A Snowshoe is a 3.2-5.4 kg colorpoint cat with white feet, and its care year has two fixed points: 40-60 ml of water per kilogram a day, and a toothbrush used at least four times a week. Urate stones and early tartar are the two problems this breed is known for, and both are managed by routine rather than by luck.
The coat is the easy part. Twenty minutes a week covers it, and the time saved belongs to the mouth.
Weight targets by age
The first three weeks set the pattern: 90-105 g at birth, then 10-14 g added daily. A kitten is 700-900 g at 8 weeks, 2.0-2.7 kg at 6 months, and 2.8-3.6 kg (female) or 3.4-4.4 kg (male) at a year. The adult 3.2-5.4 kg arrives by about 18 months.
Weigh weekly until 6 months and monthly after. Body condition score of 4-5 out of 9 is the target: ribs easy to feel, waist visible from above. A Snowshoe that picks at food can drift 300 g underweight without anyone noticing, and one that grazes all day drifts the other way. Either direction is a reason to measure portions for two weeks before changing anything.
Coat and paw calendar
The single short coat sheds steadily rather than in dramatic bursts, with two heavier windows in March to May and September to October. White feet show every bit of litter and garden dirt, so wipe rather than bathe.
| Window | Coat and paws | What to do | Time per week |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan-Feb | Dry air, static, dander on dark fabric | Rubber curry, then a damp cloth on the white paws and hocks | 10 min |
| Mar-May | Heaviest shed, loose hair everywhere | Curry twice a week; rinse paws after garden time | 15-20 min |
| Jun-Aug | Thin coat, pale nose and ear tips exposed | One curry a week; shade on sunny afternoons, check pads for heat | 10 min |
| Sep-Oct | Shed two, coat filling in | Brush twice weekly for 3 weeks; pick litter from between toes | 15 min |
| Nov-Dec | Full winter coat, less outdoor time | Weekly curry; wipe paws after walks; nails every 2 weeks | 10 min |
Bathe 2-3 times a year at most. The white gloves tempt people into weekly washing, and the result is dry skin and a coat that looks dull rather than clean. Between baths, a warm damp towel on the paws and chin does the job in two minutes.
Urine: the breed's real weak point
Snowshoes were over-represented in a review of more than 5,000 urinary stone cases, with urate stones the type flagged. Urate stones form when urine is concentrated and acidic in the wrong way, so hydration and diet are the two levers you own.
- Water: 40-60 ml per kg a day, so 150-260 ml at 4 kg. Two wet meals cover 60-80 ml of that
- Protein: keep it high, 35-45% dry matter, but do not build the diet around liver and other organ meat
- Meals: two or three small ones rather than one bowl left out all day
- Litter watch: 2-3 clumps a day at this size; smaller or fewer clumps for 3 days means a vet call
Ask for a urinalysis at the annual exam from age 3, and bring a sample in non-absorbent litter. Stone type decides the diet, and feeding a struvite diet to a cat with urate stones is wasted money. A male straining with no urine is an emergency at any hour, as the blockage signs make clear.
Dental calendar
Tartar builds early in this breed, and the first sign is usually bad breath rather than pain. Brush 4-5 times a week with pet enzyme paste, and start with a finger brush on a kitten so the habit sticks.
- Weekly: lift the lip and look at the gum line on the upper back teeth, where tartar starts
- Every 6 months from age 1: dental check; scaling under anesthetic when tartar reaches the gum
- Daily, ideally: dental chew or a chunk of raw-safe meaty bone if your vet approves the diet
- Any age: drooling, one-sided chewing, or a red gum line means an appointment within days
Screening calendar
Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) comes through the breed and through its Siamese ancestry. Book an echocardiogram at a year, repeat it every 12-18 months, and always before a litter. A murmur heard at a routine visit is a reason to book the echo, not a reason to wait a year.
Crossed eyes and a kinked tail are inherited from old Siamese lines and are cosmetic — they need no treatment and no X-ray unless the tail is painful to touch. Everything else is ordinary feline prevention: core vaccines per the schedule, rabies per local law, fecal test yearly, blood pressure from age 8, and a full panel from 10.
Feeding and enrichment
A 4 kg adult needs roughly 190-240 kcal a day. This breed tends to pick rather than gorge, so two or three small meals work better than one bowl: 60-80 g of wet food plus 20-25 g of dry per day is a typical split, adjusted to body score every month. Treats stay under 10% of calories, about 20 kcal.
Fifteen to twenty minutes of wand play plus a climbing tree covers most of the exercise need; this is an active cat, not a frantic one, and it will invent games with bottle caps if bored. Ten minutes of puzzle feeder work at the evening meal slows eating and settles it before bed. Company matters: a household out from nine to six should add a second cat or a daily sitter, because this breed attaches hard and sulks alone.
Five care mistakes
- Weekly baths to keep the white paws white. It dries the skin and fixes nothing.
- Dry food only, with one bowl of water. This is the breed with a stone history.
- Brushing teeth "when the breath gets bad". By then the tartar is on the gum line.
- Free-feeding a cat that grazes all day, so nobody notices a 300 g gain.
- Skipping the 12-month echo because the cat is young and quiet.
When to call the vet
No urine for 12 hours, repeated unproductive straining, blood in urine, not eating for 24 hours, a resting rate above 30 breaths a minute, or gums that bleed on the brush — all mean an appointment within the week, and the first four mean today.
Frequently asked
Why are Snowshoes prone to urinary stones?
They were over-represented in a review of more than 5,000 stone cases, with urate stones flagged. Concentrated, abnormally acidic urine is the setup, so the practical defences are 40 to 60 ml of water per kilogram a day, wet food in the rotation, and a urinalysis at the annual exam from age three.
How often should a Snowshoe's teeth be brushed?
At least four to five times a week with pet enzyme paste, plus a professional check every six months from one year old. Tartar accumulates early in this breed and the first sign is usually breath, not pain, so waiting for symptoms means the gum line is already involved.
Do crossed eyes or a kinked tail need treatment?
No. Both are inherited from old Siamese lines and are cosmetic, with no effect on vision or comfort in most cases. The exception is a tail that is painful to touch or clearly rigid, which deserves an examination rather than assuming it is the usual kink.