Are you looking for a unique rabbit that showcases ground cinnamon (light reddish, orange-brown) fur coat? How about a rabbit that likes attention, is friendly, and is ideal for first-time rabbit owners? Then the Cinnamon rabbit fits the bill.
A Cinnamon rabbit was bred by accident in Montana in the 1960s. Cinnamon rabbits are all-purpose rabbits with a commercial body shape, russet-colored fur, and 4-inch long ears. With an average life expectancy of 5-8 years, these rabbits make ideal pets. But they can also be bred for showing or meat.
Let’s learn more about the Cinnamon rabbit and how it came to be.
What Is a Cinnamon Rabbit?
The Cinnamon rabbit was the result of an accidental rabbit pairing. However, this russet-colored bunny’s commercial-shaped body and calm, curious, and friendly personality has made it a keeper for breeders and pet bunny owners alike.
Rabbits in the Cinnamon breed typically weigh between 8-11 pounds and they live for an average of 5-8 years, depending on how well you take care of them and meet their needs.
The Cinnamon rabbit makes a great pet rabbit and a unique one too given its coat coloring. Most pet rabbits have black, gray, and white fur. So the red-brown, cinnamon-like color is quite something.
The Cinnamon rabbit breed is most comparable with the Californian rabbit and New Zealand rabbit.
Cinnamon Rabbit History and Origin
The breeding of the Cinnamon rabbit was by accident. During Easter in 1962 in Missoula, Montana, in the United States, Belle and Fred Houseman crossed a New Zealand buck with a Chinchilla doe.
The kids then bred a buck from this litter with a Californian doe, and soon after a Checkered Giant rabbit was mixed in as part of their 4-H project (a curriculum that teaches kids about animals such as rabbits). Eventually, a litter with russet-colored babies was born.
Rabbits from that litter mated to produce offspring with an entire litter that had only cinnamon-colored fur. Belle and Fred’s dad were intrigued by the Cinnamon rabbit and took it to shows.
He also lobbied for the recognition of the Cinnamon rabbit breed by the American Rabbit Breeders Association (ARBA).
Cinnamon Rabbit Characteristics
Cinnamon rabbits are easy to recognize because of their russet-colored fur.
However, it is still noteworthy to learn about the many characteristics that set these bunnies apart from other breeds.
Appearance
The Cinnamon rabbit is a standard or medium-sized rabbit that weighs no more than 11 pounds when it becomes an adult. These bunnies are the right size to be cuddled and they aren’t too big for kids to handle.
With a commercial body shape, these rabbits can be bred for meat production because their bodies are well-balanced. Their heads are well proportioned to their body and their bodies’ width is equal to their depth.
The ears of a Cinnamon rabbit are straight and can be 4 inches long.
Coat and Color
The coat of a Cinnamon rabbit is its most striking feature. This makes the rabbit ideal for shows and exhibitions, and it’s a unique pet.
The Cinnamon rabbit has a coat color that matches its name. The fur is ground cinnamon in color – a red-brown or light burnt orange color. The fur on the rabbit’s tummy, nose, ears, and paws is a smoky gray. Their ears sport black edges around the tips.
Their coats are lustrous and reflect light well. This is another component that makes these rabbits show-worthy.
These bunnies don’t come in other color variations.
Their coat is short and easy to maintain. Groom your rabbit with a rabbit-friendly slicker brush weekly or biweekly. You’ll need to groom your bunny more often at a frequency of twice a week during molting or shedding season.
Temperament
Cinnamon rabbits are calm, affectionate, and docile, so they make great pets for first-time rabbit owners. If you have kids, then the Cinnamon bunny is also an excellent choice.
These Cinnamon rabbits are quite active and need a lot of exercises.
They can run or hop at speeds of 30-40 miles per hour. So a large run that’s attached to the rabbit hutch or supervised time play and exercise time in your living room, hallway, or backyard is recommended.
When it is chill time, these rabbits like to sit and be petted and loved by their fur parent(s).
Cinnamon Rabbit Care
Compared to other rabbit breeds, the Cinnamon rabbit is relatively easy to care for. If you look after them well, they’ll live a long and healthy life.
Follow these tips to care for your Cinnamon rabbit:
Cage and Bedding
You can keep these bunnies indoors or outdoors. The ideal cage size for one Cinnamon rabbit is 3 feet by 4 feet. This excludes the area for a run. If you have more than one rabbit, the rabbit enclosure needs to be big enough to accommodate the bunnies.
If they are kept outdoors, ensure that the cage is predator and weatherproof to keep these bunnies healthy and safe.
The cage or hutch should also be lined with a wood pellet, newspaper, or aspen lining. This is especially important if the surface of the cage is wire. This can injure your rabbit’s feet and lead to sore hocks, which is painful for your rabbit.
Your bunny also needs a big area to exercise. Cinnamon rabbits need quite a lot of exercise so a large run will ensure they get the hopping and running around that they need.
Place water bowls, a food bowl, a litter box, and a hay dispenser inside the hutch or cage so that your bunny will feel at home. Toys are also great to keep your Cinnamon rabbit mentally stimulated.
Grooming
Cinnamon rabbits are good at grooming themselves, and if you have a bonded pair of rabbits, they’ll mutually groom each other too.
To help you connect with your Cinnamon rabbit, groom your bunny once a week or biweekly. This also ensures they have a healthy and shiny coat.
Increase the frequency of grooming to twice a week during molting season. This will help keep your house clean and help your bunny to molt better.
Diet
Cinnamon rabbits, like all other pet rabbits, need a healthy and balanced diet. This helps them thrive.
The majority of your bunny’s diet should consist of fresh, good-quality hay in unlimited amounts. The next important part of your rabbit’s diet is fresh leafy green vegetables.
Treats in the form of pellets, high-carb vegetables, and fruit should be kept for rewards during training.
Your rabbit should also have access to unlimited, clean, freshwater every day. Thoroughly wash the water bowl daily to ensure there’s no build-up of bacteria that can make your bunny sick.
Health
Cinnamon rabbits are generally healthy rabbits. This means they aren’t susceptible to any specific disease. However, anything can happen and that’s why it is essential to check your bunny and take them for regular checkups with the vet.
Feeding your bunny hay serves two purposes. One is that it provides them with the fiber they need to keep their hind-gut fermentation process working in optimal condition. The second is that the teeth of rabbits grow about 0.39 of an inch per month, so eating hay wears down their teeth.
Ensure your bunny’s teeth don’t overgrow as this can lead to other health complications that could be fatal.
Deworm your rabbit twice a year – during spring and fall – to ensure there is no worm-load build-up in their intestines. Regularly check your bunny for mites, fleas, and ticks too.
Breeding the Cinnamon Rabbit
The all-purpose Cinnamon rabbit is rare but they are typically bred for three reasons:
As Pets
The Cinnamon rabbit is calm and affectionate, so they make excellent pets. Since they are relatively easy to care for, they are suitable pets for first-time rabbit owners and families with kids.
If you have kids, teach them how to properly take care of their pet rabbit. This includes how to gently handle a rabbit, how to pick them up, and how to hold them. Rabbits have weak spines, so improper handling can lead to paralysis or death.
Plus, rabbits don’t generally like to be picked up and cuddled because they are prey animals. The Cinnamon rabbit may be more tolerant of cuddling because it is a friendly bunny but it is still wise to not over-handle your pet rabbit.
For Shows
The cinnamon fur is quite unique, so the Cinnamon rabbit makes an excellent show and exhibition rabbit.
For Meat
The Cinnamon rabbit was originally bred for meat. However, its New Zealand parent is the most popular rabbit to be bred for meat production, followed by the Californian and Checkered Giant rabbits.
However, Cinnamon rabbits are rare, so their use as rabbit meat isn’t common.
Cinnamon Rabbit Price
Cinnamon rabbits are quite rare. If you can find a reputable breeder, expect to pay around $30 for a Cinnamon rabbit.
Conclusion
Cinnamon rabbits are great as an all-purpose rabbits. Their commercial body makes them ideal for meat production. Their ground cinnamon-colored fur could even be useful in the fur trade.
The coat also makes them ideal for competitive showing, while their winning personality keeps their human companions happy.
Feeding your Cinnamon rabbit a healthy and well-balanced diet, ensuring all their care and exercise needs are met, and taking them for regular checkups at the vet will ensure that your rabbit lives a long and fulfilling life.