Colour vs personality

[user 11610]

This is probably a dumb question but here I go.....

I will have a choice of colours when I come to chose my new chin and I was wondering if different colours have different personality traits.

I have owned hamsters now for over 6 years and I have noticed a pattern with the colours and personalities. For example out of the hamsters I have had: cinnamons are laid back, banded hamsters are placid, tortoiseshells are naughty and my grey was very clever. Not to mention the dwarf hamsters (I could go on forever).

I am thinking of going for a male because the male animals I have had all seem to be a little more chilled than the females. But having never had a chin I may be completely off the mark!

As for colour I am not really concerned because I want the chin to be happy and healthy first. But I would like to know if there is a patten with colour and personalities. Are there any health issues related to colour also (like white cats with blue eyes are likely to be deaf).

I really hope this makes sense! Sorry for the essay and potentially dumb question! )

 

[midevalmiss]

I my self was wondering this!!! So don't feel to dumb :wink3:. I have been in the animal world for some time as a worker and as an owner and have seen a pattern with color and personality. I am also planning on getting a male chinchilla do to the more lade back tendency in males. ( I also don't like that the female might spray me lol.)

 

[Godofgods]

Its actually not a bad question. There are some species that have traits or risks that are more prominent with certain colors or mutations or what not.

That being said, i have never heard of it for chinchillas. But i have never sought out to seek such and answer. So i rly have no idea, but ive never heard it mentioned before.

 

[SRSimpson]

It depends on the chin. I do not know of colors vs personality but as far as I know pet wise one should have different health issues of the other. In breeding different colors have different weak traits associated. But as long as you find a reputable breeder there shouldn't be an issue of health among different colors.

Males do tend to be easier than females, females being more territorial of the two genders. But that being said it does depend on the chin. Of course, males cannot spray xD but if you are getting a pet you'd likely be getting one for personality anyways.

I'd recommend finding a good breeder in your area. Or a rescue, there are some great rescues here on the forum. Either way go to pick up the chin, maybe come and meet different ones and see which one you fall in love with. Meet a few, especially if you decide on a rescue or adult as they each have very different personalities ( kits often don't have their personality set or well act like a kit). A lot of breeders work with kits from early days old to make sure they are tame.

I hope this helps!

 

[Cuddlebug]

Some of us would swear that whites tend to be more goofy than other colors. Otherwise, it just depends on the chin. Handle some of them and them pick the one that seems the best fir for you.

 

[ticklechin]

The whites are just nuts, the whiter the chin the more crazy they are! BVs in my experience were the most laid back. Violets feel entitled, just a silly pet owners point of view!

 

[Gumby and Elmo]

Dawn, what you said is exactly right, well in my case anyway, I have a crazy crazy crazy non stop Mosaic, 2 really laid back brown velvets if that was what you were referring to, and coincidentally they both won't let me pet them on the head. Everywhere else is ok, just not the head.
And I also have a really nosey playful standard.

 

[Shenanigans]

Id never thought about it. I only have one chin, a mostly-white mosaic. He's very outgoing compared to many chin descriptions, but definitely has attitude- if sticks are under his feet or in a landing spot on his ledges or i put loofah in his house things are getting thrown. I'd go with he's crazy but I love him. Maybe the white thing holds true.

For other animals if you guys are interested-I worked in a dog/cat animal shelter. Our orange cats (a male-linked color) seemed to have neurological issues or acted funny (especially one litter with an orange female!). Could be regional for us-if the strays that are orange also have another genetic issue, but that was generally acknowledged by vets/vet techs in the area that there was something going on. Also, black and white cats were harder to adopt out unless they were "tuxedo" looking. And too many black labs or black lab mixes made it so the customers seemed to think "they're all alike here, none stick out" and severely decreased adoptions overall. It was kind of a jinx/superstition "black dog syndrome".

 

[SRSimpson]

Odd, I have a mosiac mostly white whom is not too crazy. Just...unintelligent. He tries to run on top of his wheel. My tov violet wrap is the crazy one. Bouncing off of walls, literally. My dark ebony is laid back, she almost never moves. And of all things my **** ebony kit is the calmest of all! Despite being a kit. She sits in my shoulder or lap or watches my ipad when I watch movies on it.

 

[MNChinLover]

hmm, interesting. I personally do not believe that there are any links with color and that in the end, it ends up being the individual chin. However, I think there are common differences in males and females of many different animals, but of course, it still is up to the individual animal.

However, being more in the dog world, I believe there are common themes with various breeds.

From my experience with chins:
Olaf- my mostly white mosaic is both laid back and hyper. He is definitely more laid back when getting held or touched in general. However, at night he loves to run circles by going up and over all the ledges or fleece items in his cage as fast as he can. He also prefers wall surfing.
Sven- my black velvet is definitely more jumpy when being held but gets hyper and does a series of popcorning. He also seems to always be eating pellets from the bowl.

 

[ticklechin]

When I think of white chins who are not right in the head, I think of Buddy the chinchilla

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PGFz7jOUsNk

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bXi7NVuPgSQ

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h5Awnxxbh1k

 

[Amphy64]

Interesting question. ) I've found it seems to be the case with other animals (chocolate point Siamese being more highly strung than seals, chestnut horses, especially mares, living up to the stereotype...my ginger dog does, too!).

With BVs and BrVs being more laid back, as some have said they found, could that be a brevi type as compared to lanigera type thing, since velvets tend to be more brevi type? I've heard they can be calmer.

 

[ServantofBlueberry]

This was interesting. I only have two so my experience is only with them. My Standard girl is very laid back and well behaved she is very loving and sweet.... my Ebony... well.... she marches to her own tune and I dont think she is the brightest crayon in the box LOL. She is clumsy, ditzy and very high strung.

 

[Godofgods]

and coincidentally they both won't let me pet them on the head. Everywhere else is ok, just not the head.

I have a boy like that. Does not like his head being messed with. While his father doesnt mind it at all but hates his back end (towards his legs) being touched.

 

[Busann]

When I was at a seminar with a fur breeder who was / is working with blue diamonds, he said that he had notest that sapphires were more nervous than his violet and blue diamonds.
He said that when he felt for pregnancy, he would only confirm pregnancy on a sapphire but he would try to feel the number of babies on his violet and blue diamonds, sapphires since had a tendency to withdraw embryos. And he would notice a difference in personality and nervousness in a sapphire, violet and blue diamond in the same litter.

Which is something I noticed in my own sapphires vs violet and blue diamond. While all others from this breeder was calm and non-nervous, both my sapphires form him were very nervous, and I know others who had the same problem with sapphires, both from this breeder and other breeders.

 

[user 11610]

Thanks guys for not laughing at me ) And thank you all so much for sharing your experiences. The colour I would like to get most is the black velvet but like I say I will be happy as long as the chin is happy and healthy. I believe I have found a good breeder and she has given me loads of advice. She lives 20 minutes away which means a very short car journey for the kit.

I am leaning towards male because of the spraying and that they are possibly more laid back, but watching hair ring videos I am not sure I would be any good at removing one :hmm:

 

[e.murphy518]

A little late but I have two mosaics, a standard, a beige, and a TOV ebony. All males. Hair ring checks aren't so bad

My standard grey despises being handled, loves to tear up his cage and knock over his food bowl as soon as I fix it, and is very curious at play time.

My two mosaics are nuts. They are very hyper and mischievous and smart--a little too smart for their own good. They always try to find ways to get into EVERYTHING. They will let you pick them up but as soon as they see a surface they think they can run around on they will try to leap from your hands.

My TOV ebony is still under 6 months old, and he is a very mild and happy chin. He is still very curious and absolutely loves coming out of his cage, but he is very gentle and just explores the play area. He is my only chin that will sit still on me and even falls asleep in my bed sometimes.

My beige is the calmest of all my chins. He loves being pet all over his body, and he just calmly explores during play time. He also sits very still when you hold him

 

[user 11610]

Thank you for sharing your experiences e.murphy518 ) I love how the chins characters vary so much.

I think I will avoid mosaics for my first chin (they will probably wrap me around their little paw and get into all sorts of mischief)! I have found another breeder who seems to specialize in breeding ebony and black velvets. Fingers crossed she will have a black velvet kit ready for a home when I move house and get settled. This is all very exciting!!!

I think I have decided to go for a male, I just hope he will be compliant with the dreaded check.

 

[Sarah Paes]

This is probably a dumb question but here I go.....

I will have a choice of colours when I come to chose my new chin and I was wondering if different colours have different personality traits.

I have owned hamsters now for over 6 years and I have noticed a pattern with the colours and personalities. For example out of the hamsters I have had: cinnamons are laid back, banded hamsters are placid, tortoiseshells are naughty and my grey was very clever. Not to mention the dwarf hamsters (I could go on forever).

I am thinking of going for a male because the male animals I have had all seem to be a little more chilled than the females. But having never had a chin I may be completely off the mark!

As for colour I am not really concerned because I want the chin to be happy and healthy first. But I would like to know if there is a patten with colour and personalities. Are there any health issues related to colour also (like white cats with blue eyes are likely to be deaf).

I really hope this makes sense! Sorry for the essay and potentially dumb question! )

I already had a standard and a tov mosaic. I noticed that the mosaic is very docile, loves to be petted and when it leaves the cage it runs so much that it hits obstacles and likes to jump on the walls to take momentum. the standard is crazy about food, dislikes to be petted and is much calmer when leaving the cage. The standard is also obviously nocturnal, while the mosaic prefers to stay awake during the day.
I heard that whites are very docile and black velvet are more aggressive.