Cinnamon is like Seal and Chocolate a fully pigmented (dark) Colour which is based on the storage of the dark eumelanin pigment granules in hair (coat) and skin. It is determinated from the same gene locus as Seal and Chocolate and is member of the 'Black' series.

In genetic terms Cinnamon is also called light brown (bl). Cinnamon has also nothing in common with the colour RED.

Cinnamon is recessive against Seal and Chocolate. A gene is called recessive when it is covered by a dominant gene. These genes can be carried over generations 'under cover' and given to the next generation without being noticed. Recessive genes only take effect when both parents have given them to the next generation.

For better understanding an explanaiting is given what is “homozygote” and what is “heterozygote”:

A cat is geneticly homozygote when it's appearance is the same as the genetic basics. This cat has two similar alleles at a gene locus. This means that no other characteristics are carried 'under cover'.

A heterozygote cat in genetic terms is a cat that is carrying the not shown genectic information, because of the dominant genes. It has two dissimilar alleles at a gene locus. It is not possible to draw a genetic conclusion from the appearance. This means that recessive characteristics are 'hidden'. The characteristics can only be defined when mating these carriers to each other. Only a pedigree certificate is a good help to identify carriers.

What does this mean for breeding ?   A crossing between two homozygote Cinnamon cats can never lead to kitten in Seal or Chocolate. A different colour for kitten can only occur, if the cats in Cinnamon are heterozygote (carrying dilution = light colour) ... This is shown later !   Cats coloured in Seal or Chocolate and Blue or Lilac respectively can carry the gene for Cinnamon in their gene pool. They also can be mixed. With a regarding cossing kitten in Cinnamon can be born.

table of crossings © Cattery RIBO´s Queen X stud Seal Seal carrying Chocolate Seal carrying Cinnamon Chocolate Chocolate carrying Cinnamon Cinnamon Seal Seal Seal Seal Seal Seal Seal Seal carrying Chocolate Seal Seal Chocolate Seal Chocolate Seal Chocolate Seal Chocolate Seal Chocolate Seal carrying Cinnamon Seal Seal Chocolate Seal Cinnamon Seal Chocolate Seal Chocolate Cinnamon Seal Cinnamon Chocolate Seal Seal Chocolate Seal Chocolate Chocolate Chocolate Chocolate Chocolate carrying Cinnamon Seal Seal Chocolate Seal Chocolate Cinnamon Chocolate Chocolate Cinnamon Chocolate Cinnamon Cinnamon Seal Seal Chocolate Seal Cinnamon Chocolate Chocolate Cinnamon Cinnamon

The gene for dilution is recessive like the gene for Cinnamon. A crossing between cats with a cinnamon gene 'bl' and carrying the dilution gene 'd' can lead to kitten in Fawn. The colour Fawn is the dilution of Cinnamon.

This is the theory, but now it is getting a little bit more complex: A crossing between to cats in Fawn can only result in kitten coloured Fawn.   To get Kitten in Cinnamon and Fawn is needed that both parents in Cinnamon are carrier for the dilute colour. Otherwise only kitten in Cinnamon are born, but carrying the dilute colour gene information.   Cats in Seal and Chocolate carrying the genetic information for Cinnamon and Dilution can also lead to kitten in Cinnamon and Fawn.   If the parents in Seal and Chocolate carry no information for the dilute colours, but for Cinnamon, only kitten in Cinnamon are possible (amongst Seal and Chocolate).

table of crossings © Cattery RIBO´s Queen X stud Seal carrying Cinnamon + dilution Chocolate carrying Cinnamon + dilution Cinnamon carrying dilution Blue carrying Cinnamon Lilac carrying Cinnamon Fawn Seal carrying Cinnamon +dilution Seal Blue Cinnamon Fawn Seal Blue Chocolate Lilac Cinnamon Fawn Seal Blue Cinnamon Fawn Seal Blue Cinnamon Fawn Seal Blue Chocolate Lilac Cinnamon Fawn Seal Blue Cinnamon Fawn Chocolate carrying Cinnamon +dilution Seal Blue Chocolate Lilac Cinnamon Fawn Chocolate Lilac Cinnamon Fawn Chocolate Lilac Cinnamon Fawn Seal Blue Chocolate Lilac Cinnamon Fawn Chocolate Lilac Cinnamon Fawn Chocolate Lilac Cinnamon Fawn Cinnamon carrying dilution Seal Blue Cinnamon Fawn Chocolate Lilac Cinnamon Fawn Cinnamon Fawn Seal Blue Cinnamon Fawn Chocolate Lilac Cinnamon Fawn Cinnamon Fawn Blue carrying Cinnamon Seal Blue Cinnamon Fawn Seal Blue Chocolate Lilac Cinnamon Fawn Seal Blue Cinnamon Fawn Blue Fawn Blue Lilac Fawn Blue Fawn Lilac carrying Cinnamon Seal Blue Chocolate Lilac Cinnamon Fawn Chocolate Lilac Cinnamon Fawn Chocolate Lilac Cinnamon Fawn Blue Lilac Fawn Lilac Fawn Lilac Fawn Fawn Seal Blue Cinnamon Fawn Chocolate Lilac Cinnamon Fawn Cinnamon Fawn Blue Fawn Lilac Fawn Fawn

Genetic looks more complicated in theory then it is in reality. When crossing with Cinnamon the known rules by Mendel about genetics are absolutely the same and can be learned easily.

The typical 'red' touch of the colour Cinnamon is based on the group of 'Rufus'-genes. This effect is called `Rufffism´. This group of genes (polygenes) modifies the original colour and shows a red and warm background colour. It is not to be mixed with the colour Red which leads to the red colour on the hair (coat). This colour has it's own gene location.

With the Cinnamon-gene the following Point-colours are possible:

Cinnamon-Point Fawn-Point Cinnamon-Tabby-Point Fawn-Tabby-Point Cinnamon-Tortie-Point Fawn-Tortie-Point Cinnamon-Tortie-Tabby-Point (Cinnamon-Torbie-Point) Fawn-Tortie-Tabby-Point (Fawn-Torbie-Point) In combination with the 'Silver'-gene all colours are also as smoke-point and silver-tabby-point valid.

© Cattery RiBo´s - Germany

RiBo´s Heilige Birmakatzen in Cinnamon- & Fawn-Point