SNOWSHOE: THE CAT WITH WHITE MITTENS

The Snowshoe is so named for its characteristic white mittens, combining the pointing of the Siamese with white spotting, giving it crisp white paws.  The white mittens might come from either its Siamese ancestry, or that of the American Shorthair, also an outcross breed for this cat.  In the case of the Siamese, a fault of the early breed was white mittens.  The Snowshoe, with its white mittens, can come either in a limited white, or a bicolor, with more white on the face and body.  According to Bruce Fogle, DVM, the cats are outgoing and affectionate, as well as talkative; however, they have soft voices (Bruce Fogle, DVM, Catalog).

APPEARANCE

Snowshoes come in mitted colors of Seal, Chocolate, Blue, or Lilac, or Bicolors of all the same colors with white.  The cat's head is broad, with a modified wedge, and a slight stop in profile.  The ears continue the facial line, and it is the facial pattern that decides if a Snowshoe is mitted or bicolor.  An inverted V of white means the cat is bicolor, while anything less means it is mitted.  The amount of white on the body also determines whether it is a good or bad example of either pattern.  The "classic" Snowshoe is the mitted pattern.  White paws ideally stop at the ankles on the forelegs and below the hocks on the hindlegs, and the amount of white must not exceed one third of the body.  There may be some white on the face.  The coat is short, smooth, and close lying, with no noticeable undercoat.  The body is muscled and moderate in size, and the tail if of medium thickness, tapering slightly.

BREED HISTORY

Philadelphia breeder, Dorothy Hinds-Daugherty began crossing her Siamese and American Shorthairs in the 1960s.  The resulting hybrid was initially rejected by traditional Siamese breeders who feared the spotting might find its way back into the Siamese breed after years of work done to eliminate it.  The Snowshoe remains rare and was little known before the 1980s, when it was recognized by TICA. It has not been recognized by any of the other major registries; however, it has become very popular with many cat lovers (Bruce Fogle, DVM, Catalog).

CHARACTERISTICS AND CARE

The Snowshoe requires minimal grooming, and is self contained.  It is an active vocal cat, but talks in a soft voice.  Its weight range is from 6 to 12 pounds (2.5-5.5 kg).