rare cat breeds

The Snowshoe is a hybrid cat, originating as a variant from Siamese parents. The origin of the snowshoe can be traced back to the 1960s when Dorothy Hinds-Daugherty of Philadelphia found three white-footed kittens in a litter of Siamese. Dorothy liked the contrast of the stark feet against the dark points so much that she decided to make a new breed.

Although the original mating was repeated, the white feet were not. She therefore decided to use the American Bi-colour Shorthair to progress the breed. Continued breeding eventually produced the white inverted “V” on the nose in addition to the mitted variety.

Over the next decade interest in the new breed grew and waned, until in 1997 when Jim Hoffman and Julia Kuhnil approached the CFF for information about the breed and were referred to Vicky Olander, the sole breeder of Snowshoes left in the USA. Together they renewed the interest in the breed and since that time have it has made steady progress. However the breed still remains relatively rare in the land of its birth.

The UK

In the early 1980s, a British cat breeder and Judge, Pat Turner, was invited to judge at a cat show in Madison Square Gardens, New York. Whilst there pat was introduced to the Snowshoe breed. She was most impressed with their type; very different from the Bi-Colour Siamese that she had previously seen.

On her return home Pat decided that she would like to try and replicate the breed. pat was working on a program using the Piebald spotting gene, the same gene responsible for the white patterning in the Snowshoe. She contacted several other breeders who were working on similar lines and a breeding group was formed. These breeders drew up a breeding program and a breed club was formed Snowshoes UK.

This club was affiliated to the Cat association, the UK member of the Feline International Federation (FIFe). the Snowshoes were given Experimental status and were eligible for special medalist awards.

Again, over the next decade interest grew and waned in the new breed. The American history was repeated in the UK, until by 1998 Maureen Shackell was the only breeder of Snowshoes in the UK. It was at this time that Mollie Southall joined Maureen. Between them they had five cats to save the breed, a stud, two queens and two female kittens. the Club was revitalized and new breeders recruited. In 2002 a male was imported from Germany, giving the UK a completely new bloodline.

In March 2003 a presentation to FIFe, was made for the breed to be recognized. Some 45 cats were catalogued from twelve different breeders. As a result of this show the breed was granted full recognition by FIFe and could be shown at championship level from 1st January 2004.

Running parallel to this initiative was another to promote the breed with the GCCF; several breeders had been putting their Snowshoes on exhibition at GCCF shows. A breed club had been formed to support this effort and in November 2003 a breed seminar was held to present the cats to members of the GCCF Executive Committee, Judges and other interested parties. This was very well received and we were urged to apply for preliminary status.

The application was submitted in December of that year. Preliminary recognition was granted by the GCCF for the Snowshoe in February 2004.

A second GCCF breed club was started in 2005, and the breed continues to flourish. These beautiful cats with their superb temperament attract interest and new enthusiasts whenever they are shown.