It is believed that both rat-catchers and sportsmen began to keep certain, odd-colored rats during the height of the sport, eventually breeding them and then selling them as pets. It involved filling a pit with several rats and then placing bets on how long it would take a terrier to kill them all. Rat-baiting was a popular sport until the beginning of the 20th century. These rat-catchers would then either kill the rats, or, more likely, sell the rats to be used in blood sport. The origin of the modern fancy rat begins with the rat-catchers of the 18th and 19th centuries who trapped rats throughout Europe. Jack Black made his living not only from catching rats, but also from selling them for use in baiting. Fancy rats have different health risks from their wild counterparts, and thus are unlikely to succumb to the same illnesses as wild rats. For example, domesticated brown rats are not considered a disease threat, although exposure to wild rat populations could introduce pathogens like the bacteria Streptobacillus moniliformis into the home. When used in this field, they are referred to as laboratory rats (lab rats).ĭomesticated rats are physiologically and psychologically different from their wild relatives, and typically pose no more of a health risk than other common pets. Healthy fancy rats typically live 2 to 3 years, but are capable of living a year or so longer.įancy rats are used widely in medical research, as their physiology is very similar to that of humans. They are considered more intelligent than other domesticated rodents. Additionally, they are quite independent, affectionate, loyal and easily trained. Fancy rats are generally easy to care for, and are quite affordable, even compared to other small pets this is one of their biggest draws. They are sold in pet stores and by breeders. Later bred as pets, they now come in a wide variety of coat colors and patterns, and are bred and raised by several rat enthusiast groups around the world. The offspring of wild-caught specimens, having become docile after having been bred for many generations, fall under the fancy type.įancy rats were originally targets for blood sport in 18th- and 19th-century Europe. The name fancy rat derives from the use of the adjective fancy for a hobby, also seen in " animal fancy", a hobby involving the appreciation, promotion, or breeding of pet or domestic animals. ![]() 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.
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