History
Origin of Pet Rats
How did wild rats become pet rats? What made one of the most feared and misunderstood wild animals turn into a domesticated, cuddly, friendly and loving pet? Many people are not aware that pet rats are domesticated, and assume they are the same as their wild cousins. Rats have been domesticated for over a century, and have been recognized as a domestic pet since the 17-1800’s. While the Fancy Rat is still a relatively new pet, they are no less domesticated than our pet dogs and cats.
Unlike dogs and cats, Fancy Rats and their wild ancestors are the same species, however, Fancy Rats have been bred for hundreds of generations to be domestic pets with tame temperaments and a human-friendly nature. The modern Fancy Rat is a descendent the wild Norway Rat (Rattus Norvegicus), also known as the Common Brown Rat or Street Rat.
Norway Rats are the only species of animal, alongside humans, to live on every continent in the world aside from Antarctica. Rats can be found in all of the same places you can find humans, and are often found living in factories, apartment buildings, alleyways, or right on the streets of large cities. Since rats can be found anywhere humans can, it's no wonder that someone, at some point, decided to keep one as a pet.
Before airports, UPS, and health codes, our ancestors had to travel long distances by land or sea to bring goods to other countries for trade. The ancestors of our pet rats would hitchhike in cargo, chew holes in the walls of the vehicle to hide, and eat whatever the passengers would leave out for them to scavenge. Soon, rats became one of the most populous species, right alongside mankind.
Rats traveled the globe alongside humans during the 17th century. In the mid 18th century, just 100 years after they became a worldwide species, Brown Rats began intruding in human homes, eating our food and sometimes destroying our property. Thus, the occupation of “rat catching,” and the sport of “rat baiting” became relatively popular.
Rat catchers were hired to, well, catch rats! In their free time, rat catchers turned their occupation into a sport called rat baiting, in which they would trap pest rats and release a trained terrier into an arena with the rats. Bets were placed on how many rats the terrier could kill in a set amount of time. Some rat catchers would often keep and breed rats for the sport; and after a few generations, these rats started becoming domesticated; developing odd colors and patterns. The more colorful rats would be considered “more valuable,” and larger bets would be placed on them during rat baiting. Jack Black, a rat catcher for Queen Victoria; and Jimmy Shaw, the manager for one of the largest sporting houses in London, began to breed their rats and sell the "prettier" rats as pets. The rats with the most unique-looking colors were sold to young women and girls as pets; who would keep their rats in portable cages to show them off. During this era, pet rats were a taboo trend.
Prior to the 20th century, keeping and caring for animals generally served a purpose. For example, dogs were bred as hunters and protectors. Keeping an animal that did not serve a purpose and was solely for pleasure was considered a "hobby." Thus, an animal that did not benefit some aspect of your career was considered a “hobby animal,” or “fancy animal,” and people would care for them simply because they “fancied,” or enjoyed the animal itself. Rats were considered "hobby animals," and thus were referred to as Fancy Rats, which we still call them to this day.
In 1901, the National Mouse Club (known today as the Fancy Rat & Mouse Club) inadvertently held the first ever rat show in England, when a rat fancier named Mary Douglas asked if she could bring her pet rats to the Mouse Exhibition. Mary's black-and-white hooded rat won Best in Show, sparking people's interest in pet rats, and the modern Fancy Rat was officially born.
Unlike dogs and cats, Fancy Rats and their wild ancestors are the same species, however, Fancy Rats have been bred for hundreds of generations to be domestic pets with tame temperaments and a human-friendly nature. The modern Fancy Rat is a descendent the wild Norway Rat (Rattus Norvegicus), also known as the Common Brown Rat or Street Rat.
Norway Rats are the only species of animal, alongside humans, to live on every continent in the world aside from Antarctica. Rats can be found in all of the same places you can find humans, and are often found living in factories, apartment buildings, alleyways, or right on the streets of large cities. Since rats can be found anywhere humans can, it's no wonder that someone, at some point, decided to keep one as a pet.
Before airports, UPS, and health codes, our ancestors had to travel long distances by land or sea to bring goods to other countries for trade. The ancestors of our pet rats would hitchhike in cargo, chew holes in the walls of the vehicle to hide, and eat whatever the passengers would leave out for them to scavenge. Soon, rats became one of the most populous species, right alongside mankind.
Rats traveled the globe alongside humans during the 17th century. In the mid 18th century, just 100 years after they became a worldwide species, Brown Rats began intruding in human homes, eating our food and sometimes destroying our property. Thus, the occupation of “rat catching,” and the sport of “rat baiting” became relatively popular.
Rat catchers were hired to, well, catch rats! In their free time, rat catchers turned their occupation into a sport called rat baiting, in which they would trap pest rats and release a trained terrier into an arena with the rats. Bets were placed on how many rats the terrier could kill in a set amount of time. Some rat catchers would often keep and breed rats for the sport; and after a few generations, these rats started becoming domesticated; developing odd colors and patterns. The more colorful rats would be considered “more valuable,” and larger bets would be placed on them during rat baiting. Jack Black, a rat catcher for Queen Victoria; and Jimmy Shaw, the manager for one of the largest sporting houses in London, began to breed their rats and sell the "prettier" rats as pets. The rats with the most unique-looking colors were sold to young women and girls as pets; who would keep their rats in portable cages to show them off. During this era, pet rats were a taboo trend.
Prior to the 20th century, keeping and caring for animals generally served a purpose. For example, dogs were bred as hunters and protectors. Keeping an animal that did not serve a purpose and was solely for pleasure was considered a "hobby." Thus, an animal that did not benefit some aspect of your career was considered a “hobby animal,” or “fancy animal,” and people would care for them simply because they “fancied,” or enjoyed the animal itself. Rats were considered "hobby animals," and thus were referred to as Fancy Rats, which we still call them to this day.
In 1901, the National Mouse Club (known today as the Fancy Rat & Mouse Club) inadvertently held the first ever rat show in England, when a rat fancier named Mary Douglas asked if she could bring her pet rats to the Mouse Exhibition. Mary's black-and-white hooded rat won Best in Show, sparking people's interest in pet rats, and the modern Fancy Rat was officially born.