About the Snowshoe Cat

History of the Snowshoe Cat The snowshoe cat breed began in the 1960s when Dorothy Hinds-Daugherty, an American breeder of Siamese cats, discovered three kittens in one of her litters that each had four white paws. The paws, combined with the striking Siamese colorpoint pattern, delighted Hinds-Daugherty. She decided to cross these Siamese kittens with American shorthair cats with tuxedo markings in an attempt to develop the snowshoe breed. Vikki Olander eventually took over the Snowshoe breeding program, and was the only breeder in the U.S. by the late 1970s.

The breed nearly went extinct at that time, but other breeders showed interest and they were able to keep it going. The breed has since grown in popularity. It was recognized in 1982 by the Cat Fanciers' Association and in 1994 by The International Cat Association.

Public interest in the breed was piqued by the late Grumpy Cat, a snowshoe cross, who gained celebrity status as a social media star in 2012. While she had distinct snowshoe colors and markings, Grumpy Cat's glum-looking features were considered a result of dwarfism and were not characteristic of the breed.