The Cinnamon rabbit is a rare breed of domesticated rabbit

Rabbit

Rabbits are small mammals in the family Leporidae of the order Lagomorpha, found in several parts of the world...

 that was created in 1962. Its russet color fur characterizes the breed, giving the rabbit its “cinnamon” title. The breed’s amiable nature makes it ideal for pet owners. However, because the Cinnamon is a relatively new breed it is hard to find; therefore, traveling to obtain one is to be expected.

History

The Cinnamon rabbit was actually created on accident by two children, Belle and Fred Houseman, during the Easter season of 1962 in Missoula, Montana

Montana

Montana is a state in the Western United States. The western third of Montana contains numerous mountain ranges. Smaller, "island ranges" are found in the central third of the state, for a total of 77 named ranges of the Rocky Mountains. This geographical fact is reflected in the state's name,...

. After crossbreeding their Chinchilla doe

Chinchilla rabbit

The Chinchilla rabbit is a rabbit breed. There are three breeds of Chinchilla rabbit recognized by the ARBA.- American Chinchilla :*Weight: 9-12 lb.*ARBA-accepted varieties: Standard...

 and their New Zealand buck

New Zealand rabbit

New Zealand rabbits are a breed of rabbit, which despite the name, are American in origin. New Zealand rabbits are available in three ARBA-recognized colors: white, red, and black. Although, cross breeding can result in many different combinations of these three basic pigmentations. There are...

, the children’s father, Ellis Houseman, let the children keep one crossbred buck. After joining their local 4-H

4-H

4-H in the United States is a youth organization administered by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture of the United States Department of Agriculture , with the mission of "engaging youth to reach their fullest potential while advancing the field of youth development." The name represents...

 group, the children were given a Checkered Giant

Checkered Giant

The Checkered Giant rabbit is a breed of rabbit developed in Europe.In the UK the breed is known as Giant Papillon. Checkered Giants are one of 47 breeds of domestic rabbits recognized by the American Rabbit Breeders Association. Mature Checkered Giant bucks should weigh at least , and mature...

 doe and a crossed Californian doe

Californian rabbit

The Californian breed of domestic rabbit was developed in the early 1920s by George West. Rabbit breeders in the United States crossed Himalayan breeds and the Standard Chinchilla rabbit breed and New Zealand Whites. The purpose of this breed was to have a good meat breed that also had good fur....

. After mating the crossed buck with each doe, the Californian doe produced one russet-colored bunny in its litter and the Checkered Giant eventually produced two bunnies with this russet-colored fur (one doe and one buck.) Ellis Houseman believed that only purebred

Purebred

Purebreds, also called purebreeds, are cultivated varieties or cultivars of an animal species, achieved through the process of selective breeding...

 rabbits should be kept for show, but he reluctantly allowed his children to keep the pair of russet-colored bunnies from the Checkered Giant’s last litter. The children mated this pair together, and 70 percent of the litter had this new auburn shade of fur, which they began calling Cinnamon.
Ellis noticed this new color and the fur’s excellent sheen, and proceeded to present the rabbits to J. Cyril Lowett, Oregon ARBA

ARBA

ARBA can refer to:* Ariba , an American software and information technology services company*American Rabbit Breeders' Association*American Rare Breed Association, an American kennel club...

 Judge and board member at the time. Lowett declared that there was a strong possibility of the rabbits’ ability in becoming an official breed, as there was no other breed like them in the United States. There are a couple of requirements needed for an unrecognized breed of rabbit to become an official breed according to ARBA. The Housemans needed to have their rabbits “passed” by three different ARBA conventions. The Housemans first took their Cinnamons to the ARBA convention in Calgary

Calgary

Calgary is a city in the Province of Alberta, Canada. It is located in the south of the province, in an area of foothills and prairie, approximately east of the front ranges of the Canadian Rockies...

, Canada

Canada

Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...

 in 1969. The Cinnamons were immediately approved, so the family sent them to the 1970 convention in Syracuse, New York. Unfortunately, the family could not attend and therefore sent the rabbits to Syracuse by air freight. During this trip the rabbits contracted a virus that sickened and even killed some of them, and they were not passed by the convention due to their poor form and condition. In 1971 the Housemans continued their efforts for the Cinnamons to become an official breed, and the family took the rabbits to the 1971 convention in Albuquerque, New Mexico

New Mexico

New Mexico is a state located in the southwest and western regions of the United States. New Mexico is also usually considered one of the Mountain States. With a population density of 16 per square mile, New Mexico is the sixth-most sparsely inhabited U.S...

. Again there were some obstacles- the family hit a severe storm and had to abandon their trailer, and a dog broke into their rabbitry, killing three of their best does. However, the rabbits managed to pass the convention with good comments. The family finally reached their goal in 1972, when the rabbits passed their third convention in Tacoma, Washington and were officially recognized and accepted by the ARBA’s Book of Standards.

Appearance

The Cinnamon rabbit tends to weigh between 8.5 and 11 pounds, or between 3.9 and 5 kilograms. The rabbit is very striking, with rust or ground cinnamon coloring and a uniform gray ticking across the back. The rabbit has a smoky grey coloring on its sides and a dark underbelly, with an orange under-coloring all over. The rabbit has distinct rust-colored spots inside its hind legs, and these spots often appear on its feet and face. The hind legs, feet, and fact tend to be generally darker than the rest of the body. A butterfly effect marks the nose and small circles around each eye are present. The Cinnamon is medium in length and has a round body. The rabbit’s hips are deeper and wider than its shoulders, its head is proportionate to its body, and its ears are erect.

Lifestyle & Behavior

The Cinnamon is very adapted to pet use, and it’s large enough for youth who want and can also handle a larger sized rabbit without being one that’s too giant-sized to handle. The Cinnamon is a hardy breed- it tends to live between 5 and 8 years- and it is laidback, fairly calm, well disposed, and enjoys attention. Its coat is short and easy to care for, so weekly grooming with a slicker brush should be adequate for the majority of the year. However, biweekly grooming may be necessary during the shedding season. The Cinnamon, like any breed of rabbit, will benefit from a well-balanced diet, plenty of room to exercise, various toys to chew on, and plenty of time spent with its owner.

Food & Housing

The Cinnamon Rabbit required a well balanced diet to remain healthy. Grass hay, cecotropes

Cecotropes

Cecotropes, also caecotrophes or night feces, are the product of the cecum, a part of the digestive system in mammals of the order lagomorpha, which includes two families: Leporidae , and Ochotonidae...

, and green foods are staples in the diet of a domestic rabbit. Grass hay can consist of timothy

Timothy-grass

Timothy-grass , is an abundant perennial grass native to most of Europe except for the Mediterranean region. It grows to 50–150 cm tall, with leaves up to 45 cm long and 1 cm broad. The flowerhead is 7–15 cm long and 8–10 mm broad, with densely packed spikelets...

, meadow, oat

Oat

The common oat is a species of cereal grain grown for its seed, which is known by the same name . While oats are suitable for human consumption as oatmeal and rolled oats, one of the most common uses is as livestock feed...

, rye

Rye

Rye is a grass grown extensively as a grain and as a forage crop. It is a member of the wheat tribe and is closely related to barley and wheat. Rye grain is used for flour, rye bread, rye beer, some whiskeys, some vodkas, and animal fodder...

, barley

Barley

Barley is a major cereal grain, a member of the grass family. It serves as a major animal fodder, as a base malt for beer and certain distilled beverages, and as a component of various health foods...

 or Bermuda

Cynodon dactylon

Cynodon dactylon , also known as Dūrvā Grass, Bermuda Grass, Dubo, Dog's Tooth Grass, Bahama Grass, Devil's Grass, Couch Grass, Indian Doab, Arugampul, Grama, and Scutch Grass, is a grass native to north and east Africa, Asia and Australia and southern Europe...

 grasses. If grass hay is not available, legume hay is an acceptable alternative. Legume hay is very rich with nutrients which a domestic rabbit does not need; therefore, it should only be an alternative. Flowers, fruits and vegetables are acceptable to feed a domestic rabbit but only in small amounts, not as an entire meal. Water should be constantly available for a rabbit.
All rabbit cages should have mesh bottoms that allow feces to drop through in order to avoid the rabbit becoming sick. The cage should be tall enough for the rabbit to stand on its back legs without hitting its head. The cage should be resistant to chewing, as well as big enough for the rabbit to have a rest area and a place to hide. If the rabbit is kept in a cage for the majority of the time, it should be taken out a few hours of the day for exercise to avoid health problems. Bedding such as a pelleted litter is also something that is beneficial for the rabbit’s housing.

Uses

Rabbits tend to be bred for one of four things: meat

Meat

Meat is animal flesh that is used as food. Most often, this means the skeletal muscle and associated fat and other tissues, but it may also describe other edible tissues such as organs and offal...

, fur

Fur

Fur is a synonym for hair, used more in reference to non-human animals, usually mammals; particularly those with extensives body hair coverage. The term is sometimes used to refer to the body hair of an animal as a complete coat, also known as the "pelage". Fur is also used to refer to animal...

, show

Show (animal)

A show is a judged event or display in the hobby of animal fancy or in the occupation of animal husbandry.Shows usually feature the best specimens of purebred animals in a locality or country...

, or pet

Pet

A pet is a household animal kept for companionship and a person's enjoyment, as opposed to wild animals or to livestock, laboratory animals, working animals or sport animals, which are kept for economic or productive reasons. The most popular pets are noted for their loyal or playful...

use. The Cinnamon rabbit is referred to as the “All-Purpose Rabbit” because it fulfills all four of these purposes.

Meat

Cinnamons were originally bred as meat rabbits. Of the four parent breeds of the Cinnamon, the New Zealand, Checkered Giant and Californian are largely used meat rabbits (the New Zealand is the most popular meat rabbit in the country, followed by the Californian) giving the Cinnamon a high potential as a meat rabbit as well.

Fur

Cinnamons have been bred to achieve a specific coloring, which does not vary much between rabbits of the breed. This unique and appealing color makes it an ideal fur rabbit, but because it is a rare breed it is not an extremely common use.

Show

Cinnamons have become a popular breed in competitive showing as well. Some experienced rabbit breeders enjoy the challenge of breeding the cinnamon rabbit because acquiring them is difficult due to their low numbers. However, the cinnamon is also suited for the amateur shower who isn’t interested in breeding. The rabbit itself is a great specimen for show because it is a commercially designed rabbit with good musculature and size.

Pets

As pets, Cinnamons are a great option. They require a balanced diet, but little grooming and care. They are large rabbits, making them too difficult for a small child to handle on their own, which keeps both the rabbit and child from injury. The Cinnamon’s large size and sturdiness also allows older children to handle the breed without fear of injuring it. The naturally calm temperament of a Cinnamon suits families who are looking for a pet rabbit because the rabbits enjoy human attention.

ARBA Standards

The American Rabbit Breeders Association (ARBA) sponsors sanctioned rabbit shows by breeders’ clubs. The ARBA issues their Standards of Perfection that can be purchased by potential showers which details the qualifications for each. Cinnamons are rated on a 100-point scale. 58 points on body type, looking for a good, medium sized body with smooth bone structure and good filled in flesh. The head is awarded up to three points, and the ears are given two. 11 points can be awarded for coloring and coat, which gives a well-bred Cinnamon an edge in competition from its unique coloring. Another 11 points from markings and color variations can be awarded, and Cinnamons again can have the advantage here with varying shades of rust and brown on the body and belly, and a lighter gray dusting along the back.