Origin of the snowshoe cat
Snowshoe cats are one of the most recent feline breeds, since their origin only goes back about 50 years in time. Thus, it was at the end of the 1960s when an American breeder named Dorothy Hinds-Draugherty crossed Siamese cats with American shorthair cats, obtaining offspring with a peculiar pattern on their coat. It should be noted that it is unknown how this woman managed to keep the colors of the coat and its distribution stable, while also preserving the colourpoint scheme, that is, with a darker coloration on the face, tail and ears.
The International Feline Federation officially recognized the snowshoe breed in 1974, just a few years after its appearance. Nor did it take much longer to be made official by European organizations such as the World Cat Federation, which included it as a breed in 1984, only 10 years later.
Features of the snowshoe cat
Halfway between a Siamese and an American Shorthair, Snowshoe kittens have a series of characteristics inherited from these two precursor breeds. From the Siamese they inherit their look, of an unmistakable and penetrating blue, in addition to a stylish and long body, with a face with the same triangular shape as that of the Siamese. On the shorthair side they receive a muscular build and their characteristic white socks
Snowshoe cats are medium-sized and usually weigh between 3 and 5 kilograms. As is common, females are somewhat lighter than males. Its body is athletic and proportionate, ending in a tail that is wider at the base than at the rounded tip. The legs are relatively wide and end in rounded feet that are always white, contrasting with the rest of the leg.
His neck is erect, graceful and elegant. The snowshoe face is triangular and has a firm chin, with a white spot in the shape of an inverted V Their eyes are an icy blue, like that of the Siamese, oval and large. The ears are medium or large and wide based.
Snowshoe cat colors
The fur of snowshoe cats is dense and short in length. Its appearance is satin and does not have a woolly layer. The most accepted colors are the solid points and the tabby points, which must present some defined markings and in accordance with the color of the body. They must always have those feet and that vee as a white mask, as it is the most important part of the standard of this breed. The neck and belly are also white.
Cat snowshoe puppy
Although born white, in the puppy snowshoe you can appreciate the physical characteristics of this feline breed after a short time. As for character, at this stage we must worry about their socialization to help them better accept any changes they may have to face in the future, such as contact with other animals. For this, it is good to expose them to all kinds of stimuli from the first moment they arrive at home.
Snowshoe Cat Character
Snowshoe felines are very calm, peaceful and good-natured, as they have inherited the good character and docility of the American shorthair. Coexistence with both children and other animals is excellent, making it an ideal cat for families and for sharing a home with other animals, whether they are cats or other species.
Specifically with the little ones in the house, he shows very patient and playful, enjoying long hours of games and caresses, since they are very affectionate cats and love to be paid attention to. We can take advantage of their intelligence and curiosity to design games and circuits to entertain them. We can even prepare joint games for the children and the cat or let the children themselves think up new activities for the enjoyment of both.
On the other hand, we must bear in mind that this breed has inherited from the Siamese its particular and constant meowing, so It will be essential for us to learn to live with these vocalizations with which they usually transmit both their needs for attention and that they feel annoyed for some reason.
Snowshoe cat care
As we pointed out, snowshoes have a short coat and no woolly layer, so to keep it clean and cared for, weekly brushing is enough. Although it is not usually necessary, we can bathe our snowshoe sporadically.
Regarding care in general, we must pay attention to cleaning your teeth and mouth, it is advisable to brush your teeth every so often, using specific products for cats. We will also have to take care of their ears, for which we can use ear cleaners as often as our veterinarian advises us according to the specific needs of our feline.
We must provide him with a he althy and balanced diet that covers all his energy and nutritional requirements. At the same time, we will ensure that you move and exercise on a daily and regular basis to help keep you at an optimal weight and to release your energy in a controlled way. For this, it will be essential to provide an adequate environmental enrichment, with a variety of scratchers, toys and intelligence games. Likewise, we will dedicate part of the day to playing with it.
Snowshoe Cat He alth
Given the good practices that have been developed when it comes to raising felines of the snowshoe breed, these do not present serious congenital diseases or especially common in the breed.
Even so, we will have to pay attention to all the recommendations of our trusted veterinarian and visit him as often as he tells us to carry out check-ups and check-ups. We must also keep our cat dewormed and vaccinated according to its needs, in addition to taking care of regular oral and hearing cleanings.
Where to adopt a snowshoe cat?
The first place to adopt a snowshoe cat is the protector or the closest kennel to our home. Although there are exceptions, it is normal that it is more frequent to find adult specimens and crosses than purebred kittens. We must bear in mind that the snowshoe is not very widespread in Spain. If we don't discover any nearby, we can search the internet, since there are associations that send animals to other provinces and there are even those that are dedicated exclusively to a single breed.
Another option is to ask at veterinary clinics, as they sometimes know of individuals looking for new homes for their cats. Reviewing adoption announcements in the press or on internet portals is another way to get a snowshoe, although you have to be aware that these cats will not have the same he alth control as those adopted through shelters.
