The Snowshoe began as a cross between the American Shorthair and the Siamese in the early 1960s in the United States, producing a sturdy, pointed cat with white markings on the face, chest and feet. It is found in the usual Siamese colors, most commonly seal, chocolate, lilac, and blue in two patterns, mitted and bicolor. It is also found in red (flame), cream, cinnamon, and fawn. American Shorthairs, Oriental Shorthairs, and Siamese are still legal outcrosses.
The Snowshoe is a lively breed that enjoys indoor living. It is affectionate and playful, yet laid back -- combining some of the best personality traits of its parent breeds.
They are generally sweet tempered, energetic, playful, quite vocal, intelligent, and adaptable. They are a very social breed that requires more attention than most cats do, and consequently cannot be left alone for long periods of time. They usually are friendly to everyone in the household, but will typically be primarily focused on one person in the household.
Their colors and markings become visible within 1-3 weeks after being born. The pattern on each of these cats are different for each Snowshoe.
The ear size ranges from medium to medium-large with slightly rounded tips. The head may be triangular, however can be an "applehead" shape with a traditional cat look. The short-haired coat consists of solid and white patterns. Points (ears, tail, face-mask and sometimes legs) are solid black-based colors. White patterns vary, typically falling along the face, chest, stomach, and paws. The body is an even coloration, subtle shading to point color on back, shoulders and hips; toning to a lighter shade near chest and stomach. Paw pads may be white, point color, flesh tone, or mottled. Their color will darken with age, even to the point of turning a chocolate brown shade. In purebreds, the eyes are always blue. The tail is medium-sized. Snowshoe cats come in blue, lilac, lynx, fawn, chocolate
SnowShoe
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