Welcome To The Year Of The Rat - Marked Varieties
Gong Xi Fa Cai.. and hasn't the prospect of this Year of the Rat made that animal a popular little creature? Moscow's pet shops sold out of rodents of all kinds if you remember. Disney releases its UK DVD of Ratatouille on Monday and now on this, the first day of the new Chinese year, the very first Fancy Rat Club specialising in difficult-to-breed marked varieties of the species - the Marked Fancy Rat Club, has launched.
Claiming rats are difficult to breed sounds like an oxymoron. The point about 'marked' varieties however is that they are extremely difficult to breed to a breed standard. Announcing the launch, the club's founder Nick Mays, a former National Fancy Rat Society, (NFRS) President and Hon.Sec, current Chairman of the Yorkshire Rat Club and author of two books on Fancy Rats, offered an explanation:
"It is far harder to produce a good example of a Fancy Rat which has specific markings, whilst also having to pay attention to other attributes such as size, type and general conformation."
Mr Mays continued:
"I am Chairman of the new club, Sheena Prately [Co-founder] is Hon. Secretary and we are very fortunate to have the prominent rat fancier - Ann Storey as our Standards and Genetical Advisor, as her knowledge of fancy rat genetics is second to none.
"It's been an exciting few weeks preparing for the launch of the world's first specialist Fancy Rat club. This is the natural progression of the rise of the Fancy Rat to an animal that is both sought after as a popular family pet and also an exhibition animal.
"We're trying to encourage potential and existing fans of marked rats to persevere and to promote the marked varieties, of which there are several, in the best possible light. After all, the archetypal Fancy Rat that is depicted as an example of the species is invariably the Hooded!"
..or, he might have added - chef's hatted.
Nick Mays concluded:
"What better day to launch a new, unique Rat club that will hopefully take the Fancy Rat and the Rat Fancy to the next level than the start of the new Chinese Year of the Rat?"
Gong Xi Fa Cai Nick..: wishing you prosperity in the coming year.