The Snowshoe is a strikingly handsome cat that combines the heftiness and solidity of the American Shorthair, with the elegance and lithe lines of the Siamese.
Their head is rounded, with large slanting eyes and wide set ears. Long and athletic in the body, the Snowshoe has neat, oval paws and a moderate length tail. The overall picture is a medium sized cat that is well balanced physically, and built to run and jump.
The Snowshoe cat breed can suffer from:
- Polycystic kidney disease which is an inherited condition where cysts form in the kidneys. This affects kidney function and can eventually lead to kidney failure. However, it is worth noting that the risk of developing this disease in this breed is lower than in other cat breeds that are prone to the problem.
Testing available:
- DNA testing for polycystic kidney disease which tests whether or not a cat has the potential to be affected by this condition.
| Lifespan: | 14 - 19 years |
| Weight: | 3 - 5.5kg |
| Colours: | The coat is short, and combines the pointed colouration with tuxedo markings (white bib, blaze and socks), and as with all pointed coloured cats, the kittens are born white with the points darkening as they age. This means a kitten’s true appearance won’t be obvious until they are several weeks old. |
| Family-friendly: | 3/5 |
| Playfulness: | 5/5 |
| Intelligence: | 5/5 |
| Tendency to Vocalise: | 3/5 |
| Likes Other Pets: | 4/5 |
| Grooming needs: | 3/5 |
| Shedding: | 3/5 |
As you would expect from a cat whose ancestry is partly Siamese (and they are regularly crossed back to Siamese to retain these lines), the Snowshoe is edging toward the more extreme ‘chaos’ end of the cat personality scale. Less demanding and softer in voice than the Siamese, but still chatty and chirrupy, the Snowshoe can form strong bonds with owners, and be quite a bossy cat.
They are inclined to be inquisitive and curious, sometimes to the point of danger, though typically clever enough to get themselves out of trouble (however your ornaments may not survive!). Some are more friendly, some are loners, some take on a rather ‘care-giver’ role with their people – but however your Snowshoe turns out, they are certainly not a boring cat!
Country of Origin: Philadelphia, United States
The Snowshoe was developed in the early 1960’s by an American breeder who found three kittens in a Siamese litter, who all had white feet. Finding this an attractive look, she set out to create a breed that combined the Siamese elegance and pointed colouration, with the white tuxedo markings found in other breeds. She used the American Shorthair as the other half of this creation, with their more solid build rounding out the rather extreme Siamese shape. Interest in the breed came and went, and records were not kept well, but by 1989 there were around 30 breeders in the US and The International Cat Association accepted them with Champion status in 1994.
