Snowshoe cat: description of the breed, character and photo

Classification Origin: was bred in the 60s of the last century in the USA (Pennsylvania)

Class: not classified

Color: white “socks” on the paws are required, the main colors are nut (silpoint), but a blue version (bluepoint) is also allowed, the percentage of white on the body is not higher than 65-70%.

Sizes: medium, males are slightly larger than females, weight from 2.5 to 5.5 kg

Life expectancy: from 9 to 15 years, on average – 12 years

Snowshoe is the cat you can only dream of. Spectacular, graceful, aristocratically restrained. Today we will tell you how to care for the nut beauty.

The snowshu in the photo immediately strikes you with its aristocracy. An amazing cat, everything about her is proportional, there is nothing superfluous.

There is a noticeable great resemblance to the Siamese. This is not without reason: the Snowshoe is a direct relative of the Siamese cat.

The breeds are very closely related, but differ in appearance and character. Let's get to know the “white legs” better.

• 2 Psychology
• 3 Application
• 4 How to choose a kitten
• 5 Features of care
• 6 Combing
• 7 Walking
• 8 Food
• 9 Health
• 10 Characteristic diseases
• 11 Vaccinations
• 12 Mating

History of the breed

The name of the breed is literally interpreted as “snow slipper”. This is a young breed of cat. The story began in the second half of the previous century. Her appearance is due to the American breeder Dorothy Hinds-Doherty. For many years she was interested in breeding cats, which included Siamese. And Dorothy noted that a couple of such parents had kittens with an atypical coat color - white spots on the body and the same snow-white “golfies” on the paws.

This interested her, and she intended to consolidate this fact, as well as continue to work in this direction. True, success did not come immediately; I had to try many mating options. After several years of tireless work, everything worked out, only phenological organizations did not want to recognize the snow breed.

Dorothy despaired of trying and one day gave up her hobby. Only years later, American breeder Vicky Olander became her successor. It was only thanks to her efforts that the first Snowshu standard was developed.

This breed was introduced in 1974 as an experimental breed. After 8 years, snow-white cats began to participate in exhibition shows. And after another 4 years, a program for breeding this breed was adopted in Britain.

Unfortunately, Snoi-shu cats are not common. This is due to the fact that during breeding it is not known in advance how many purebred kittens will be born.

Mr. Cat warns: features of choice and cost of a kitten

If you decide to choose such an unusual pet as a “snow slipper” as your companion and decide on one of the five colors, or better yet, a nursery, then most likely you will have to wait. There are very few breeders and kittens.

The price of a kitten is very high. Even pet-class pets will not be sold for less than sixty thousand rubles.

Most of the catteries of these amazing cats are located in England. You can order a baby there, but it will be significantly more expensive.

The difficulty in choosing a kitten on your own is that it is impossible for a non-professional to determine whether the baby’s color matches the established standards. Absolutely the entire litter is born white. Even an experienced breeder will not be able to understand what will grow out of each newborn. Only by three to four weeks do the first hints of color appear. But even at this age it is still impossible to predict whether all the necessary “socks” and “triangles” will be in place. Therefore, it is better to purchase a kitten after four months, but remember that the final color will take until two years to develop.

When buying a baby snow, be sure to make sure that you are dealing with this particular breed. Ask to show you the nursery certificate and the pedigrees of the parents. A veterinary passport must be prepared for the pet with marks from the state veterinary clinic on vaccinations against rabies and known infections, and a deworming mark. If you purchase a show or breeding class kitten, be sure to receive a pedigree or birth certificate of the animal.

In Russia, only one professional nursery for these cats is known so far. And if you decide to choose a “snow slipper” of a rare white and pink color (red point), then you should contact English breeders and prepare yourself for a long, possibly more than one year, wait. For breeders, this is a difficult animal to breed precisely because of its exterior features. It is very difficult to mix all the genetic parameters properly and get the perfect male or female. The white color—the mark on the nose and bridge of the nose, the “socks”—is responsible for the non-dominant S gene. If an animal has two of these genes, then there will be more light color. It is difficult to obtain the perfect pattern and color of a Siamese when a mutating factor is included in the genotype.

Photo gallery of Snowshoe cats:
1111

Appearance

Pets with an extraordinary appearance
Cats of this breed are very graceful and harmonious in physique. They are medium or large in size. There is a dense skeleton and developed muscles. Their figure is rather massive, elongated, with long limbs and rounded paws. The tail is medium elongated, thick at the beginning and tapering towards the tip.

A characteristic feature of the Snowshu is the white socks on its paws and spots of the same color on its face. The head is in the form of an equilateral triangle, not elongated, like that of Siamese descendants. The eyes of Snow-shi cats are large, oval, expressive, slanted towards the bridge of the nose. The color of the iris is blue. Their ears are large and wide at the base. The coat is short, silky and shiny, rough to the touch. The whiskers of these kitties are long - 12 cm.

Grumpy Cat is the angriest snowshoe

The most famous representative of snowshoe is Grumpy Cat (Russian: Grumpy Cat). It is a cat, not a male cat, as many people think. The cat became popular in 2012 due to its distinctive appearance caused by dwarfism and malocclusion.

The meme with this sad cat became so recognizable that the animal was featured in two advertisements for Friskies food. The book “Grumpy Cat. An angry book from the most angry cat in the world” (Eksmo). The pet brought its owner about 100 million dollars.

The cat died in 2022 from a bladder infection.

Breed standard

In different phenological institutions, the breed standard varies, this applies to color. According to TICA, the standard looks like this:

Character

Snowshu's character is unique. The owner with such a tenant will not get bored. They are very active, inquisitive, intellectually developed and sociable. The breed also has increased love and tenderness. Despite their close family relationship with the scream-loving Siamese, Snowshoes will not meow shrilly - they are characterized by melodic sounds and only for good reason.

Cats who love to play

Snowshoes purposefully choose one leader for themselves - the owner. It is to him that they are devoted and pay attention to a greater extent. But they interact no less well with other family members and other pets, especially dogs.

These cats have a hard time withstanding loneliness and being ignored.

They love to have trouble with children and participate in all the affairs of the owners. The peculiarity of a pet with white socks is to enter into the position of a person and adapt to the mood. Snowshoes have a passion for water. They show interest not only in bathing, but also in the stream from the tap - they can sit for a long time and catch it with their paw.

Features of temperament

Combining the features of two cats with diametrically opposite temperaments, the “snow slipper” acquired a unique character:

• Quite balanced. Not conflicting at all. She loves her owner and is attached to him, but without pathological obsession. Stress-resistant, easily tolerates changes.
• Talkative, but slightly less than Siamese.
• She is moderately playful as an adult, but will happily look for treats or toys hidden from her.
• All snows, without exception, love water and will happily splash around in the heat. You can draw a bath and throw some toys in there, your pet will swim with pleasure. But you cannot force your pet to play such games. It should be his choice alone.

• They love to hold toys in their teeth. They resemble a dog in many other habits. They need to be petted and talked to often.
• Highly intelligent, easy to learn. They successfully remember commands, quickly learn to open all doors and drawers, and are especially interested in the refrigerator. A common phrase among breeders is that “shoes” don’t know that they are cats and consider themselves human. It would be ideal to provide cat puzzles or interactive toys and exercise equipment for such a pet.
• Friendly and peaceful. They will quickly get to know and charm everyone - family members, their guests, neighbors and acquaintances, and will also instantly find a common language with other pets and draw them into their noisy games.

• They behave patronizingly towards the owner. They often try to lick a person, protect him from a perceived danger, reacting to loud sounds, a bell or a knock on the door.
• Not vindictive, absolutely incapable of being offended for a long time, kind and sweet creatures.
• It is believed that these cats have a special therapeutic gift. There are known cases of snow detecting oncological tumors in its owner and curing migraines, bruises and other pains with endless massages of its white paws.

Colors

The most popular colors are blue and seal point, tortoiseshell. Other variations are difficult to breed. The coat should be the same color with shading present on the shoulders, flanks and back. It is lighter in the chest area and peritoneum. Snow-white inclusions should be present on the top of the body and head. Neck and inside thighs. If snow-white spots are present on the belly, this is not considered a defect.

As adults, Snowshu can be darker. It is only necessary to have a contrast between the base color and the pattern with markings. Kittens are usually lighter in color. Cats should have a clearly defined mask in the shape of the letter V, color on the tail, ears and limbs. These parts must be shaded. On the muzzle, a white muzzle is preferred, extending to the ears, white paws to the ankles and knee bends, of the same height. The nose can be pink, point or a combination.

These cats are often called pandas because of their spotting in certain areas.

Blue Point

Snow-shu blue point
The basic body tone in this case with a blue tint in the chest and belly. There are dark gray spots on the back and sides.

Seal Point

Seal point
In this case, the body is painted a warm milky color, and the chest and belly are beige or light brown. There are deep brown spots on the back and sides.

Tortoiseshell

Tortoiseshell color
Option involves a combination of three colors throughout the body. Ideally, the volume of light colors should be more than a third of the occupied area and concentrated primarily on the V-shaped face, paws and belly. The standard is considered to be “slippers” on all four paws. Only more often there are “golfies” at the back.

Breeding

As mentioned above, there are really few breeders ready to take on such a difficult breed to breed. Most snowshoe nurseries are located in the USA.

Cats reach sexual maturity at the age of 7-9 months, which means the onset of their first heat. However, the first mating is usually carried out no earlier than the third heat. Cats are bred from the age of one year. Finding the perfect partner for a cat from a genetic point of view is not easy.

It is definitely worth assessing the external breed characteristics of the cat proposed for mating. If a cat has deviations from the standard in the location of white areas of fur, then the kittens are highly likely to have even greater color defects. Tail creases and strabismus can appear in offspring, even if the father and mother did not visually have such problems.

The frequency of births for a Snowshoe cat is no more than twice in three years. This will protect the cat from weakening of the body and prevent infectious diseases in kittens.

Snowshoe nursery in Moscow - “Snow Angel”.

Care and maintenance

These cats are clean cats, so they are independent in terms of personal hygiene. The goal of the owners is to provide assistance in this matter.

Care means:

• cleansing the ears with cotton swabs and zoo oil (once every 7-8 days);
• rubbing the eyes with cotton swabs soaked in a tea solution or a special liquid from a veterinary pharmacy (twice a week);
• nail trimming (2 times a month);
• brushing your teeth using a specialized paste and brush (twice a week);
• combing fur (once every 2 weeks, and when shedding, every day);
• bath procedures (usually once a quarter).

A massage mitten or a brush with natural bristles is suitable for combing out fur. The essence of this procedure is not only to eliminate dead hairs, but also to stimulate blood circulation in the skin and stimulate the growth of the undercoat. This also helps to distribute the fat layer evenly over the surface (it protects against external negative factors).

These representatives love to swim, so there will be no problems. In this case, it is permissible to use special detergents.

The nursery is the result of the breeder’s own efforts

the fruit created by his labor is his passion, to which he devotes himself entirely, but it is also his round-the-clock work: without vacations, weekends and sick leave, without the right to give up or put it off for later.

Reproduction

A difficult breed to breed.
Breeding the Snowshoe is the same as that of other breeds, with the exception of a number of points. Here, it is not the mating itself that is considered difficult, but the achievement of a standard color in the offspring. The fact is that kittens are rarely born with the exact pattern on their coat, so most are discarded. If the goal is not to get ideal representatives, but pretty cats with “white socks,” then the process is simplified.

Puberty in animals occurs during the first estrus (at 8-9 months). And the first mating is carried out only for the third time. Finding a suitable “groom” or “bride” for Snow-shu is difficult. It is recommended to look for it in the nursery where the kitten was purchased. You should not agree to offers on dubious advertisements.

What criteria are used to select a partner:

1. Pedigree (all accompanying documents are required).
2. Health and well-groomed appearance, availability of vaccinations. (confirmed by certificates from a veterinarian).
3. Sexual experience.
4. Appearance of a cat.

It should be taken into account that upon successful mating, one kitten from the litter is taken by the partner's owner. It is possible that he will ask for a monetary reward in return. Such issues are resolved in advance in writing. The desired birth rate for a cat is 2 times every 3 years. Frequent childbirth can lead to exhaustion of the animal’s body, which will affect future offspring.

Health

The Snowshoe cat looks healthy and cheerful - it’s all about proper care of the pet

The good thing about this breed is that it has virtually no concomitant diseases.

It is believed that with proper care, white-legged animals live fully into old age, practically without being exposed to any diseases.

If you are interested in looking at the scariest cat in the world, we recommend that you read the article

Still, you should take your pet to the veterinarian to immediately identify possible or existing problems.

In general, we can say that these are healthy, strong, active animals.

Nutrition

The Snowshoe's diet can consist of both ready-made food and natural products. In the first case, the feed should be premium. Cats prefer canned food, but dry food is considered more nutritious. It is important to remember that ready-made mixtures contain a balanced set of vitamins and microelements.

Kitties prone to overeating

If preference is given to natural food. Then you can’t feed your pet from the table. Dishes should be prepared separately, taking into account his preferences. If the food doesn't taste good, the cat won't eat it.

Recommended Products:

• cooked or raw meat (chicken, beef, turkey);
• boiled offal (hearts, stomachs, necks, wings);
• boiled boneless fish (salmon, salmon, chum salmon, cod);
• boiled vegetables;
• fermented milk with low fat content;
• cereals

You cannot give:

• pork;
• river fish;
• new milk;
• potatoes;
• spices;
• fried and fatty;
• smoking, pickling;
• sweets.

As for cow's milk, it does not cause diarrhea in all cats. Each case is individual.

What is the price

Photos of Snowshoe kittens
Since this breed is rare, you need to be prepared for difficulties when buying a kitten. Moreover, the specialized nursery is located only in Moscow. What are the criteria for choosing a kitten?

• a typical white spot on the face and “socks” on the paws (for example, the pure white color of kittens, their breed characteristics appear as they grow older);
• clean eyes and ears;
• soft belly;
• sufficient activity;
• sociability;
• availability of relevant documents.

The average price for a pet-class Snow-shu is $250-300, breed-class - from $600, show-class - over $1,500.

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.

Diseases

These cats boast good health and the absence of genetic diseases. If there are problems, they are associated with hereditary predisposition. For example, squint. It is adopted through the line of Siamese cats, but extremely rarely.

Another possible pathology is a bent tail. These are more difficulties in terms of aesthetics than in medical terms. True, with such a defect, a cat will not be able to participate in exhibitions and breeding. No other diseases were noted in Snowshu.

It is recommended that cats be seen by a veterinarian once a year when they reach 8 years of age. This is for the sake of prevention. Scheduled vaccinations are also required. The baby is vaccinated for the first time at three months.

Vaccinations are given every year. The vaccine should not be given in the following cases:

• worms;
• when changing teeth (at 5-8 months);
• during pregnancy;
• weak immunity.

How long do representatives of this breed live, the period is up to 12-14 years.

Vaccinations

The Snowshoe breed requires routine vaccinations for animals, according to a standard schedule.

A kitten should be comprehensively vaccinated for the first time at the age of three months.

The procedure is then repeated every year.

In rare cases, the animal may be given an individual vaccination schedule .

Naturally, 10 days before the proposed vaccination, the animal should be dewormed.

Important! You cannot vaccinate kittens during the change of teeth (this is a period from 4 to 6-8 months), pregnant cats, and individuals with weakened immune systems.

Carefully monitor your pet's health.

At the slightest suspicion of any disease, it is best to immediately consult a specialist.

Interesting Facts

Walnut cats Snowshu
Snowshu are intellectually developed, so they are easy to train and quickly learn the rules in the house. They have a clear ability to learn various tricks, especially in the company of a dog.

In addition, cats love to run and play with toys. You can expect any prank from them. Thus, Snowshu are capable of stealing something and hiding it, and later returning it back for everyone to see. The cat is also not averse to climbing on top and looking into cabinets (and they open the doors on their own).

It's interesting to look at a cat playing cutely with water - this is their weakness. Therefore, bathing is only a pleasure for them. They are completely uncharacteristic of aggression and rancor. They consider only one person in the family to be the owner, but they treat the rest no less friendly.

Psychology

Snowshoe kittens have a cheerful, playful character.

They become very attached to people. They have high intelligence and are capable of training.

In these cats you can notice the features of Siamese relatives and dogs: like the Japanese Chins and Pekingese , there is high devotion to the owner, understanding of his psychological state and mood.

Snowshoe kittens

Calm, friendly. Loneliness has a very bad effect on Snowshoe cats. In the photo you can see how the animal likes attention.

In general, they refuse to be alone and prefer to constantly be close to a person.

Ideal for families with children: they easily find a common language and frolic together with the kids.

If the owners go somewhere, leaving the pet alone, then they must be prepared to listen to the sad “story” of the animal about how bad it was.

But, unlike, for example, Burmese and Abyssinian cats , white-legged cats have a pleasant, quiet voice.

Snowshoes love to be photographed

Interesting! Surprisingly, many Snowshoe kittens, and then adults, simply love to swim. They, like Turkish Vans , are not at all afraid of water and can swim in a bath or pond, getting great pleasure from it.

Cats of this breed have a cheerful, playful disposition.

Unlike many other felines, they are not vindictive.

Don't be afraid: the slippers will remain dry, because your pet simply won't settle scores with you.

An affectionate, outwardly very beautiful animal, not at all whimsical in everyday life. And, although he really loves to be petted, he will not bother or impose himself.

Funny baby snowshoe

Interesting! Whitelegs are curious, incredibly smart animals. They easily climb to the highest places, and also, like Scottish Fold cats and Scottish Straight cats , easily master the techniques of opening latches and simple locks.

Therefore, barriers in the form of closed doors most often do not exist for them. In addition, they like to steal things they like and hide them.

In general, an ideal breed for keeping at home, the price of which is quite high, but it is worth it.

The animal is not only attractive in appearance, but also shows itself perfectly in terms of character and intelligence.

You can learn about other smart cat breeds here:

Pros and cons of the breed

Sweet face
Based on the reviews of the owners of these cats, we can conclude that they are ideal as pets. The advantages include the following facts:

• atypical appearance;
• loyalty to the owner;
• playfulness and mobility;
• sensitivity;
• intelligence;
• intelligence;
• good attitude towards children and other animals in the house;
• love of water;
• placability.

Flaws:

• unbearable loneliness;
• predisposition to theft;
• problematic breeding.

Snowshoe is a typical domestic kitty. An apartment is more suitable for maintenance than a private house. Despite the fact that walking is contraindicated for them, they love to be outside and calmly tolerate a leash. They especially prefer to walk with the dog. Breeding a breed is not exactly a noble activity. Only experienced cat owners can do this successfully. The most difficult thing is to get a color that matches the standard.

Walk

The pet can be trained to walk with its owner, and the furry beauty does not mind a special cat collar.

On the street he behaves inquisitively, sniffs everything, quickly gets used to it and stops being afraid.

To avoid tick a protective collar on your pet .

Since the animal is a contact animal, you should never let it off the leash.

And one more condition: do not let your pet go for a walk with children. You can easily lose a rare pussy.

Curious cats

A more convenient option is to release the cat into the wild if you have a summer house.

The animal will actively explore the world without being afraid of it at all.

But keep an eye on him: he can easily run away.