The Cinnamon Rabbit is a beautiful breed with an appealing color combination of rust with gray ticking. Although primarily bred for showing and meat, the Cinnamon also makes a good pet despite its large size. A friendly animal, it is compatible with other rabbits.
Cinnamons usually have sunny dispositions, and they love attention. They tend to be reasonably calm, making them a good choice for children. They are too large for smaller children to pick up however, which can be a good thing because you won’t have to worry as much about the rabbit being hurt.
The Cinnamon rabbit is a hardy breed but requires a well-balanced diet designed for a rabbit. Minimal grooming is needed, just brush with a slicker brush once a week most of the year and twice a week during shedding season. It will benefit from room to exercise, food and toys to chew on, and time spent with its owner. Like any other rabbit breed, the Cinnamon Rabbit should be provided with an indoor living area in order to prolong its life.
The Cinnamon is on the American Livestock Breeds Conservancy’s list of rare rabbit breeds. This means that there are only a few hundred of them in the United States. Although they are not considered endangered, they are rather hard to find.
- For more information about Rabbits and their care: Guide to a Happy, Healthy Rabbit
Scientific Classification
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Lagomorpha |
| Family: | Leporidae |
| Genus: | Oryctolagus |
| Species: | cuniculus |
Background
The Cinnamon breed was created in Montana by Ellis Housman in the 1960’s. It was bred specifically for its unique coat color. Its lineage includes New Zealand Whites, Chinchillas, Checkered Giants and Californians. It was first shown in Calgary Canada in 1969. It was accepted by the American Rabbit Breeders Association in 1972.
Description
The main feature of the Cinnamon Rabbit is its luscious coat with color being the most important trait. The outer coat consists of a rust or cinnamon colored base with gray ticking on the tips. More gray than rust color is present on the extremities, especially on the face, ears, and tail, which are a darker shade of gray than the rest of the body. In some rabbits, these accents may be closer to black. The undercoat is orange. The coat is of normal length, which is 1-1 ½ inches long. (A ticked Coat is a type of fur coat characteristic of wild rabbits, which is comprised of hair strands with bands of various color.)
This breed has a stocky, medium length body with prominent, round hips. The head is set closely to the body. The ears are not too short and not too long, and they stand upright. They are medium-large in size, with the males weighing 8 ½ to 10 ½ pounds and the females weighing 9 to 11 pounds. The Cinnamon Rabbit’s lifespan is that of an average rabbit, which is 7 to 12 years.
Color differences
The Cinnamon has been carefully bred to achieve a specific coloring, and variations on that coloring are rare.
Availability
Cinnamon rabbits are hard to find in many areas due to their rarity. You may have to travel if you want one. Prices run around $30.
Featured Image Credit: Vezzani Photography, Shutterstock