Snowshoe

Dorothy Hinds-Daugherty, a breeder from Philadelphia, originated this cat breed in the 1960s. She wanted to create Siamese cats with white feet, as she had seen them in old photographs from the Victorian era. To achieve this, she crossed Siamese cats of moderate type with a bicolor American Shorthair and then with a Sacred Cat of Burma. She calls this new breed "Snowshoe," which means snowshoe, and it is recognized by The International Cat Association (TICA) in the 1980s. In France, the first litter was born in 2006 by breeder Vanille Mazuel. It is a breed that, despite the small development it has experienced in the United States, is still rare. The subjects living in Europe are few in number. Despite the rarity of the cat, no mating with other breeds is authorized. This is explained by the fact that the majority of the specific characteristics of the Snowshoe are due to recessive genes, which can only be expressed if they are present on both chromosomes in question. Each parent giving a chromosome to the new being, it is necessary that both are Snowshoes.

Character traits, however, remain perfectly individual and are first and foremost functions of the history of each cat, regardless of its breed. They are not described in the standards and constitute temperaments generally observed in the breed. The Snowshoe is described as a loyal cat and very attached to its owner, but nevertheless not as exclusive as the Siamese. The Snowshoe would be lively, with a strong character. It would also be intelligent and adapt easily. This cat with an assertive character, extremely lively, is a good hunter. Sociable, it gets along well with its peers and with dogs. Playful, it is an excellent companion for children. It is gentle and very affectionate with its master. Less demanding than the Siamese, it is more talkative than the American Shorthair.

This cat combines the massive side of the Sacred Cat of Burma with the elegance of the Siamese. It is a medium-sized, muscular, and agile cat. The silhouette of the Snowshoe should not be exaggerated; this is considered a defect. The legs are long with fine bones but developed musculature. At the end, the feet are oval and well-proportioned to the body. The tail is of medium length and thick at the base. It tapers toward the rounded end. The head is in the shape of an equilateral triangle with rounded contours. The cheekbones are high and one must see the bone structure, even in males that have full cheeks. The nose is of medium length, flat or with a slight bump. The ears are medium-sized and placed in the triangular extension of the head. The eyes are fairly large, oval to round in shape, and always blue (in all shades). The fur is short and silky. The coat can be any color accepted in the Siamese bicolor and white-tipped.