Snowshoe

The Snowshoe is the cat with white paws. In the 1960s, a Philadelphia breeder named Dorothy Hinds-Daugherty found three Siamese kittens with white feet in a litter. She decided to develop the look and crossed Siamese with bicolor American Shorthairs, and the Snowshoe was born. The name comes from the white feet, like snowshoes.

The pattern is the signature. A Snowshoe has the pointed coat of a Siamese, with a darker face, ears, legs and tail, combined with white on the feet, from the toes to the ankles, and often a white inverted V on the face. The best marked cats have four white boots that look as if dipped in snow.

The eyes are blue, and they are rounded rather than almond-shaped. The head is a modified wedge, with a medium-sized body, and the cat is solidly built, sturdier than a Siamese. The coat is short and comes in seal point and blue point, with other colors in some registries.

The marks are hard to breed. Because the white spotting gene is not fully predictable, a litter of Snowshoes will vary, with some kittens having perfect markings and others having too little or too much white. This makes the Snowshoe a rare cat, and one with a good pattern is a prize.

The personality is affectionate and social. Snowshoes are intelligent, playful and sweet, and they bond with their people and often follow them from room to room. They have a soft voice, quieter than a Siamese, and they love to chat in a quiet chirp. Many love water and will play in a sink or a bathtub.

Care is easy, a weekly comb is enough. Health notes include dental disease and the heart disease HCM, so ask breeders about screening. A healthy Snowshoe can live fourteen years or more. Give it company, a window and a warm lap, and it will wear its white boots proudly.