A rodent show is a place where rat and mouse lovers can gather, chat & learn about rodents, buy rodent related merchandise, and meet some reputable breeders to buy their rodents from. Alongside being a very fun day, you get to enter your rodents in Pet or Show classes. Pet classes are judged only on how friendly & healthy the rodent is (not it's looks) and goes towards winning "Best Pet Rat/Mouse in Show" among other awards. Varieties classes are judged on how friendly & healthy the rodent is, as well as the rodent's conformation and colour/marking. They go towards winning "Best Rat/Mouse in Show" among other titles. You don't need any prior training or experience to enter your rats or mice in the show, and everyone is welcome.

From the competition side of things, rat and mouse shows are very similar to cat, dog or guinea pig shows. The club holding the show recognises an official "standard" for each type of rat or mouse. A "standard" is an ideal representation of what a rat or mouse should look & behave like according to the individual club's values.

At Queensland Rodent Fanciers (QRF) we mostly value good temperament (how friendly & calm the rodent is) along with good condition (how healthy the rodent is). Additionally in Varieties classes, after these two points, we then focus on Conformation (the structure of the rodent itself - what the ears, eyes, tail, body, etc looks like) and Variety (what the colour, marking and coat of the rodent looks like). You can have a read of the QRF Standards for rats and mice, or read about the judging process for more of a breakdown.
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If you'd like to learn more about the shows at QRF, the best thing to do is join our Facebook Group. This is where our members chat & post photos of their rodents, and we're all more than happy to answer any questions you may have.