The Snowshoe cat: Characteristics, care, and fun facts

Meet the Snowshoe cat, the mixed breed that got the best bits from its Siamese and American Shorthair parents. Sleek and elegant while being friendly and outgoing, Snowshoes are sure to win over families, sitters, and everyone else in between. We’re dipping our mittens into everything that sets this breed apart, from their unique characteristics to what to consider before welcoming one of these white-pawed felines into your home.

Snowshoe cat characteristics 

Origin: While the Snowshoe cat was first officially bred in the 1960s in the United States, evidence suggests Siamese cats with white feet may have been strutting their stuff for centuries. 

Size: These medium-sized furry felines typically measure 8-12 inches and weigh 7-14 pounds. 

Character: Friendly, affectionate, and playful. 

Grooming: Short-haired coats mean Snowshoe cats only shed occasionally, and grooming them once or twice a week should be enough. 

Health needs: This is a healthy breed that can occasionally inherit the Siamese’s crossed eyes or kinked tail. 

Intelligence: Snowshoes are clever cats that need lots of mental stimulation to keep them happy. 

Snowshoe cat lifespan: 14-20 years.

What does a Snowshoe cat look like?

Snowshoe cats are a mix of Siamese and American Shorthair, so inherit features from both breeds (aka the best of both worlds!). Typically as long as the Siamese but with the athletic appearance of an American Shorthair, Snowshoes often have unique “V” shaped markings on their faces and beautiful blue eyes that are difficult to say no to. 

It’s their name that gives away their most striking feature though – Snowshoe cats sport four white mittens, making it look like they’ve been tip-toeing through a winter wonderland.

They have short, single-layered coats and color-pointed fur, meaning they have darker shades around their ears, faces, tails, and legs. Snowshoe cat colors can be anything from black, brown, and gray to cream, orange, and lilac (and no, a lilac Snowshoe cat isn’t actually purple!). As their fur tends to darken with age, light-colored Snowshoe kittens may end up being brown or black when they grow up.

Snowshoe cat personality 

A cat that breaks the rules of being a cat, the Snowshoe has even been described as a little dog-like in terms of personality. Affectionate, friendly, and sociable, these furry felines love nothing more than spending time with their favorite humans – while they may single out just one person in particular, they often do well in busy households with lots of family members.

They’re also confident, playful, and highly intelligent, meaning they’re always eager to learn new tricks and games. Basically, they can handle anything that comes their way (apart from being alone – more on that later!). 

What’s the ideal home for a Snowshoe cat? 

As sociable kitties, Snowshoe cats often prefer living in households with other pet pals to keep them company. Rather than simply tolerating humans, they tend to form strong attachments to their pet parents and often actively seek out attention. As an all-rounder that tends to goes with the flow, the Snowshoe cat is also happy around children and handles being picked up much better than some breeds. They make fantastic family pets, and for them, the more the merrier!

Grooming Snowshoe cats 

Snowshoe cats have short-haired coats and only shed occasionally, meaning brushing them once or twice a week should be enough to keep on top of the fluff. Grooming is a good opportunity to check for parasites and any other health concerns, and is also an excellent way of bonding with your Snowshoe.

Snowshoe cat history

Although evidence of a similar-looking breed dates back hundreds of years, Snowshoes were officially bred for the first time in the 1960s. After noticing three adorably white-pawed Siamese kittens in her litter, American breeder Dorothy Hinds-Daugherty decided to develop a breed that would be identified by its white feet or “socks”. She successfully bred the Snowshoe by crossing her Siamese cats with American Shorthairs, however, the breed’s signature white paws, which come from recessive genes, have been hard to consistently produce, keeping the breed rare.

By the 1970s, the Snowshoe cat was on the brink of extinction, but dedicated breeder Vicki Olander wasn’t having any of it. She worked tirelessly to create the breed standard and eventually succeeded in getting the Snowshoe recognized by the Cat Fanciers Federation (CFF) in 1983, followed by the American Cat Fanciers Association (ACFA) and The International Cat Fanciers Association (TICA) ten years later. 

Getting a Snowshoe cat

Snowshoes tend to be the life and soul of the party and make excellent family pets; they’re sociable, smart, and easy to train, plus they adore cuddles and usually live a long and healthy life.

Thanks to both their intelligence and high levels of energy, they need plenty of playtime and toys to keep boredom at bay. They also love a good mental workout and will happily chatter away with whoever’s in the room with them. 

Being the social butterflies they are, Snowshoes love having company. They fit perfectly into households with plenty of people (or pet pals) to hang out with, and don’t do too well being left alone for long periods of time. When you do have to go away, getting an in-home cat sitter to give them around-the-clock care and companionship is the best way to keep Snowshoes happy.

Snowshoe cat quick-fire facts

• Similar to the Siamese, Snowshoes are born completely white, and their darker markings emerge after the first few years of their life.
• Unlike most cats, Snowshoes often quite like water and might even enjoy swimming! 
• Although the Snowshoe was first officially bred in the 1960s, it’s thought that cat breeds with similar features have been around for centuries. According to the American Cat Fanciers Association (ACFA), cats with white paws have been identified in both Victorian photographs and old Japanese silk screens. 
• Tardar Sauce, better known as Grumpy Cat to her millions of Instagram fans, was a Snowshoe mix with a famously grumpy face. While not all Snowshoes look like such a sourpuss, she certainly put the breed on the map!
• Dusty the Klepto Kitty also put the breed under the spotlight, but this time as the neighborhood’s most notorious cat burglar! Caught red-pawed, he amassed a collection of over 600 items in the space of three years, and had an eye for everything from gloves and towels to underwear and even Frisbees!