The genetics

Cream is a dilute of orange, carrying the wideband gene alongside dilution. It has the same underlying non-extension as orange but the dilution gene pales it right down.

What a good one looks like

Evenness. A cream should be the same soft buttermilk over the whole body, with a slightly paler belly. There should be no darker points on the ears or nose, and if there are, you are looking at a sable point or a poorly bred cream.

What to check for

Grey or smutty shading over the ears and nose, which means the colour is not clean. A washed-out white cast, which means the wideband is not doing its job.

Is cream actually rare?

Moderately uncommon. It appears less often than orange and it is easier to breed badly than well, because a slightly off cream reads as a dirty white.

Common questions

What is the difference between cream and sable point?

The points. A cream should have no darker shading on the ears or nose at all. If there are dark points, you are looking at a sable point, or at a cream that has not been bred cleanly.

Are cream Holland Lops rare?

Moderately uncommon. They appear less often than orange, and they are easier to breed badly than well, because a slightly off cream simply reads as a dirty white.

What it costs

Every Holland Lop here is $300 to $400 regardless of colour. Full pricing here.