Snowshoe

History of the Snowshoe breed

Snowshoe is a young breed. It owes its origin to the observation shown in the late 50s by the American breeder of Siamese cats Dorothy Hinds-Doherty. The woman drew attention to the unusual color of kittens born to a couple of ordinary Siamese . The original white spots and clearly defined "socks" on the paws looked so interesting that Dorothy decided to fix an unusual effect. To do this, she brought a Siamese cat with a American shorthair two–color - the result was not very convincing, and it was possible to improve it only after representatives were again attracted for breeding work Siamese breed .

Snowshoe's path to recognition was not strewn with rose petals. The first "snow shoes" were not recognized by felinologists, and disappointed Dougherty refused to breed these animals. Another American woman, Vicki Olander, took up the baton. It was thanks to her efforts that the first breed standard was created, and in 1974 the American Felinological Association and the Association of Cat Lovers granted Snowshoe the status of an experimental breed. In 1982, animals were allowed to participate in exhibitions. The popularity of "shoes" has grown significantly. An obvious success can be considered the adoption of the British cat breeding program in 1986.

Unfortunately, this breed cannot boast of a large prevalence today. It is very difficult to bring out an ideal "snow shoe" that would fully comply with the accepted standard – the proportion of chance is too large, so real enthusiasts are engaged in breeding snowshoes, the number of which is not so great.

Video: Snowshoe

Snowshoe's appearance

The TISA organization gives the following description of the Snowshoe breed standard: an animal of medium size, cats can be larger than cats. The weight of an adult is on average 4-4.5 kg, although it can reach large values (up to 6 kg).

Head

Snowshoe's head has the shape of a wedge, close in proportions to an isosceles triangle. Cheekbones are quite high with neat soft contours.

Ears

At the base – medium width, gradually narrowing, harmoniously continuing the wedge-shaped head. The tips are slightly rounded.

Nose

Of medium width with a smooth bend to the bridge of the nose, the presence of a small hump is allowed. The color of the lobe is the same color, pink or even spotted.

Eyes

Oval, slightly elongated and inclined to the base of the ears. Not convex. Color – any shades of blue and blue. The brighter the color of the iris, the higher the value and status of snowshoe.

Housing

Proportionally folded, powerful.

Limbs

Long enough, proportional to the physique.

Tail

Snowshoe tail gradually tapering from the base to the end. Normal length.

Wool

Short, silky, smooth.

Color

The main colors are seal point, blue point and white. The TISA standard allows all these colors. The main features of the breed are white clearly defined "socks" on the paws and the presence of a spot on the muzzle resembling an inverted letter V with a vertex at eye level.

Defects of the breed are considered to be too long hair, the absence of characteristic "socks" on the paws, eyes of any color except blue or blue, noticeable imbalances in the physique.

Snowshoe photo

Snowshoe character

Almost all owners of these wonderful creatures talk about their pets as cats with an ideal, almost angelic character.

Indeed, snowshoes are very friendly, balanced and open to communication. "Snow shoes" get along well with both people and other animals. Fans of the breed joke that these cats behave more calmly and adequately than many representatives of the human race. Forgetting about their belonging to proud and independent cats, snowshoos sincerely and devotedly treat the owner, always ready to share joy and sorrow with him.

These pets are not enthusiastic about loneliness and take any manifestations of attention (of course, with a + sign) with great pleasure. This is one of the breeds that is recommended to take into the house where there are small children. Snowshoes are happy to let themselves be stroked and are always ready to join the game. Snowshoes are also very curious. They like to watch what is happening in the house from some high-placed place so as not to miss anything important.

Snowshoes are happy to play with various toys, they also like to play around – steal something they need (in their opinion) and quickly escape to a secluded place. Shiny objects and jewelry are in particular demand among them.

These cats are smart and teachable, and there are legends about their ability to open various doors.

Cats' attitude to water is also interesting. They not only swim with pleasure, but also like to watch the flowing water, indulging in some kind of reflections that only they understand.

Snowshoes are not vindictive at all, they love all the household very much and have the right to count on reciprocity from the person.

Education and training

Snowshoes are highly intelligent and quickly learn the rules of behavior in the house. It will be absolutely no trouble for you to accustom a kitten to the tray and sharpen its claws in a certain place.

The word "training" is not quite applicable to cats, but many snowshoe owners note their ability to master various tricks, as well as bring back an abandoned toy.

Care and maintenance

It is not difficult to organize proper care for a Snowshoe cat. Standard procedures, such as cleaning ears, eyes, trimming claws, monitoring the condition of teeth, do not have any breed-related features.

Grooming consists in periodic combing once or twice a week. "Snow shoes" take this procedure with undisguised pleasure, although, like most cats, they themselves are able to maintain their fur in proper shape. During molting, you need to comb out the animal more often.

It is important to think over the right diet for your pet. You can use both dry food and natural food. It is clear that for such a rare and expensive breed, ready-made premium-class feeds from well-known manufacturers should be used.

If we are talking about natural products, then the snowshoe menu must include low-fat boiled meat, sea fish dishes, offal. Do not forget also about vegetables and greens.

"Snow shoes" are active animals and love to walk very much. It is important to remember here that the wool of these cute creatures has a strange ability to "sunbathe" – it darkens in the sun. This should be taken into account especially for those owners whose pets participate in exhibitions. It is clear that you will not let the cat walk on its own, so take care of buying a special harness.

Issues of timely vaccination, deworming, constant monitoring of the pet's health status are as relevant for Snowshoe as for any other breed.

Snowshoe Health and Diseases

In terms of health, snowshoes are very prosperous animals. Fortunately, no specific diseases have appeared in the breed for the entire time of its existence. Strong health, according to experts, went to the "shoes" from American shorthair , during the breeding of which risky breeding experiments were not carried out.

Slightly spoiled the picture siamese cats - some snowshoe ancestral lines have retained a gene from them that causes strabismus or tail defects. It is difficult to call such manifestations diseases, but these factors directly affect the quality, price and exhibition prospects.

With proper care and timely medical care, animals demonstrate a high life expectancy – from 14 to 19 years.

How to choose a kitten

If you want to buy a snowshoe kitten, then be prepared for the fact that it is not easy to do this. The breed is very rare in Russia, it will not be possible to find a breeder quickly. Moreover, there is only one officially registered nursery in our country – in Moscow.

You can search for the right kitten on the Internet, but whether a real "snow slipper" will grow out of your new friend is a difficult question.

What distinguishes a kitten of this breed? Of course, the presence of white shoes-socks on the paws and a spot on the muzzle in the form of an inverted Latin letter V. The presence of these "special signs" almost guarantees that in front of you is baby snowshoe.

You should know that Snowshoe kittens are very often born pure white, and the characteristic color begins to manifest itself as they grow up. If you have any doubts when meeting the baby, be patient until the baby turns 2.5-3 months old. At this age, the characteristic features of the breed should already be clearly visible.

Otherwise, the rules for choosing a kitten are typical – the baby should have clean eyes and ears; a soft, not swollen tummy; under the tail – clean and dry.

If you take an animal "for the soul", then the ideal color may not be so important. Pay more attention to the temperament of your chosen one. Give preference to the kitten that is more playful and friendly – such a baby will become a real gentle friend for you in the future.

Photos of snowshoe kittens

How much does snowshoe cost

Snowshoe kittens are expensive. The main reason for this is the difficulty of breeding. Getting animals that fully meet the standard of appearance is a great success even for experienced breeders.

The rarity of the breed is also due to the fact that today there is only one officially registered Moscow kennel "Snow Angel", in which you can buy really elite snow-shu kittens with all the necessary documents.

If we talk about price gradation, the price for a pet-class snow baby ranges from $150-$170, and for kittens of higher categories you will have to pay from $350 to $1000.