The American Chinchilla rabbit is a very commonly known breed throughout the rabbit community, the only thing is that not all of these people may know the small details behind this breed. Due to this, I will be going over the history, characteristics, personalities, medical problems, and more!
The History Behind The American Chinchilla Rabbit:
The very first American Chinchilla was developed by Mitchem Surrey, or M.J Dybowski. These rabbits were first shown in 1913, the location being Saint-Maur, France. From here, the breed exploded with popularity.
The gorgeous coat on this rabbit made fur trade insane. It wasn’t until the summer of 1917 that this breed was put up on the British market. The year 1919 was probably the biggest year for this breed because a British exhibitor sent some of these rabbits to the New York State Fair to be entered. The entire stock was sold to two people, Edward H. Stahl and Jack Harris.
From here, American breeders went to work to make this rabbit larger. At this time, the average weight was only about 5 to 7 1/2 lbs. This increase in size was needed for appropriate meat and fur worth out of this breed. The breed was eventually established in 1924 through the accept of this breed by the ARBA, or the American Rabbit Breeders Association.
Common Characteristics:
The American Chinchilla is well known for its stocky body and grey fur. To be exact, the color is actually dark slate blue, which is the only color that is accepted through the ARBA for this breed. This is because the breed is meant to have the common chinchilla coloring. The American Chinchillas have short and soft fur that needs plenty of grooming during shedding season.
For the overall body of this animal, The rabbit has a large and stocky body with broad muscles and very powerful legs. The ears of this rabbit fit well to its body size, and look as though they would be considerably medium-sized.
Common Personalities:
This rabbit is amazing for its personality. One, this breed is incredibly docile and friendly, which is great for families with young children. Two, this rabbit is extremely sweet and loves attention, which is great for those who need an emotional support animal. And three, this rabbit’s happiness shines throughout anyone who is near the rabbit because they are just the sweetest rabbits ever, and love to snuggle.
Sizing/Weight:
The American Chinchilla rabbit is considered a large breed rabbit, not surprising due to the fact that they were bred to be meat and fur rabbits, which are usually large sized rabbits. The stockiness and stature of this rabbit are the two main factors to the sizing that it has been given.
The average weight of a healthy American Chinchilla should be anywhere from 9 to 12 lbs. This weight will usually come from muscle mass from the meat that was built up on this rabbit. Watching the weight of your rabbit is incredibly important, it could show whether your rabbit is sick or not.
Common Medical Problems:
There aren’t any specific medical problems that are commonly found in this breed itself.
Extra Care:
There aren’t any sources of extra care needed for this rabbit, besides plenty on exercise, which should be given no matter what!
Works Cited:
“American Chinchilla Rabbit Breed Information and Pictures.” PetGuide, 20 Oct. 2017, www.petguide.com/breeds/rabbit/american-chinchilla-rabbit/.
Sources:
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