Out of all the possible British Shorthair fur coat colors, two stand out from the rest as the most genetically rare–Cinnamon and Fawn. As one of the rarest colors to be found, the Cinnamon British Shorthair is considered one of the most interesting coats as well.
While one may think there to be little difference between a Cinnamon-colored British Shorthair and any other simple brown cat, that would be incorrect! The Cinnamon color is extremely distinct, much like the spice itself! A Cinnamon coat is the result of a very specific set of genetics expressed with a deep, warm reddish-brown fur color–even with slight bronze undertones–in the fur. Not to be confused with the Chocolate British Shorthair, which has a very much chocolate-like color with a deep, more cool-toned dark brown.
The specific gene for the Cinnamon-colored British Shorthair is indeed recessive, therefore making it one of the most rare coat colors among the fur color possibilities of the breed.
How can I tell if my British Shorthair is a true Cinnamon?
With so many variations and intricacies amongst the coat color possibilities for the British Shorthair breed, there are specific markers with each color that make it easy to tell exactly which color the cat is, if not simply by the fur color alone. For Cinnamon-colored cats specifically, the most striking initial indicator will be their eye color–Cinnamon cats will always have either orange or copper eyes. Next up, you’ll want to check their nose and paw pads, as both should be a beautiful light pink. If the cat’s nose and paw pads are more of a light brown or milk chocolate color, this would indicate that the cat is actually a Chocolate British Shorthair, not a true Cinnamon.
Are there variations on the Cinnamon British Shorthair coat color?
The short answer is yes! While the solid coat colors across the British Shorthair breed are strikingly elegant, there are also variations in the Cinnamon coat color that provide a whole new world of fur colorways to consider for your British Shorthair of choice. If the Cinnamon color is calling your name, but you’re looking for a bit of pizzazz in your chosen cat’s coloring, a Cinnamon Tortie or Cinnamon Colorpoint might be the perfect combination for you!
What does a Cinnamon Tortie look like? And what does “Tortie” mean?
Tortie British Shorthairs present a beautiful, mottled mosaic effect across the cat’s fur coat, with the pattern mimicking a classic tortoiseshell pattern–hence the nickname, Tortie! There are two distinct sets of variations in British Shorthair Tortie coats–light, and dark. The darker variations consist of the deeper coat colors (chocolate, cinnamon, and black) most often mixing with the red or gold coat color. The lighter variations tend to present the brighter coat colorways (blue, lilac, and fawn) mixed with spots of the cream coat.
While your kitten of choice may only have a small number of spots to begin with, don’t fret! Tortie British Shorthairs develop over time–as your kitten grows into a cat, they will develop more and more of their distinctive tortoiseshell spots, growing into their true Tortie selves by the time they reach one year of age.
Given their rare status, British Shorthair Torties are prized among the breeding community, as Tortie parent cats can produce offspring of a variety of different colors, especially when mixed with a second parent of a different colorway–resulting in kittens of both solid and tortie fur coats!
What is a Cinnamon Colorpoint? How is it visually different from a typical Cinnamon-colored British Shorthair?
A colorpoint British Shorthair is a type of genetic variation that affects the general coloring of the cat, from eyes to fur. Also called acromelanism, Colorpoint is technically a type of albinism. Originally found in Siamese cats, the coloring spread across a handful of breeds–eventually finding its way to Persian cats, and eventually the British Shorthair breed in the 1980’s. The colorpoint effect is considered relatively rare as it must be intentionally bred in order to occur. Keeping in mind that Cinnamon British Shorthairs are rare to begin with, Colorpoint Cinnamons are even more so! There are only a select few breeders across the world that produce these cats, so it may be a bit of a journey if you decide this is the color for you.
We now know what to expect from the Cinnamon color itself–a warm, soft, reddish-brown–but how does this manifest in the Colorpoint pattern? Colorpoint British Shorthairs in general will display a mostly white coat and beautiful light blue eyes–keeping in line with the Albino aspect of the Colorpoint genetic makeup. The Cinnamon color can then manifest in a few different spots across the body of the cat, which will depend entirely on how the genetic pieces fall–you can expect to find splashes of Cinnamon on the paws (sometimes radiating up to the midpoint area of the leg), tail, backs of the ears, and the face (sometimes resulting in a sort of “eyebrows” effect, other times looking quite similar to the Siamese “mask”-style markings).
As with the full-bodied Cinnamon color, the Cinnamon Colorpoint will also feature the perfectly pink nose and paw pads that distinguish the colorway from the deeper Chocolate brown. If you’re looking to ensure that your British Shorthair is indeed a Cinnamon or Cinnamon Colorpoint, the soft pink nose and paw pads will be key.
Where can I find a Cinnamon British Shorthair?
As with all colors of the breed, we always recommend starting your search on the TICA website to find registered British Shorthair breeders both nearby and abroad. From there, a quick look at the breeder’s website or social media should quickly clarify the type of colors they specialize in! If you’re looking to cast a wider net, there are many Facebook groups you can join where breeders post about the kittens and cats they have available–the one caution here is to be wary of scammers. Never send money prior to having proof of the kitten or cat itself–ideally seeing it in person or over facetime–especially if the breeder is offering a price that seems too good to be true. As always, we also encourage you to search at your local shelters as well–though British Shorthairs very rarely end up at shelters due to their being so beloved as a breed, it is ultimately important to offer every cat in a shelter a loving home where there is a good fit.
Whether you’re just embarking on your search for a Cinnamon British Shorthair or are simply more curious about the specificities of this member of the breed, we wish you luck in your journey to learn more and acquire your own British Shorthair!
