Celebrating the rare and stunning Snowshoe Cat

Bellahima Snowshoes is the first Cattery in New South Wales to breed the Snowshoe Cat. Bellahima is based in the beautiful Lower Hunter Valley of New South Wales. Our kittens are available to be rehomed anywhere in Australia. Overseas enquiries are most welcome.

The Snowshoe is a truly delightful breed. A feline of great beauty, outgoing and social personality, with a love for company. The Snowshoe Cat (originally known as "Silver Laces") was developed in Philadelphia, USA, in the 1960s. The Snowshoe is still quite a rare breed worldwide and we only have four active breeders here in Australia.
They are blue-eyed beauties and their markings are a combination of the stunning colourpoint from the Siamese with touches of white. They can range from straight Colourpoint (resembling old style Siamese) through to "High White" (more than 2/3 of their body being white). The most commonly known markings for the Snowshoe is the highly coverted "Classic Pattern". With the even body shading graduating to the darker colourpoints, with "snowshoes" and the inverted "V" adorning the face, it is easy to see why it's so popular. The classic pattern is extremely difficult to predict and produce due to the nature of the genes involved in this unique combination.

Snowshoe kittens are born creamy white and do not begin to show their colour and markings until around 10-14 days of age, sometimes it can take even longer. It's always exciting to watch them develop as no two Snowshoes are the same. The ears, tail and face darken as the kitten ages just like the Siamese.The body can remains lighter in colour and the shading increases as the cat ages. However, some Snowshoes have darker body markings from an early age.

Snowshoes can come in the same colours as the Siamese with the most common colours in Australia being Seal and Blue. The Australian breeding programs have also produced Torties, Tabbies and Reds.

Snowshoes possess the most amazing blue eyes, ranging from sky blue to sapphire. The eye shape is oval to oval/round, slanting upwards to the base of the ears. Their head resembles an equilateral triangle with high cheekbones. Their ears are medium large with slightly rounded tips.

The Snowshoe body is a blend of the oriental body of the Siamese and the heavier set of the American Shorthair. They have a well-balanced, well-muscled and powerful body without being bulky. They are surprisingly heavy for their size.

Their coat is medium to medium/short an is smooth to the touch. They have a single coat that is close lying and doesn't require much grooming.

Their personality is friendly, affectionate and outgoing. They love company and are not suited to being left alone and do require other family members, whether they be human, feline or canine. Consequently, they are compatible with children and other pets. They are generally quite chatty but their voice isn't as loud as that of the Siamese. They are very intelligent and can be trained to use a harness and do basic tricks. They have a reputation for being fond of water and I've shared a shower occasionally. They are active and curious and like to be where the action is. Although they are extremely interactive with family members they can be a little timid with strangers but usually warm up quickly to visitors. They are naturally inclined to stick within a close home territory which makes them ideal as indoor only cats. However, they do enjoy the benefits of a window box or enclosed outdoor run.

Our kittens are raised in a family environment and enjoy the benefits of a busy household. They are wormed, flea treated, vaccinated (2x F3), microchipped and desexed prior to leaving Bellahima. They come with food, bedding and an assortment of toys. Our kittens also come with a complementary 6 weeks pet health insurance plan from Petcover Australia (formally Petplan Insurance Australia). Please note that the complimentary pet health insurance is only provided to kittens up to 36 weeks of age.