Cat Breeds And Types Of Cats

Snowshoe Overview

The Snowshoe cat is so named because of their white feet and upside down white v-shaped muzzles. They are a breed of Siamese and usually have blue eyes. Their markings depend on a combination of recessive genes, which makes them a rather rare breed.

How the Unique Breed was Discovered

The Snowshoe was first discovered by a Siamese breeder named Dorothy Hinds-Daugherty in the Philadelphia area in the 1960’s. Daugherty noticed that three of her kittens in one litter had what appeared to be a “white boot” look on their feet. Since it’s darker feet that are typical of the Siamese, she didn’t want to register them as Siamese. Daugherty then proceeded to breed her Snowboots with an American Shorthair and was able to successfully result with a Snowshoe line.

Snowshoe Cats Have Few Health Issues

The Snowshoe cat breed tends to be an overall very healthy one. However, like the purebred Siamese, they do tend to be vulnerable to dental issues, such as gingivitis so it’s a good idea to regularly monitor and brush their teeth. Since their hair is so short, they rarely shed and usually, their self-cleanses are enough for them to get by. Though brushing them on a regular basis to remove the dead skin cells that they can’t get to is never a bad idea. The Snowshoe cat breed is known for having a long life span and are known for living for up to almost 20 years. They are medium-sized cats and a maximum of 12 pounds is considered to be a healthy weight. However, Snowshoe females tend to be a little smaller, weighing up to 10 pounds.

Personality of this Unique Breed

The Snowshoe cat breed generally tends to be cheerful and even-tempered. The Snowshoe is very social and tends to get anxious if left alone for hours on end during the day. As a result, the Snowshoe cat is a good one to bring home to a family with young and playful children. The Snowshoe may pick a favorite but most are always at least friendly to everyone. However, if your schedule requires that you and/or everyone in your household be away from home for hours on end, it’s best to get a second cat or a dog that it can socialize with during that time period.

Comparison to the Purebred Siamese

Like the Siamese, the Snowshoe cat can be quite chatty but they are usually not as loud as a purebred Siamese. Snowshoe cats can be taught tricks similar to dogs in that they can be trained to fetch, to open doors. The Snowshoe cat breed is also perhaps one of the few who typically cooperate with walking on a leash. Unlike most other cat breeds, Snowshoes tend to enjoy water and have been known to swim on their own initiative.

Snowshoes Know How to be Quietly Energetic

Snowshoes are not known for restlessness and they typically don’t get upset very easily. However, they are physically active and don’t fear heights. In fact, they’re often seen perching in places that have a lot of vertical height. Snowshoes are recessive cats, which means that they lack the domination and aggressiveness that many other cats-especially purebreds-have.

Other Things You Need to Know about Caring for a Snowshoe

The Snowshoe cat breed tends to do best as an exclusively indoor cat. Because of their gentle nature, they tend to be more vulnerable to predators and other types of attacks, which can infect them or worse. They also run the risk of being kidnapped by experimental scientists and/or by a thief who is looking for a unique cat but doesn’t want to pay to adopt one.