Fancy Rat & Mouse Day

Fancy Rat & Mouse Day celebrates fancy rats and mice, as well as their fanciers: those who breed and care for them. Fancy rats and mice may be both show animals and pets, and their coats come in a variety of colors and patterns. On account of breeding, domesticated rats are more colorful than their wild counterparts—being cinnamon, white, and blue in hue—and are tamer, have a different temperament, and live longer. Fancy rats and mice are affordable and generally easy to care for.

The brown or Norway rat, Rattus norvegicus, was domesticated to become the fancy rat. The rat had been colonizing Europe—especially England—in the eighteenth century, where it drove out the native Black rat, which was smaller and less adaptable. There were so many wild rats that they started being captured and put in rat pits to be used for rat-baiting. Bets were placed on dogs, usually terriers, and the dog that killed the most rats in the shortest amount of time was declared the winner.

Rats with odd and unique colors began turning up and were bred to produce more, by rat catchers and those involved with the sport. The fancy rat had arrived. During the mid-nineteenth century, Jimmy Shaw bred these colored rats and likely sold them as pets. Jack Black, the royal rat catcher for Queen Victoria, also bred and sold them during this era. He is now regarded as "the originator of the first true domestic rats."

Colored mice were in Europe by the early nineteenth century, and became especially popular in England. The National Mouse Club was founded there in 1895. It held mice shows and set the standards for what defined each mice variety. In 1901, Miss Mary Douglas, "the mother of the rat fancy," asked the National Mouse Club if they would let rats join an exhibition and the organization. Rats were permitted, and Douglas's black-and-white hooded rat won best in show, increasing interest in the animals. The organization's name was changed to the National Mouse and Rat Club in 1912. But after the passing of Douglas in 1921, interest in rats waned, until the organization reverted back to its former name, the National Mouse Club, in 1929.

It wasn't until 1976 that another organization for rats was founded, and this time for rats only: the National Fancy Rat Society. The first club devoted to rats and mice in the United States was the Mouse and Rat Breeders Association, founded in 1978. Today there are a number of clubs dedicated to rats and mice across the United States and the world.

The American Fancy Rat & Mouse Association (AFRMA) was founded in 1983. An international club, it promotes and encourages the breeding and exhibition of fancy rats and mice, educates the public on how to care for them, and highlights how they are great companion animals. Anyone with an interest in rats and mice can join. A few times a year in California, they host competition shows similar to dog shows, but for fancy rats and mice instead. They also host more relaxed, unjudged shows. They also created Fancy Rat & Mouse Day!

How to Observe Fancy Rat & Mouse Day

Some ways you could celebrate the day include:

• Get yourself a fancy rat or mouse from a pet store or breeder. Read about how to care for rats and mice so you are prepared for your new pet!
• Spend time with your fancy rat or mouse if you already own one.
• Join the American Fancy Rat & Mouse Association.
• Plan to attend an upcoming AFRMA show. Check if AFRMA has anything planned specifically for Fancy Rat & Mouse Day. Make sure to follow their Facebook page.
• Check out more information about rat and mouse shows and about starting a club.
• Explore other rats and mice organizations besides the AFRMA, such as the National Mouse Club and National Fancy Rat Society.

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