Snowshoes 101

The snowshoe cat is known for its strange pattern of coloring. In general, its body and musculature are average, its skull is a simple, equilateral triangle, and its limbs are all proportionate to its body. Its coat, however, is something unique, with white paws that travel up their wrists and shins, almost like long, elegant gloves. They have white faces except for dark, colored areas around their eyes, giving them a slightly raccoon-ish look. They have fluffy, white underbellies, while the rest of them is much darker, especially at the points.

According to the American Cat Fanciers' Association, snowshoes are a relatively new breed of cat, first discovered in 1960 when a Philadelphia cat breeder found her Siamese cat had given birth to three snowshoes. Although this strange mutation may not have been new in nature (there have been paintings of Snowshoe-like cats from ancient Japan and at least one photograph from 1890), this was the first time where a breeder decided to actually select for the cats with positive results. There had been a previous attempt in the 1950s, when cats exhibiting this pattern were called "silver laces."

Snowshoes have a very affectionate temperament and are best suited to households where they can get much attention much of the time. In fact, like their bodies, Snowshoes are very middle-of-the-road in their personalities; they're not too excitable, not too energetic, but just a healthy medium between the best qualities of cats.

Tags: american shorthair, american shorthairs, AmericanShorthair, AmericanShorthairs, cat breed, Cat breed 101, cat breeds, CatBreed, CatBreed101, CatBreeds, Cats 101, Cats101, Choosing A Cat Breed, ChoosingACatBreed, Pet Adoption, PetAdoption, siamese, siamese cat, SiameseCat, snowshoe, snowshoe siamese cat, snowshoeing, SnowshoeSiameseCat