Snowshoe Cat

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Good with children
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Good with other pets

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Snowshoe Cat Personality

Breeders brave enough to take on the Snowshoe challenge find that the cat pays back the effort in love and affection. Anyone looking for an aloof, standoffish cat need not apply for Snowshoe ownership, fanciers claim that Snowshoes don't realize that they're cats; they consider themselves people. They love to touch and be touched. Very intelligent, they can be taught a number of tricks. Snowshoes are also known for their fascination with water and on occasion will climb into the tub for a swim, as long as it's their idea. While not as loud or vocal as the Siamese, Snowshoes are never at a loss for words.

Snowshoe Cat Breed Traits

One reason that the Snowshoe has not attracted more breeders in the 25 years of his existence is that blending all the genetic elements together to create the perfect Snowshoe isn't easy. Four traits in particular make it difficult. The first is the inverted 'V' facial pattern that should extend from the mouth to the whisker tufts above the eyes. This pattern is governed by the piebald white spotting gene symbolized (S). Because this gene is incompletely dominant, if a cat inherits two copies of the gene, he will have larger areas of white than a cat with one copy of the gene. The effect, however, is not consistent, and other genes can affect the white areas. It's difficult to predict how this gene will express itself, or predict which kittens will inherit two copies, so regulating the gene is a real challenge.

The second trait that gives breeders pause is the white boots for which the Snowshoe was named. This trait may be governed by the piebald gene as well, or may be governed by a recessive 'gloving' (g) gene. Either way, this trait is also difficult to control. Ideally, the boots should extend to the bend of the ankle in front, and to just below the hock joint on the back feet. Often, however, the white doesn't extend high enough or extends too high. Some-times a foot will lack white, and sometimes a Snowshoe will not possess any white at all.

Achieving the perfect Siamese pattern and shading can be challenging, too. The pointed pattern comes in either seal or blue point, because lavender and chocolate, being 'dilute' colors of seal and blue, tend to mask the white pattern important to this breed.

On top of everything, the Snowshoe standard calls for a body type that combines the heftiness of the American Shorthair with the length of the Siamese. Although the conformation is easier to perfect than the pattern, getting just the right head shape and ear set further complicates the already complicated. With this exacting standard, it's no wonder that creating the perfect Snowshoe is a tricky task.

Interested in the history of the Snowshoe cat breed?

In the late 1960s Siamese breeder Dorothy Hinds-Daugherty of Philadelphia produced a litter that included three Siamese kittens with the pointed pattern and pure white mittens and boots. Intrigued by the unique pattern, she worked for a few years at turning this variety into a breed, and then passed the torch to breeder Vikki Olander of Norfolk, Virginia. Siamese and American Shorthairs were used in creating the breed.

Olander wrote the first standard for the breed and gave the breed a paw in obtaining recognition. In 1974 CFF and ACA accepted the Snowshoe as an experimental breed, but interest dwindled and by 1977 Olander was the only Snowshoe breeder in the United States. It seemed that the Snowshoe might be just a passing fad.

After three years of struggle to keep the breed alive, several other breeders joined Olander and together they obtained Championship status from CFF in 1983; the ACFA granted Championship status in 1990. Breeders are working toward CFA acceptance, but currently don?t have enough cats and breeders to meet the CFA's requirements.

Despite the slow start, the last five years have seen the Snowshoe gain in both numbers and popularity. In the future, breeders will be working toward larger size, more uniform body type, and deeper eye color. They are also working toward getting the white gene under better control (see Conformation).

Copyright © 1998 by Barron's Educational Series, Inc. based on
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF CAT BREEDS by J. Anne Helgren.