The Snowshoe is a rare breed of domestic cat originating in the United States of America in the 1960s. Its short-haired coat has a bicolour colourpoint pattern. The breed takes its name from the characteristic white feet forming the white shoe pattern. It is a pointed cat with blue eyes. Intrigued by their looks, she began working to breed cats like them, using black ('seal') point Siamese with bicolour American Shorthairs. Hinds-Daugherty promoted the Snowshoe at local cats shows, though they were not recognised at the time. Hinds-Daughtery eventually abandoned the Snowshoe breeding programme, and it was taken up by Vikki Olander.
Breed registration
Breed recognition
Olander wrote the first breed standard for the Snowshoe, and succeeded in obtaining the Cat Fanciers Federation (CFF) and the American Cat Association's (ACA) "experimental breed" status for the Snowshoe in 1974. However, by 1977, Olander was the last breeder of the Snowshoe in the United States. After struggling to keep the breed alive, Olander was contacted by Jim Hoffman and Georgia Kuhnell, who were interested in the breed. Other breeders joined Olander, Hoffman, and Kuhnell, and they obtained the champion status from the CFF in 1983. In 1989, Olander left the programme, as her fiancé was allergic to cats. However, by then the Snowshoe had a strong following, and the breed attained champion status with the American Cat Fanciers Association (ACFA) in 1990 and was recognised by The International Cat Association (TICA) in 1993. Snowshoes were also fully recognised by the Fédération Internationale Féline (FIFe) in 2004.
Characteristics
thumb|4-month-old show-quality kitten demonstrating white-tipped colourpoints on paws and face
Appearance
Body
The Snowshoe is a medium-sized cat of foreign type, combining the heftiness of its shorthair ancestors with the length of its oriental ancestors. It has a long, firm body with medium bone and musculature, well-knit and powerful without bulk. Overall balance is essential, with no extremes in size or type. Muscular yet agile, it presents the impression of an elegant, athletic cat, with the appearance of a runner rather than a weightlifter and no feature exaggerated. whilst the FIFe and TICA recognise all pointed colours: black ('seal'), blue, chocolate, lilac, cinnamon, fawn, red, and cream point colouration. Additionally, the FIFe recognises the colours in tortoiseshell, tabby, and tortoiseshell-tabby coat patterns. The Snowshoe's pattern relies on recessive genes and other factors to produce desired results. One gene, which causes the "ᐱ" facial pattern, is an example of incomplete dominance. If the offspring produced has two dominant genes for the marking, then the feature will be larger than a cat with one dominant gene. However, other factors may influence the feature, which makes it difficult to predict the outcome. Another issue is the white boots, which can be caused by a white spotting-gene or a gloving gene. The genes are difficult to control, and many cats' boots extend too far up the leg, do not reach far enough up the leg, or the cat completely lacks white. As such, pet-quality Snowshoes usually have too much white, too little white, or white features are mismarked. The cats' body type further complicates breeding, as the breeder must achieve the correct head shape and ear set, while still maintaining the body structure of the American Shorthair and the length of the Siamese.
Behaviour
Snowshoes are generally affectionate, sweet-tempered, and mellow. They enjoy the company of humans and being given attention, and are compatible with children and other pets. Snowshoes are very social and docile, and show great devotion and love towards their owners. Consequently, the cats of this breed dislike being left alone for long periods of time and are able to cope with working hours better if they have another cat companion. The cats are also noted as being intelligent; they can learn to open various types of doors, and can be taught tricks, especially fetch. Snowshoes also enjoy water, particularly running water, and may on occasion swim.
Health
In a review of over 5,000 cases of urate urolithiasis the Snowshoe was over-represented, with three recorded cases out of a population of 16.