Siamese Snowshoe Cat Information

The snowshoe cat, often called the Siamese snowshoe, is a descendent of the Siamese. Although the breed has only been recognized by cat showing organizations since the 1970s, it became very popular due to its beauty, temperament and intelligence. Snowshoes also have a much less irritating voice than a Siamese, according to the book "ASPCA Complete Guide to Cats."

  1. Appearance

    • Snowshoes look a lot like Siamese cats, except for its white paws and a white inverted V mark which can extend from the face to the belly. Their legs, tail, face and ears, called the points, are often the darkest parts of their coats. They are long and lean shorthaired cats, but not to the extreme of the modern Siamese. Snowshoes can come in other colors, but these cats are disqualified from cat shows because they are not the ideal color. Like the Siamese, they have blue eyes. Their faces are blunter than a Siamese face.

    Misconception

    • Even if both parents are ideally-colored Siamese snowshoe cats, it does not guarantee that their kittens will be ideally-colored. The kittens may wind up with drastically different colors such as black patches on a white body. The American Cat Fanciers' Association estimates that about half of snowshoe kittens born have colors that make them unacceptable for competing in cat shows.

    History

    • Snowshoes were first bred in Philadelphia by Dorothy Hinds-Daughterty. She crossed Siamese cats with American shorthairs and then crossed those kittens back to more Siamese. She began in the 1960s but gave up cat breeding in the 1970s. She passed the torch to breeder Vikki Olander, who wrote the first breed standard in 1974 and successfully campaigned for the breed to be recognized.

    Size

    • The stocky build of the Snowshoe makes it heavier than Siamese or other oriental cat breeds even though they're smaller in size. While the Siamese averages from 7 to 9 lbs., the Siamese snowshoe averages 8 to 12 lbs. The ideal Siamese snowshoe is slightly longer than tall, according to the American Cat Fanciers Association. Males are usually taller and heavier than females.

    Temperament

    • The Siamese snowshoe is a friendly, affectionate and playful cat. It will often become a lap cat and follow their owners about the home like a puppy. They also get along well with children, according to "ASPCA Complete Guide to Cats."