Snow-shu: description of the cat breed from A to Z (55 photos with advice from breeders on education)

The Snowshoe is a relatively new and rare breed. Their origins can be traced back to the 1960s, when a Siamese cat breeder in the USA crossed them with American Shorthairs.

Their name (in English: Snowshoe) comes from their four distinctive white paws, which make them look like they are wearing snow boots.

They are known for their Siamese-like personalities, but they have their own distinct characteristics. They are usually affectionate, have strong bonds with their owners, are confident, intelligent and active.

Known to get along well with well-mannered dogs, they may be part of a multi-pet family, but they may be the ones clamoring for your attention!

Characteristics of snowshoe

History of snowshoe

The Snowshoe is a relatively new breed, although it is very close to the older Siamese breed. They only date back to the 1960s. American breeder of Siamese cats Dorothy Hinds-Doherty discovered three kittens in one of the litters, all of them had four white paws.

The paws combined with the bright Siamese markings really caught her attention. She decided that she was going to cross these Siamese cats with a domestic shorthair cat with tuxedo markings to try to develop this look.

Over time, this led to the development of a distinctive breed that has white markings on the face, paws and chest, and then a solid, darker coloring on the ears, tail and paws.

The breed is still rare. In the 1970s there was only one breeder. However, their popularity is gradually growing. They were first recognized in 1982 by the Federation of Cat Fanciers and then by the International Cat Association in 1994.

They gained further recognition as a result of the Internet celebrity status acquired by the late "Grumpy Cat", who is believed to have been a Snowshoe cat.

Siamese cat in socks: characteristics of the breed

Snowshoe cats are small, their average weight is 4-4.5 kg. Life expectancy is 12 years, but the animal can live up to 15 years.

The cat's head is wedge-shaped with high, soft cheekbones. The ears are slightly rounded at the tips. The eyes are oval-shaped, from pale blue to bright blue. The brighter the color, the more valuable the cat.

The body is very proportional and powerful. The tail is of normal length, gradually tapering towards the tip.

The pet's coat is white, blue point or seal point. There is always a V-shaped white spot on the muzzle, and white “socks” on the paws.

Snowshu are very playful and active creatures that get along well with other pets. They are sociable, extremely friendly and intelligent. They are easy to train and are as loyal to their owners as dogs.

Snowshoe care

Although Snowshu can sometimes be a little aloof with strangers, once they get to know you, they will develop strong attachments and you should be prepared for them to be around you 24/7. They are not suitable to be regularly left alone for long periods of time as they may become stressed.

They can be good cats for living in a home with respectful children and, given the right introductions, they live well with dogs and can even be a little bossy with them!

Snowshoes, like their Siamese relatives, are very intelligent and curious. You will often see them exploring their kingdom from a high vantage point and they also enjoy playing. Make sure you offer an environment with plenty of toys to prevent your cat from getting bored and starting to destroy your home.

Unlike many cats, Snowshoes even love to swim in water. They are easy to train compared to other breeds. Teaching your cat simple tricks and commands using positive reinforcement training methods can strengthen the bond between you two.

If you like peace and tranquility, then choosing a snowshoe is not the best option. Like their Siamese relatives, they have a special vocal ability and love to have their voices heard. They will communicate with you with various meows. Their volume levels are softer and less harsh than Siamese, some even call it a soft or melodic sound, but they are often noisy nonetheless.

This breed requires minimal grooming and they are known for their cleanliness. They may shed a little, so brush them with a rubber grooming brush once a week to get rid of any dead hair.

The ideal breed standard for them is to have darker markings on the ears, tail, paws and top of the muzzle. They will have a white chest, paws and underside of the muzzle.

They often have a V-shaped mask where a lighter base and darker spots intersect around the eyes. Kittens are born white and their darker spots only begin to develop as they grow older. Snowshu also have distinctive bright blue eyes.

How to breed

Kittens that fully comply with the standard appear less often in Snowshoes than in other breeds. As for mating, it proceeds normally. It is better to breed a cat after the second or third heat. When the kids (3-7) appear, look carefully at what class they belong to.

It is better to do the assessment at three months, since the color of the babies changes by then. Typically 1-3 kittens are discarded. The rest come in pet, breed and show class. Only the latter are suitable for participation in exhibitions, and breed-class cats are also suitable for breeding.

But representatives of the breed are so beautiful and amazing that even a simple pet can bring a lot of joy.

What do snowshoes get sick of?

Because Snowshoes are a new breed, there are no details about the underlying hereditary problems to which they may be susceptible. They are generally considered quite healthy.

They can sometimes be predisposed to cross-eyed eyes and a curved tail, which are genetic traits that Siamese are known for. Neither of these will cause any discomfort or problems for your cat if she was born with these features, they just look different.

Dental disease is one of the most common health problems for cats of any breed and is completely preventable. Make sure you're feeding your cat quality food, and if she's patient enough, you can even work on adding dental brushing to her weekly grooming schedule. It may help to get them used to having their mouth examined from an early age and associate it with good things.

How to take care of the health of “white legs”

“Snow Shoes” have enviable health, inherited from American shorthair cats. They inherited some defects associated with squint and curvature of the tail only from the Siamese. If there are defects, the price of the kitten is reduced significantly.

Despite excellent health, trips to the veterinarian should be made at least once every six months. Vaccination of kittens begins at three months, with standard vaccinations, and the procedure is repeated annually. Before going to the vet, do deworming.

How and what to feed your snowshoe

All cats should be fed a quality meat diet as they are carnivores. The first ingredient you should look for in cat food should always be meat. If your cat lives in the same house as a dog, don't make the mistake of thinking that it will be possible to feed them the same food.

Cat food has a different balance of vitamins and minerals than dog food. For example, it will contain much more of the amino acid taurine, which is found in animal proteins. If your cat is deficient in taurine, it can lead to eye and heart problems that can be life-threatening.

Education and training

Snowshoes are highly trainable, so litter box and scratching post training will be easy if you start training with young claws.

This breed inherited from the Siamese their high intelligence for cats, which, combined with an easy-going disposition, makes it possible to learn various tricks and useful skills. For example, Snowshoes can learn to relieve themselves in the toilet, fetch a toy, and open doors.

Where to buy snowshoe

You can buy Snowshoes on ad sites or by searching for breeders on the Internet. We found several snowshoe nurseries immediately after the request “buy a snowshoe”, I think you won’t have any difficulties with this.

Be careful, there are a lot of scammers profiting from the pet market and the scheme is usually simple - they charge you an advance payment for non-existent kittens and then the sellers disappear.

It often happens that unscrupulous sellers can sell you an ordinary mixed-breed yard cat, just similar, under the guise of a Snowshoe.

Therefore, if you want to buy a truly purebred Snowshoe cat, then you need to study many offers and take your time with the purchase - your kitten will not leave you.

If you have information about respectable Snowshoe breeders, please write them in the comments.

What is the nature of the “white shoes”

“White Shoes” are characterized as animals with an ideal disposition. Owners describe them as cats with an angelic character and say that their pets are much better than many people. Indeed, Snowshoes do not seem to remember at all that they belong to a genus of independent cats that walk on their own. They are loyal, affectionate, like a dog, and show almost no aggression even when they are “harassed” by other pets or children. Cats are not vindictive and easily forgive insults.

White-legged kittens are very playful and curious. They allow children to stroke and cuddle themselves and play with them with pleasure. But their favorite pastime is watching what is happening from somewhere above. Therefore, it is best to make for them a house with an observation platform, from which they could monitor all the events in the house, trying not to miss anything important.

There are two features that distinguish pets from other breeds: they love water and open doors easily. Cats enjoy taking a bath and are willing to stare at the trickle of water for a long time. It seems that at this time they are thinking about something mysterious that is incomprehensible to humans. If suddenly the cat gets “lost” in the apartment and you don’t know where to look for it, just turn on the water in the kitchen. She will immediately come out of her hiding place to look at the stream of water and listen to its noise.

When it comes to doors, Snowshoes are simply champions at opening them. Even a locked door won't stop them.

But if you are often absent, this is a real tragedy for snowshu. As soon as you return home, the cat will not leave you behind. She will follow you around, meow loudly, complaining that you forgot about her.

Snowshoes feel very comfortable in an ordinary apartment. If you want to train it a little, the animal will quickly learn to follow commands and will do it with great pleasure. Since pets love toys, buy several of them at once and play with your cat as you would with a dog. Throw a toy, and she will bring it back and wait for you to throw it again.

How much does snowshoe cost, price?

The price of a snowshoe varies depending on the presence or absence of documents and pedigree.

Even a brief review of advertisements for the sale of snowshoes in Moscow, St. Petersburg and other cities gave us a wide range in prices from “a snowshoe mixed breed will be placed in good hands for free” to 3,000 rubles and much higher.

Naturally, the price depends on what you need a cat for - for the soul without documents - the price is lower, for exhibitions and breeding - the price increases two to three times.

If you have any objections or clarifications regarding the price of snowshoe, please write them in the comments.

Breed table

Brief information about the Snowshoe breed.