Due to the difficulty in accurately recreating the colorpoint patterns, the Snowshoe Cat is a rare American breed. It is difficult to predict how its progeny will look due to its varied piebald gene pattern, and the kittens are also born colourless with the points showing only after 1-3 weeks. From 1960 to 1977, there was just one breeder left, Vikki Olander (Daugherty’s acquaintance), as the interest in creating this breed began to wane. Although it was previously recognised as an experimental breed by the “Cat Fanciers’ Foundation” and the “American Cat Association” in 1974, the number of registered breeders gradually increased, reaching over thirty by 1989. The Snowshoe breed received a “championship” from the TICA in 1994. The snowshoe’s coat and colour markings, which both pay homage to her Siamese origins, are two of her most distinguishing characteristics.
Snowshoe kittens are all-white when they are born, but they start to get black traits as they become older. Like a Siamese, this breed has a seal point or blue point. The International Cat Association (TICA) states that this cat’s American shorthair genes are responsible for her having a coat that resembles a “tuxedo,” where the feet are a distinct colour. It’s common for the snowshoe cat’s coat to darken as she gets older.
Unique and beautiful, these snowshoe cat characteristics, coupled with her athletic build, make a striking combination. Unlike her Siamese cousins, this breed has a much rounder and fuller face and body. The male snowshoe is much sturdier than the female, but both have muscular bodies. Generally, the head is triangular (although some snowshoes may have round heads), with long ears that are rounded at the tips.
The snowshoe’s eyes are another striking feature, ranging from deep to pale blue. No matter the shade of blue, they’re always bright and shining.
Personality traits of snowshoe cat breed:
The snowshoe cat has a lively disposition and is a highly friendly and intelligent animal. She will use whatever means necessary to grab your attention, such as leaping onto your lap when you are trying to work or keeping a close eye on you from a high perch. If you have a snowshoe, you might want to buy a cat condo for your furry buddy since she enjoys being up high.
She obviously does not have the nature of the solitary cat and finds it difficult to be content when left alone for extended periods of time. This type of cat will bond with one pet parent, so if you’re the fortunate one who gets one, you’ll quickly realise that you have a constant companion—much like a dog. According to TICA, “They like to be close to you, but unlike a dog, they like to lead you rather than follow you.” “Once ‘owned,’ you won’t want to be without one ever again,” The snowshoe is happiest at home with everyone, and because she is so friendly, she makes an excellent pet for households with young children or other cats.
Living With snowshoe cat breed:
It won’t take long for you to realise how much a snowshoe loves her people if she joins your family. According to Animal Planet, Snowshoe is not the kind of cat for people looking for an aloof, distant pet. Snowshoes are thought to think of themselves as people, according to folklore. After you’ve been gone for a while, she will likely greet you at the door and start chatting away about what she’s been doing. This trait comes from her Siamese ancestry.
Given her high level of intelligence, the snowshoe can get into some trouble, so keep her entertained with a variety of entertaining cat toys, especially while you are away from home. Throw her toy mouse across the room; being athletic and quick, she will enjoy the cat exercises and a fast chase around the house. You won’t believe how swiftly she pursues it.
If she chooses to join you in the tub, don’t be shocked. The river appeals to snowshoes. The snowshoe enjoys swimming, unlike many cats who prefer splashing around in the water and placing their paws under a running faucet. She will be occupied for hours if you give her a shallow pitcher of water to splash around in.
History of snowshoe cat:
The snowshoe cat is a relatively young breed that first appeared by accident. According to PetMD, “a Siamese cat breeder in Philadelphia was shocked to see three kittens in a litter with the typical Siamese pattern but with strange white feet and’socks’ in the late 1960s.” The animals charmed the woman straight out of her socks, and after a sluggish start, she asked for and received help from another breeder. According to PetMD, this resulted in “mixing Siamese cats with American shorthairs,” but over the past several decades, the favoured breeding pair for snowshoes has been the stockier, “older Siamese.” This helped create the breed as it is known today.
The Snowshoe’s stiff, favoured pattern—whose markings are mentioned above—has made it difficult for the breed to win recognition from many of the world’s top cat organisations, which has contributed to the breed’s gradual ascent and rarity. These kinds of markings are caused by recessive genes, making it extremely difficult to duplicate them.
The breed’s history is also inconsistently and patchily documented. It is challenging to determine the Snowshoe’s ancestry since, according to TICA, “Much of the history of the Snowshoe was lost due to poorly kept records over time.” The Snowshoe saw a decline in popularity in the 1970s, but it soon recovered. The breed was recognised as “experimental” in the 1980s, and in the 1990s, TICA and the American Cat Fanciers’ Association (ACFA) granted it full status recognition.
Despite having some Snowshoe characteristics, one of pop culture’s most well-known cats, Grumpy Cat (actual name Tardar Sauce), claims to be a mixed breed. She “seems to have some Persian, Ragdoll, or Snowshoe in her family,” according to them. The parents of Tardar Sauce, however, are not Siamese or directly sprung from an Asian family.
It’s interesting to note that the Snowshoe cat, despite being a new breed, already existed prior to the 1960s, as evidenced by an old Victorian photograph of a purebred Siamese litter in which the front kitten has four white feet and an older Japanese silk-screen depicting a cat peering around a corner at a spider. These two instances show that cat enthusiasts have been fascinated by the abnormality of white-footed Siamese for far longer than a few decades.
The traits that distinguish the Snowshoe cat as a rare and special feline are also the traits that cat enthusiasts find charming and attractive. She adores nothing more than cuddling up and showing her pet parents how much she cares.