Pet store chins

[chexy114]

It's just something I've noticed from reading different threads and talking to different people, but it seems like pet store chins have significantly good personalities. I mean maybe I'm wrong, I got mine from a breeder and he's kind of sweet (he's a teenager so i still have to work with him). But even my breeder's favorite chin is the original one she bought from a pet store.

I'm not trying to say it's good to buy them from pet stores and support the way they treat their animals, it's just something i noticed and thought was interesting. Maybe It's like getting a mutt from the pound...they bond to you easily because they know you took them out of a bad situation.

Anyone agree? Disagree?

 

[Chintastic!]

I have never owned a petstore chin(to my knowledge) I have 5 rescues that are mine but where they came from I couldnt tell you. their personalities seem to be all over the place some are sweet some are NOT. I think it just depends on the chin. The one that I got from a breeder(my first) was as sweet as can be. Easiest to handle from day one, I dont know if where they come from has any bearing but Im sure enviroments help shape personalities.

 

[moon]

Yeah, chins are all different. I have some that are very sweet and some that would rather be skinned than have my hand in the cage. Most fall somewhere in between.

 

[greychins]

I don't agree, but I don't disagree either.... I think that most chins that people buy have good personalities, but again, it depends on the chin. Out of the first four chins that I (still) have, two were pet store chins, and two were from a large well-known rancher. When I got them, I thought they were all very sweet and friendly. Now, years later (my first chin is now 8 yrs old), the two pet store chins have somewhat changed personalities. My first chin, while still friendly, is now super-territorial and will bite when you try to get him out of the cage. My second chin, while friendly at the beginning, we now call her "the part-alligator chin" because there is no touching her or picking her up without thick leather gloves on. Those were my two pet store chins. My two chins from the rancher were sweet when I got them, and are still sweet 6 years later. The one is actually my favorite chin (Toby) because he is just the calmest most complacent chin ever. Loves to be picked up, loves to be held and is just all around great.

The point is, while I think it's fine to say that pet store chins are friendly (I imagine a lot of them are), I don't think I would say that they are more friendly than breeder chins, per se. I've met a decent number of chins, pet store or breeder, and it seems their level of friendliness depends on the chin.

Another case in point - my mother's chinchilla is from a petstore. Seemed sweet when I got her (was a Christmas gift from my dad to mom, I went and picked her out)... she is the freakin devil chin! Omg. This chin HATES me. Sprays me, bites me... loves my mom... refuses cagemates... she is just the devil chin. Not for my mom, but she doesn't like anyone else... but she was sweet at the pet store, or I wouldn't have picked her out.

But then, I've also had some breeder chins come through here... I have one chin here bred by the same rancher (but bought from someone else) who I think would go perfect with my alligator-chin... cause she is just not friendly and barks and has some.... issues. So, I'm going to go with, I think it depends more on the chin.

Not to mention, often pet stores get their chinchillas through wholesalers, but ultimately from those large ranchers....

 

[Pikaia]

You know, when I was thinking of getting a chinchilla I went to Pets Supplies Plus to check them out. I wanted to see what they were like in person. They took this little guy out of his cage and he was very friendly! He let you pick him up, he was crawling over the employee and I was like, "Wow, I love him!". I didn't end up getting him from the store and bought Chichi off Craigslist. She was sooo timid and wouldn't tolerate being picked up or anything like that. I am pretty sure it has more to do with how he was treated by her old family. They had a very young son and I think he grabbed at her quite a bit.

It all depends entirely on the chin. The reason that pet store chin was so friendly is because it probably had a lot of socialization with customers and the employees playing with him. I don't know.

My kits are sooo friendly and it's because I have handled them since birth. They jump around on me and will tolerate being held for short periods of time. Tribble even jumps on my hand voluntarily! Every chin is different..

 

[jags]

Pet store chins come from breeders so there really is not much different about them other than each chin will have their own personality.

 

[greychins]

Sometimes I think it depends on the person too. My mom's chin likes my mom and is the sweetest thing and friendliest little critter - towards her. For me, she sprays and kacks and just doesn't like me.

I have another chin, my territorial one, who HATES when I try to get him out of the cage. It's always a fight to get him out, but he's fine once he's out. This little stinker will jump RIGHT into one of my friend's hands to come out of the cage... (which of course prompts the inevitable "I thought you said he was hard to get out?")... so while I think personality has a lot to do with friendly or not, I think some chins are more apt to maybe like different people...

 

[starleomach]

chinchillas can be friendly or unfriendly no matter where they come from I have seen mean breeder's and pet store animals and Friendly breeder and petstore. Each chinchilla is different. One of my friendliest chinchillas came from a breeder who was proud of his Dark coal bin area he bred his chinchillas in and he never handled them I mean never. Neptune is still the friendliest I have despite being "dongeon bred" anyone who has been around a few years will know which breeder was proud of his dongeon bred chinchillas.....