Gender vs. coat color … I'd say that both are probably factors in determining personality. Emily is a champaign point, thus closer to the Siamese end of the breed. And her personality reflects that. She's much higher strung than Eddie. She's also much more outgoing. She thinks that everyone who sets foot inside the front door is here to see her, and she generally makes her presence known pretty darn fast. Eddie is a platinum mink, right in the middle between the Siamese and the Burmese, and he's much more laid back. He's also a little less vocal and very much less outgoing. Unlike Emily, he doesn't usually interject himself into conversations with visitors and typically stays out of sight.

However, when it comes to interactions between the two cats, Eddie is the dominant one. For example, I have a constant struggle making them both understand that both of them are welcome to sleep on the bed at night. Somewhere along the line Eddie decided that the bedroom was his domain, and he convinced Emily that was the case, too. All he has to do is look at her if she dares venture past the door and she'll leave. If she gets there first, she'll try to leave the minute Eddie arrives. Same thing if I'm in the den watching TV in the evening. Eddie seems to have claimed that room as his private domain, too. They're fine during the day, and fine anywhere else in the house--except that Eddie thinks all the food is his, and that he can decide how much Emily can have.

So, based on my experience, I'd say that personality is affected by coat, and cat-to-cat interaction is probably based on gender.

Totally unscientific, of course...

Carol, Emily, & Eddie








>>I'm of the oppinion that gender would make more of a difference than coat color...Carol would know best...
>>
>>All of my boys are stereotypical tonks (social, vocal, purry purry piles of fur) with very different personalities...but I contribute that to...age, pecking order, and breeding line...and the fact that they are individuals.
>>
>>Bentley is a champage point...his personality is very very much like his father's (Jazz, whom my parents own) who is a champagne mink...but they also have Bentley's brother Duente, who is Jazz's son and also a champage mink...both Jazz and Bentley are the Alpha cats in their respective homes...and behave as such...Duente behaves more like my Finster who is a Natural Mink...both whom are second in line...Alastair my Blue Mink is lowest on the totem pole is always rolling over and showing his belly (very submissive posture)to the other two cats, and humans and will tolerate being rubbed there...Fin will also show his belly to any human and let it be touched...which is also something Duente does...but Bentley and Jazz will generally only show their belly to their Alpha humans but do not necessarily want it touched...
>>
>>Both Bentley and Jazz will lay in a pile with their other cat(s), but prefer to sleep alone or on their humans...Duente, Finster and Alastair prefer to lay in a pile with their other cat(s) but will not pass up a good human...
>>-----
>>Lisa, owned by Bentley,Alastair, Finster, & Trysta (greyhound)

[ Reply To This Message ] [ Subscribe to this Thread ] [ Hide Replies ]