jim Hoffman and Georgia Kuhnell, who were interested in Snowshoe cats. So, the 3 breeders were trying to keep the breed alive, and other breeders joined them. CFF gave the Champion Status to Showshoes in 1983.
In 1989, Olander abandoned the program as his finance was allergic to cats, but Snowshoe gained popularity and many followers by then. The breed obtained championship status at American Cat Fancier’s Association (ACFA) in 1990 and was recognized by the International Cat Association in 1993. Gradually Snowshoe was recognized by the Federation of International Feline and the Cat Fancier’s Association.
The appearance of the Snowshoe cat
Snowshoe cats have a medium-sized and strong attribute of their ancestors- Siamese cats. Its throat is slightly curved and medium-lengthed, and the muscles are strong. A wedge-shaped head, Blue, Large, Walnut-shaped eyes, and pointed big ears made them beautiful. Their V-shaped face and high cheekbones make them outstanding.
The Kinked-end tail increases their stunning beauty. The Siamese-looking cats have medium to long legs with Snow white paws. This is the trademark of this breed. Snowshoes have the same coat patterns, length, and colors as their ancestors Siamese. The breeds coats color was fully White at the very beginning. The rest of the colors have developed the coat colors.
Temperament and nature of Snowshoe cats
Snowshoe cats are lovable, adorable, concerned, playful, intelligent, vocal, social, and dependent. They love the company of their owners and family. They also like to pay and interact. You can’t leave them for long hours.
They get bored when nothing is left to do. So, you have to give company to them, or you keep 2 Snowshoe cats in your house. They need a big family and a busy household. However, they are chatty cats but don’t vocalize like their ancestor, Siamese cats.
They’re friendly with cat-friendly dogs and other cats. But they’re bossy to other pets. But don’t worry; it is a matter of joy. They also love to play with children but with polite children.
They love to both play and cuddle. After a busy playing time, they love spending time on their loving person’s lap. They also get bored if you ignore their meowing and will do anything to get your attention. They’re so intelligent they can open the doors and be taught tricks. The breed is fond of water. They easily jump into the bathtub and play there.
Caring, grooming, and exercising of Snowshoe cat
Snowshoes are shorthaired; minimal grooming and caring are enough for them. You need to brush their coat once a week, but the brushing should be increased in shedding season. Besides, their nail trimming and other cares are as usual. But, you need to take more care of their teeth as they’re prone to dental problems.
It’s better to brush their teeth every day if possible. As they’re very active and playful creatures, engage them in playing and exercises with various toys and cat trees. You can follow Positive Reinforcement Training Methods to make a better bonding between you and your pet. You can learn more from the internet about Positive Reinforcement Training Methods.
Living needs of Snowshoe cat breed
Your Snowshoe is very active, playful, and intelligent, like their Siamese and Abyssinian ancestors. So, provide them with a multi-level cat tree, running wheels, and many interactive toys. But your absence will make them bored. So, fix a daily playtime for them when you’re there.
Snowshoes are friendly with children and other pets. So, a full family with children and other pets will be a breeze for them. They hate to be left alone. So, if you live alone and only 2 members are in your family, 2 Snowshoes will be the best idea.
Health and problems that the Snowshoe cat breed is prone to
The breed is low-worry, hardy, and healthy. They usually don’t suffer from any serious health issues. Just vaccination and a regular vet checkup are enough for them. Sometimes kidney and heart disease may affect them. Be cautious about their health.
Some common health issues that any Snowshoe cat breed is prone to
Obesity:
Getting overweight due to a large appetite and inactivity in the sunset years of the cat’s life.
Dental diseases:
Gingivitis and other dental issues due to not taking care of the pet and excessive hair fall.
Vaccine-preventable infections:
Bacterial and viral infections include panleukopenia, Calicivirus, Rhinotracheitis, and Rabies. These problems are curable through vaccines.
Parasites: All kinds of worms and bugs can invade your Snowshoe. So, keep them protected from mosquitos and walk on wet soil.
Heart diseases:
Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy (HCM) and Dilated Cardiomyopathy.
Arterial Thromboembolism:
When blood clots grow in felines, it is called Feline Aerotic Thromboembolism (FATE).
Feline Lower Urinary Tract Diseases (FLUTD):
. When your kitty urinates out of the litterbox, it is high time to take it to the vet.
Renal failure:
When kidneys fail to function properly and clean waste from the blood- it is called renal failure.
Hyperthyroidism:
It means Thyroxin doesn’t control the metabolism. So the body gets obese.
Diabetes:
The Panchrius failed to generate Insulin- it is called Diabetes.
Allergy:
All kinds of itching on the skin and eyes are called allergies.
Emergency situations for Snowshoe cat
If your Snowshoe-
- Scratch or shake its head, tinder the ears, or discharge from the ears.
- Cloudiness, itching, or any kind of abnormalities in the eyes.
- Difficulties in urinating or discolored urine.
- Weakness, inactivity, or breathing in an open mouth.
- Lethargy or mental dullness.
- Any kind of abnormal behavior that it didn’t do before.
Take your kitty immediately to the veterinarian for a happy and good life of your kitty.
Food and nutrition that you need to feed Snowshoe cats
Just like the other breeds, Snowshoes need a high-quality feline diet according to their age. Don’t feed them much to avoid obesity and Diabetes. There are many commercial cat foods in the market. The mixture of wet and dry food is ideal for any cat.
Some facts about the snowshoe breed
- Snowshoes are born with a White coat, but with growing age, their coat colors are changed.
- There was a burglar kitty who was infamous for its burglary- Dusty- the Clepto Kitty. It stole many things and put them together.
- Grumpy cat (Tarder Sauce)- who was an Instagram celebrity. The cat had Millions of Instagram followers. It was a dwarf cat of a Calico cat mother and a Blue and White tabby father. It died in 2019. She had the negative marking of Snowshow, but the owner told her that her mother was a Calico cat and her father was a Blue and White Tabby,
- They know how to open the doors and cupboards.
- They like to jump into the water and play with it.
- Though Snowshoes was born in 1960, there were pieces of evidence of their existence before 1960. In a Victorian-age photograph, a cat was found there, like a Snowshoe cat with White legs and paws. On another Japanese silk screen, a white-legged cat was seen there.
- Their previous name was ‘Silver Laces.’
Cons of Snowshoe cats
- A vocal breed but not like the Siamese. They have a sweet meowing.
- Snowshoes can’t be left alone for long hours. Either you must have a full family, or you have to keep other pets in your house.
- They need a lot of mental stimulation.
Snowshoe cat breed overview
The offspring of Siamese and American Shorthair Snowshoes are very active, playful, loveable, affectionate, and a bit bossy to other pets. Their White shoes are the most significant trait of the breed. They’re not much friendly with strangers.
People need to gain their faith first. They’re happy with a full family with well-behaved children and other pets. Get bored when nothing is left to do and hate to be alone.
They suffer from separation anxiety from their owners. They vocalize with various meows but are less vocal than the Siamese, so if you want a quiet cat, Snowshoes aren’t for you.
From where to adopt a Snowshoe cat:
Remember that Snowshoes are rare. There are not so many breeders to provide a Snowshoe. You better go to a cat show. There are so many cats available to adopt. You may need to travel or wait to get your adorable Snowshoes.
