The National Fancy Rat Society (NFRS), founded in 1976, is a
UK-based club for rat fanciers that promotes
fancy rat
The fancy rat (''Rattus norvegicus domestica'') is the domesticated form of ''Rattus norvegicus'', the brown rat, and the most common species of rat kept as a pet. The name ''fancy rat'' derives from the use of the noun '' fancy'' for a hobby, ...
s exhibitions, as well as the study and breeding of these rats. The society publishes a bi-monthly journal, ''Pro-Rat-A'', and holds many shows throughout the year all over Britain, with membership in the thousands.
For a number of years pet
rats had been appearing at
mouse shows in Britain. Publicity in ''Fur & Feather'' magazine had increased interest in the fledgling fancy and caused an increase in entries in the rat sections of mouse shows during 1974 and 1999 to the point that after cajoling from the mouse fanciers it was decided to form a club or society purely for rat fanciers.
History
The National Fancy Rat Society was formed on 13 January 1976. The fledgling society staged its first exhibition just over a week later at the 1976
Bradford Championship Show, one of the most prestigious small livestock championship shows in the UK. This coincided with the debut of a new variety of fancy rat, the curly-coated Rex. The very first NFRS show was staged at
Clymping,
West Sussex
West Sussex is a county in South East England on the English Channel coast. The ceremonial county comprises the shire districts of Adur, Arun, Chichester, Horsham, and Mid Sussex, and the boroughs of Crawley and Worthing. Covering an ...
, in conjunction with the Southern Hamster Club. It wasn't until 15 April 1978 that the society staged a show entirely on its own; this show (in
Surbiton,
Surrey) was the very first all-rats show ever staged.
External links
National Fancy Rat Society
Rats as pets
Clubs and societies in the United Kingdom
1976 establishments in the United Kingdom
Organizations established in 1976