Lisa works as a Housing Officer for Waveney District Council and at the end of a stressful day she likes nothing more than going home and cuddling her pet rats. Lisa currently has about 30 rats kept in a heated, insulated shed in her garden. Lisa is also the Chairman and General Show Secretary of the National Fancy Rats Society (NFRS).

History

Fancy rats are descended from our native rats, and were first introduced by Jack Black, Queen Victoria’s rat catcher. He caught and bred unusual coloured rats that he then sold as ladies fancies. In the 1900’s Mary Douglas was given permission to take her pet rats to the National Mouse Club Exhibition and after being award ‘Best in Show’, the Rat Fancy was formerly launched. In 1976 a couple who had a chance meeting at a bus stop in Surbiton found they had a mutual affection for rats and so the NFRS was founded.

NRFS today

Lisa has been involved with the NFRS since 1986 and as General Show Secretary she is tasked with the job of arranging around 30 shows national every year. This involves finding venues and arranging judges for the event. Lisa says the NFRS is seen as a governing body of fancy rats but its real aim is to promote a high standard of management and care of fancy rats be it for breeding, exhibition or just as pets. The NFRS currently has around 600 members, mainly women for some reason. The society publishes a bi-monthly magazine full of articles on keeping and breeding rats, letters from members and show details and results.

Meeting the rats

I’m an animal lover but I must admit I was a little apprehensive about my first encounter with Lisa’s rats but I was soon put at ease. Their silky soft coats surprised me at first as I was expecting a coarser feel, Lisa says this is what most people expect. Lisa introduced me to all of her rats, Willoughby, Eden, Tweed to name but a few and I was also given the opportunity of having a cuddle with Eden who was very sweet. “They are very inquisitive and intelligent animals” Lisa told me and Eden was certainly keen to check me out. Being Crepuscular (active early morning and dusk), they make very good children’s pets, as they are active when children come home from school. Lisa says that her son used to keep some of his own and one in particular - Stanley - was a real character and she would often find him curled up in her son’s bed.

How it all started?

Lisas’s first encounter with rats was at high school where she looked after the rats that were used for dissection. She decided that they should have a good life while they were alive. On leaving school Lisa then got a job working at kennels where the owner also bred and showed fancy rats, and so her interest started. Lisa has owned many rats over the years and says that 30 is quite tame for her, ‘It takes a certain person to own rats” she says and it is not difficult to see why people get so attached As well as exhibiting her own rats at some of the NFRS shows she also judges some of the classes and has also been abroad to judge classes at other shows. Lisa has made many friends up and down the country through her interest in rats and is also a member of the Midlands Rat Club.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank Lisa for allowing me to meet her rats and taking the time to talk with me. I had a thoroughly enjoyable morning and have a feeling that Lisa and I could have talked animals all day. I must admit that I left Lisa’s with a whole new perspective on smaller pets and if I were in the market for them then I think rats it would be, not quite sure how my dogs and cat would feel about it though.

If you would like more advice on keeping rats then visit the very informative NFRS website, where you will find an array of articles and information to help you. Details of how to join the society are also available.