AFRMA - History of the Fancy

History of the Fancy

An Archive of Newspapers, Magazines, and Books Pertaining To The Fancy, with emphasis on the U.S.A.

Compiled by Karen Robbins

Submissions of articles, info, books, magazines, defunct clubs name/date, etc., pertaining to the history of the rat/mouse fancy always welcome. Send to editor@afrma.org.

Then there are the novices. The time must come when the old hands will pass away and I, for one, should not like to think that my hobby will suffer because I am gone. Nor would the rest of you. The novices of today are the old hands of tomorrow who will carry on the fancy when we lay it down, and who in their turn, will hand it on with its traditions to others. Mary Douglas, Fur & Feather June 19, 1914, My Duty to the Fancy.

... all clubs and especially fancies, do require people in it for the long haul, or too much information gets lost and forgotten. Ann Storey, NFRS, Pro-Rat-A, 246, Nov./Dec. 2021.

U.K.

U.K. Rat News - 1862

I found this newspaper while searching for club history. This ad mentions Jemmy Shaw and the rat match sport. From this, odd colors of rats were kept and bred and sold as pets, the beginning of the Rat Fancy.

U.K. Newspaper Articles - Rats

November 16, 1862 Advertisements (third column near bottom), and in the fifth column half way down it mentions a dog show that will show some of the smallest things living. (not sure if this was about dogs or other critters), Bell’s Life In London, London, England

National Mouse Club (N.M.C.) - founded 1895

NMC logo 1895 to present - National Mouse Club (N.M.C.) in Great Britain.
This club was mentioned several times in articles here in the U.S.A. in the late 1800s to the 1980s. They had/have several chapters around England that put on shows. Walter Maxey, the father of the mouse fancy, came up with the show boxes used today and the AFRMA show boxes are patterned after theirs. Publishes NMC News.

For a short time from 1912 to 1929 it was known as the National Mouse and Rat Club.

N.M.C. News began in 1981, the official journal of the National Mouse club; they were using Fur & Feather as their journal until Fur & Feather died in 1981. Fur & Feather came back in 1982 primarily as a rabbit journal. They now occasionally have articles on rats and mice.

NMC affiliated clubs

Greater Manchester Mouse Club
Leicester Mouse Club
London & Southern Counties Mouse & Rat Club (LSCMRC) - 1916
Sheffield Mouse Club - 2022
South Eastern Mouse Club - 2011
Yorkshire Mouse Club

A old N.M.C. print of 10 show mice with a Maxey cage (Sable, Chocolate Dutch, Self Red, P.E. White, B.E. Cream, B.E. White, Blue Broken Marked, Black Self, Chocolate Tan, Blue Variegated. This E.G. Wippell Collection print Popular Varieties of Exhibition Mice is from a Fur & Feather color plate first issued August 23, 1929.

The NMC now has an updated version of this print (July 2023). AFRMA now has copies available to purchase.

1898 Harmsworth Monthly Pictorial Magazine
The Harmsworth Monthly Pictorial Magazine, Vol. 1 1898-9. Published by Harmsworth Brothers Ltd., London, 1899. Article “Mice Worth Their Weight In Gold: Some Extravagant Pets” by Gavin Macdonald. Article about the National Mouse Club in England; shows several versions of Maxey cages.

1910 How to Breed and Exhibit All Varieties of Fancy Mice and Rats
Second Edition 1910, by W. Maxey, late Hon. Sec. of the National Mouse Club. Fur and Feather, Watmoughs Limited, Idle, Bradford. One of the first fancier’s books.

1920 Fancy Mice and Rats: How to Breed and Exhibit
Third Edition revised by Mary Douglas 1920, by W. Maxey, late Hon. Sec. of the National Mouse Club. Fur and Feather, Watmoughs Limited, Idle, Bradford. One of the first fancier’s books. PDF of a photo copy of the book.

1922 Fur & Feather
February 17, 1922, No. 1,656, Vol. 67, J.E. Watmough, Idle, Bradford. Mouse And Rat Mems by Ralph Blake; Western Whiffs by J.H. Hooper (mentions the Bristol Mouse and Rat Club); article and photo of C. A. House (wrote In-Breeding: What It Is and What It Does); Mouse Specials At Bradford by WM. Turton; along with ads

1937 Reader’s Digest
March 1937, The Reader’s Digest Association, Inc., Pleasantville, NY. Includes an article “The English Craze for Mice.” about the National Mouse Club

1946 Fur & Feather
Sept. 27, 1946, No. 2938, Vol. 109, Idle, Bradford, Yorks. National Mouse Club Notes and Rules: How To Send Stock To Shows; ‘FERN-END’ On Fostering [Mr. T. Robinson]; How Size is Maintained; News About Clubs and Members conducted by R. Ward; Mice At Sandy (show note, 227 entries); mention of the Scottish Mouse Club on first page, and National Mouse Club show ad for Oct. 12, 1947, last page. The Newest Genetic Probe: A Challenge To All Small Livestock Breeders by Edward Battersby (hamsters, first page).

1946 Fur & Feather
Nov. 15, 1946, No. 2945, Vol. 109, Idle, Bradford, Yorks. National Mouse Club Notes And News: A Tale About A Tail—Why Does The Appendage Of The Mouse Grow More Quickly Than Its Body?; tri-colour in Dutch litter; mouse scrapbook; older members should adopt a novice and help them out by R. Ward; In Town To-night and To-morrow by B. H. Du Boisson (Annual show with 850 entries); show in Glasgow, Scotland, Nov. 7–9, 1946, on first page. Hamster Information Pool No. 3, What The Microscope Reveals.

1947 Fur & Feather
March 14, 1947, No. 2960, Vol. 110, Idle, Bradford, Yorks. National Mouse Club Notes And News: How A Chocolate Fox Mouse Has Been Produced; all male mice die in cold, by R. Ward; Mice For The Beginner: Feeding And General Management, Outcrosses by Jack Wormald; Calder Valley Mouse Show (show report Feb. 22, 1947, 369 entries, 12-spot Broken shown); Mice At Doncaster (show report Jan. 11, 1947). Rules Of The British Hamster Club. Note: in the show reports, awards are 1, 2, 3, r (reserve, i.e. 4th), vhc (very highly commended, i.e. 5th), hc (highly commended, i.e. 6th), c (commended, i.e. 7th)

1947 Fur & Feather
March 28, 1947, No. 2962, Vol. 110, Idle, Bradford, Yorks. National Mouse Club Notes And News: Outcrossing Is A Tricky Business; more stock dies in cold; Astrex mice, by R. Ward; An Introduction to Mouse Genetics by R. S. Hutchings (Black, Blue, Chocolate, P.E., P.E. Agouti–no interest to the Fancy. Red); Exhibiting By Jack Wormald (show boxes, entering).

1947 Fur & Feather
April 4, 1947, No. 2963, Vol. 110, Idle, Bradford, Yorks. SCIENTIFIC NOTES: The Case of the Open Eyed Mouse by Roy Robinson; Mouse Memos by C. H. Johnson (sliding scale prize money vs. fixed); show report March 15, 1947, Layton.

1947 Fur & Feather
April 11, 1947, No. 2964, Vol. 110, Idle, Bradford, Yorks. National Mouse Club Notes And News: Longtails Make Quick Recovery from Effects of the Winter; show reports: Rishton, March 22, 1947 (26 entries), Rippendon, March 29, 1947 (188 entries).

1947 Fur & Feather
April 18, 1947, No. 2965, Vol. 110, Idle, Bradford, Yorks. National Mouse Club News: Notes For Novices conducted by R. Ward (mentions the Calder Valley Mouse Club).

1947 Fur & Feather
April 25, 1947, No. 2966, Vol. 110, Idle, Bradford, Yorks. Better and Brighter Mouseries by C. H. Johnson (have a clean organized mousery); National Mouse Club Notes by R. Ward (lots of misc. items).

1947 Fur & Feather
May 2, 1947, No. 2967, Vol. 110, Idle, Bradford, Yorks. National Mouse Club Notes And News: Moths In The Mousery! A Problem Not So Easy Of Solution As It Seems (N.M.C. used to hold monthly shows, moths, whistling mice); Calder Valley’s Summer Effort by R. Ward (410 entries at 2nd show on April 19); Mice At Calder Valley by W. Coles (show report April 19, 1947, 420 entries).

1947 Fur & Feather
May 9, 1947, No. 2968, Vol. 110, Idle, Bradford, Yorks. National Mouse Club Notes: A Simple Home Method: How To Make Glass Feeding Dishes (color of Maxey cages, chromium wire front for Maxey show cages, wants updated mouse book, glass dishes, Silver Brown or Silver Fawn wanted for genetic research at Cambridge) by Dick Ward. Selective Breeding of the Hamster by Alfred J. Cork, F.Z.S.

1947 Fur & Feather
May 16, 1947, No. 2969, Vol. 110, Idle, Bradford, Yorks. Mice (Calder Valley Club show May 31; use paraffin to get rid of moths; Nottingham Mouse Club; 34 babies from two moms; sliding scale prize money; rail charges; selective breeding); Glasgow Fur Club (Scottish Mouse Club) show May 3, 1947 with 107 mouse entries (first page). Hamsters.

1947 Fur & Feather
May 23, 1947, No. 2970, Vol. 110, Idle, Bradford, Yorks. Why Use Feeding Pots For Mice? by Dick Ward (suggestion to use chromium fronts for Maxey cages, using dishes for food, getting rid of moths); Mouse Memos by C. H. Johnson (continuing story of system in the mousery–ID, record keeping, etc.); How Baby Hamsters Put On Weight

1947 Fur & Feather
May 30, 1947, No. 2971, Vol. 110, Idle, Bradford, Yorks. Mouse club Members Discuss Colour Of Show Cages, Sliding Scale Prizes, Points For Tan Dutch (meeting at the Spring Cup Show, Sable and White mice shown as Tricolor, request for a book with photos of the different colors of mice, one top breeder has untidy mousery) by R. Ward; (4 photos of fancy rats—Hooded, Silver Fawn, white, and a Rattus rattus but no mention in article about them); Critical Reports Of The Shows: N.M.C. (Spring Show) (May 17, 1947, had a Supporters’ Class, a B.E. Champagne was shown in the Unstd. class). Note: in the show reports, awards are 1, 2, 3, r (reserve, i.e. 4th), vhc (very highly commended, i.e. 5th), hc (highly commended, i.e. 6th), c (commended, i.e. 7th)

1947 Fur & Feather
June 6, 1947, No. 2972, Vol. 110, Idle, Bradford, Yorks. National Mouse Club Notes and News: Railway Rates For Stock Travelling To And From Shows by Dick Ward (death of Fred Appleyard, Rail Charges, Cannibalism In Mice–moms need protein, Silver Greys); Reports of the Shows: MICE (400 entries, eye color decides light dove [Lilac, U.S.] vs. dark silver).

1947 Fur & Feather
June 13, 1947, No. 2973, Vol. 110, Idle, Bradford, Yorks. Fancy Mice Draw The Public At The Agricultural Shows by Dick Ward (chromium wire fronts on Maxey cages); In Favour Of The Silver fawn And Silver Brown by Walter Cole (Silver Chocolate; sorry about the missing part); Fred Appleyard (obit., died at age 40); London Mouse Club’s Show; The Fancy In Scotland (first page; meeting of the Scottish Mouse Club on June 21; sorry about the missing part); West Riding Mouse Club (3rd page; show on June 28). Investigation Into A Pouch Injury In The Hamster

1947 Fur & Feather
June 20, 1947, No. 2974, Vol. 110, Idle, Bradford, Yorks. National Mouse Club Officials by Albert C. Jude (results of 1947 N.M.C. annual election).

1947 Fur & Feather
June 27, 1947, No. 2975, Vol. 110, Idle, Bradford, Yorks. National Mouse Club Notes and News by Dick Ward (American fancier wants stock; Chinchilla mice; color of Maxey cages; female mice nest in cage at opposite end of ventilation hole; moths and paraffin; sorry about the missing part); Mice At Nottingham by William Turton (show report, June 21, 1947).

1947 Fur & Feather
July 4, 1947, No. 2976, Vol. 110, Idle, Bradford, Yorks. National Mouse Club News by Dick Ward; Brokens Demand Patience by Harry Booth; Mice At Lunesdale (show report).

1947 Fur & Feather
July 11, 1947, No. 2977, Vol. 110, Idle, Bradford, Yorks. National Mouse Club Notes and News: In Defence Of Monthly Shows With Sliding Scale Prize Money (wants to go back to monthly shows; giving milk to large litters of mice; cure for asthma–candle wax) by Dick Ward.

1947 Fur & Feather
July 18, 1947, No. 2978, Vol. 110, Idle, Bradford, Yorks. National Mouse Club Notes and News by Dick Ward (inquiries from America and Holland; Breeding Brokens).

1947 Fur & Feather
July 25, 1947, No. 2979, Vol. 110, Idle, Bradford, Yorks. National Mouse Club Notes and News: Once-A-Week Feeding (trouble getting mice to breed, feeding mice to last while on holiday–giving dry bread and green foods).

1947 Fur & Feather
August 1, 1947, No. 2980, Vol. 110, Idle, Bradford, Yorks. A Long-Tail Strongman, HAMSTERS (first page); The Mouse In Research (looking for mice with deformed feet to donate to science); National Mouse Club Notes (use of candle grease by Mr. E. J. King; diet/feeding milk by Mr. Partington) by R. Ward; Scottish Officers (Scottish Mouse Club); Cavies and Mice At Driffield (show report July 16, 1947, Unstd. class of 6–those mice still not recognized).

1947 Fur & Feather
August 8, 1947, No. 2981, Vol. 110, Idle, Bradford, Yorks. National Mouse Club Notes and News: Inbreeding And Line Breeding, Discussed by A. C. Jude.

1947 Fur & Feather
August 15, 1947, No. 2982, Vol. 110, Idle, Bradford, Yorks. National Mouse Club Notes and News: ‘Telling The World’ About Mice, Ron Beard’s Great Work at Stroud by Dick Ward (wanting leaflets, posters for exhibits; looking for mice with abnormalities in the hind feet); Railways To Cut Out Hamster Delays by Jean E. Cook.

1947 Fur & Feather
August 22, 1947, No. 2983, Vol. 110, Idle, Bradford, Yorks. National Mouse Club Notes: Stop The Craze For Unnecessary Outcrossing; getting mice to breed by Dick Ward.

1947 Fur & Feather
October 10, 1947, No. 2990, Vol. 110, Idle, Bradford, Yorks. MICE: The Problem Of Asthma by C. H. Johnson; HAMSTERS: British Hamster Club Notes; Nottingham Mouse Show (Sept. 20, 1947, show report, over 400 entries).

1947 Fur & Feather
December 12, 1947, No. 2999, Vol. 110, Idle, Bradford, Yorks. Report Of The Annual General Meeting Of The National Mouse Club (missing mice); N.M.C. Annual Show at Shipley: N. M.C. Cup Winners (Nov. 29, 1947, show report; Non-Standardized class had B.E. Fawn, Tricolor) by R. Ward.

1949 The Fancy Mouse
The Fancy Mouse 1949 By Albert C. Jude, President, National Mouse Club. A very good, really old but thorough fancier’s book. 2013 reprint available from Fur & Feather.

1950 All-Pets Magazine,
January 1950, Vol. 21, No. 1, Fond du Lac, WI. Another American version of England’s Fur and Feather magazine at the time. The section All-Pets Department has an article “The Fancy Mouse, First of a Series” by A. C. Jude, President, National Mouse Club.

1950 All-Pets Magazine,
February 1950, Vol. 21, No. 2, Fond du Lac, WI. Another American version of England’s Fur and Feather magazine at the time. The section All-Pets Department has an article “The Fancy Mouse, Second of a Series” by A. C. Jude.

1950 All-Pets Magazine,
March 1950, Vol. 21, No. 3, Fond du Lac, WI. Another American version of England’s Fur and Feather magazine at the time. The section All-Pets Department has an article “The Fancy Mouse, Third of a Series” by A. C. Jude.

1950 All-Pets Magazine,
June 1950, Vol. 21, No. 6, Fond du Lac, WI. Another American version of England’s Fur and Feather magazine at the time. The section All-Pets Department has an article “The Fancy Mouse, Fourth of a Series” by A. C. Jude.

1950 All-Pets Magazine,
December 1950, Vol. 21, No. 12, Fond du Lac, WI. Another American version of England’s Fur and Feather magazine at the time. The section All-Pets Department has an article “The Fancy Mouse, Fifth of a Series” by A. C. Jude.

1951 All-Pets Magazine,
February 1951, Vol. 22, No. 2, Fond du Lac, WI. Another American version of England’s Fur and Feather magazine at the time. Includes an article “The Fancy Mouse, Sixth in a Series” by A. C. Jude.

1951 All-Pets Magazine,
May 1951, Vol. 22, No. 5, Fond du Lac, WI. Another American version of England’s Fur and Feather magazine at the time. The section All-Pets Department has an article “The Fancy Mouse, Sixth in a Series” by A. C. Jude [probably supposed to be Seventh of a Series]; also has article “African Rats” by Science Service.

1951 All-Pets Magazine,
August 1951, Vol. 22, No. 8, All-Pets Magazine, Fond du Lac, WI. Another American version of England’s Fur and Feather magazine at the time. The section All-Pets Department has an article “The Fancy Mouse in Great Britain” by A. C. Jude.

1952 Fur & Feather
January 31, 1952, No. 3215, Vol. 115, Idle, Bradford, Yks. MICE: What Though The Feet Were Weary The Hearts Were Light, BRADFORD BUNIONS by Dick Ward (about the 1952 Bradford show); AS I HAVE FOUND IT: Arthur Day writes to the Secretary of the National Mouse Club by C. H. Johnson. Hon. Sec., Highfield, Driffield.

1952 Fur & Feather
February 7, 1952, No. 3216, Vol. 115, Idle, Bradford, Yks. Longtail Shows Of 1951 A Review by Ron Beard; National Mouse Club Notes by C. H. Johnson. Hon. Sec., Highfield, Driffield.

1952 Fur & Feather
February 14, 1952, No. 3217, Vol. 115, Idle, Bradford, Yks. National Mouse Club Notes by C. H. Johnson. Hon. Sec., Highfield, Driffield (upcoming show and exhibit in Heckmondwike); Cavies In America by Jack Ball, San Jose, California (this is the same Jack Ball that had the Roan and Merle mice).

1952 Fur & Feather
February 21, 1952, No. 3218, Vol. 115, Idle, Bradford, Yks. National Mouse Club Notes by C. H. Johnson, Hon. Sec., Highfield, Driffield (display and show in Heckmondwike; one exhibitor’s mice never made it to a show); Airedale Mouse Club Show (Feb. 9, 1952, show report, 601 entries).

1952 Fur & Feather
February 28, 1952, No. 3219, Vol. 115, Idle, Bradford, Yks. National Mouse Club Notes and News: Snap Show Wanted For March; continuing series System in the Mousery; Winners At Hillingdon (mouse section report Feb. 9, 1952, 250 entries, with a Doe and Litter class) by C. H. Johnson, Hon. Sec., Highfield, Driffield.

1952 Fur & Feather
March 6, 1952, No. 3220, Vol. 115, Idle, Bradford, Yks. National Mouse Club Notes and News: ‘Fill The Gap Shows by C. H. Johnson, Hon. Sec., Highfield, Driffield (about having more shows, up to 1 per week); Winners at Shildon (North-Eastern Mouse Club Show report Feb. 23, 1952, 460 entries).

1952 Fur & Feather
March 13, 1952, No. 3221, Vol. 115, Idle, Bradford, Yks. National Mouse Club Notes and News by C. H. Johnson, Hon. Sec., Highfield, Driffield; War·Time Shows by A. C. Jude; Sowerby Bridge, Calder Valley Mouse Show (March 1, 1952, show report, 515 entries).

1952 Fur & Feather
March 20, 1952, No. 3222, Vol. 115, Idle, Bradford, Yks. Mouse Club Notes: A Successful Year by C. H. Johnson, Hon. Sec., Highfield, Driffield.

1952 Fur & Feather
March 27, 1952, No. 3223, Vol. 115, Idle, Bradford, Yks. National Mouse Club Notes and News by C. H. Johnson, Hon. Sec.,Highfield, Driffield, Yorks.

1952 Fur & Feather
April 3, 1952, No. 3224, Vol. 115, Idle, Bradford, Yks. National Mouse Club Notes and News: First N.M.C. ‘Fill-The-Gap’ Show Immense Success by C. H. Johnson. Hon. Sec., Highfield, Driffield (Driffield show, March 22, 1952, 622 entries); Heckmondwike Show (March 22, 1952, results, 86 entries).

1952 Fur & Feather
April 10, 1952, No. 3225, Vol. 115, Idle, Bradford, Yks. National Mouse Club Notes and News: The Fancy Past and Present by Mr. Percy Ashley (comparing mice from the early days to present, always had fanciers to run shows, present shows get around 15 entries per class, always had healthy, united, and sound club, not as many exhibitors in the membership, now have duplicate classes); Longtail Winners at Driffield by R. Ward (March 22, 1952, show report, 620 entries: Leeds mouse show in 1936 had 1632 entries); Cavies In America by Jack Ball (this is the same Jack Ball that had the Roan and Merle mice).

1952 Fur & Feather
April 17, 1952, No. 3226, Vol. 115, Idle, Bradford, Yks. National Mouse Club Notes by C. H. Johnson. Hon. Sec., Highfield, Driffield, Yorks (2nd part of Mr. Percy Ashley’s article on the Mouse Fancy, past and present, this article deals with stock–some have excelled, some have failed); Show Promoter’s Thanks by Percy Ashley (Manchester show April 5, 1952, with 1044 entries, duplicate classes half price).

1952 Fur & Feather
April 24, 1952, No. 3227, Vol. 115, Idle, Bradford, Yks. C. H. Johnson in these National Mouse Club Notes says: It’s the Minor Points That Matter (Mr. Percy Ashley concludes his account on the mouse Fancy past and present with observations: color of Tan feet, eyes, coat, specialize, need to judge on more than color, one enthusiast covers costs of show); Over 1OOO Entries for Failsworth by R. Ward (show report May 5, 1952, over 1000 entries); Reports of the Shows (mention of Manchester championship mouse show had 1044 entries); ad for book The Fancy Mouse by A. C. Jude

1952 Fur & Feather
May 1, 1952, No. 3228, Vol. 115, Idle, Bradford, Yks. National Mouse Club Spring Cup Show: Happy And Successful Event (Rotherham, April 19, 1952, 722 entries) by C. H. Johnson; Rotherham N.M.C, Spring Cup Show (marked and AOV show report by J. Patchett); brief info and photo first page of Ralph Blake.

1968 Fur & Feather
August 29, 1968, Vol. 131, No. 4076, Idle, Bradford, Yorkshire. The Mouse Fancy: On Probation Tony Sheppard Discusses The New Varieties (Argente, Argente Creme, Silver Agouti, Seal Point Siamese–thought it came from Sables and Silver Foxes, Long-haired, Abyssinian–shown 3 years prior in the Unstd. class, Himalayan); Blue Fox Wins Best In Show At Haringey (Aug. 3, 1968, show report, 474 entries); The NMC Secretary Writes...: Summer Shows, Neglected Varieties, Lapel Badges, AGM Agenda; Ellingham A Moderate Success by T. Heath (Aug. 10, 1968 show report, 117 entries) - whole page devoted to mice, has photo of Jack Hartley judging a show mouse, 2nd page has ad for show.

1968 Fur & Feather
September 12, 1968, Vol. 131, No. 4078, Idle, Bradford, Yorkshire. The Mouse Fancy: Continuing the series: ‘THE WORLD OF MICE’ (pocket mouse, dormice, grasshopper mouse) by John C. Dawson; The National Mouse Club’s Trophies by Stuart Smith; Poem: Ballad To A Fancy Mouse by Margery Hammond.

1968 Fur & Feather
December 12, 1968, Vol. 131, No. 4091, Idle, Bradford, Yorkshire. THE EXHIBITION MOUSE: There’s Something ‘Sterling’ About Silver; They Say...Must it always be the same faithful few? (same few helpers, all members should help; Foxes are sub-standard (improperly colored feet); Grievous Loss (deaths of Dick Wain and Sid Berry); Melton Meeting (Melton and District Mouse Club); National Mouse Club News: The Secretary Writes (cure for scours, maintaining size and type) by S. Smith, Down South by Tony Jones, The Marked Ones in London by Doreen Cooper (show report for Marked, AOV, Longhaired)

1969 Fur & Feather
March 13, 1969, Vol. 132, No. 4104, Idle, Bradford, Yorkshire. THE EXHIBITION MOUSE: How To Make A Mouse Box; Down Memory Lane – with E N Smith (mentions the Hillingdon Mouse Club, held a show in 1953 with just under 1000 entries); Birmingham’s Winners (show report February 23, 1969, included Hooded and AOV rat classes); Rhona Welch’s Enthusiasm In Evidence At Chard (South Western Fanciers Society show report Feb. 2, 1952, by Eric Jukes, new variety of Longhaired mice were shown, also had Junior [exhibitor under 18] and Brood Doe classes).

1969 Fur & Feather
May 15, 1969, Vol. 132, No. 4113, Idle, Bradford, Yorkshire. THE EXHIBITION MOUSE: An appeal to Mr Kitchen and Mr Kellett: TELL HOW TO BREED THE PEARL; Long-Tail Winners At The Shows (includes 9 rats in the LSCMRC April show report); The NMC secretary writes...

1969 Fur & Feather
May 22, 1969, Vol. 132, No. 4114, Idle, Bradford, Yorkshire. THE EXHIBITION MOUSE: AIREDALE A REPEAT OF CALDER VALE Mr and Mrs Hallett’s Self champagne beat J Hartley’s Agouti in the final line-up (show report of the Airedale Mouse Club’s open show on May 3, 1969); The NMC secretary writes...

1969 Fur & Feather
May 29, 1969, Vol. 132, No. 4115, Idle, Bradford, Yorkshire. THE EXHIBITION MOUSE: WHO WILL ACCEPT THE CHALLENGE OF PUBLICISING THE FANCY?; Jack Hartley on current topics (Broken, Housing, Silver Greys); BE PREPARED: Some points to watch for in the summer months

1969 Fur & Feather
June 26, 1969, Vol. 132, No. 4119, Idle, Bradford, Yorkshire. THE EXHIBITION MOUSE: Yet another best in show win for the Self champagne—this time at Walsall (West Midlands Mouse Club’s show report for May 29, 1969); The NMC secretary writes...; An appeal for support; How to achieve and retain condition

1969 Fur & Feather
July 3, 1969, Vol. 132, No. 4120, Idle, Bradford, Yorkshire. THE EXHIBITION MOUSE: Send entries in/ early or do without Calder Valley Mouse Club—JACK WORMALD ISSUES A WARNING (show report of the Calder Valley Mouse Club on June 21, 1969); CO-OPERATIVE SOCIETY; For the beginner; Solihull's record (Central England Mouse Club show report at Solihull on June 15, 1969)

1969 Fur & Feather
July 31, 1969, Vol. 132, No. 4124, Idle, Bradford, Yorkshire. THE EXHIBITION MOUSE: Tony Jones’s young Champagne Tan best 1n show at Dagenham (show report for July 12, 1969, that included rats); Among the Selfs with Harry Smith at Pudsey (show report for July 12, 1969); The NMC secretary writes...

1969 Fur & Feather
August 28, 1969, Vol. 132, No. 4128, Idle, Bradford, Yorkshire. The cover had a photo for the N.M.C. Annual Cup Show; THE EXHIBITION MOUSE: Disappointing entry at Portsmouth (Southsea show report for Aug. 9, 1969, that included hamsters); Self Champagnes on top at Halifax (show report for Aug. 9, 1969); PROXY VOTES?; NMC NOTES (cysts); J STODDART (death)

1969 Fur & Feather
October 9, 1969, Vol. 132, No. 4134, Idle, Bradford, Yorkshire. THE EXHIBITION MOUSE: WINNERS AT GUILDFORD (Concluding results) (had a pet class judged on condition, cleanliness, and docility); Successful Greenwich (show report for Sept. 13, 1969; included rats); Provisional standards. for the Rump White and the Tricolour

1969 Fur & Feather
October 30, 1969, Vol. 132, No. 4137, Idle, Bradford, Yorkshire. THE EXHIBITION MOUSE: SELF CHAMP AGNE DOES IT AGAIN BEST IN SHOW AT WEST MIDLAND CLUB SHOW (show report for Oct. 4, 1969 at Walsall); Heavyweight competition for rats (classes for the London Championship show); Whence came judging panels? (Oct. 4, 1969, show); Mice on exercise wheels (also on lazy bucks, novices)

1970 Fur & Feather
March 5, 1970, Vol. 133, No. 4155, Idle, Bradford, Yorkshire. THE EXHIBITION MOUSE: SPACES BETWEEN THE MAXEYS—A ·MISCELLANY by ALF HORNE (also misc. Q & A); IT HAILED AND IT RAINED AND IT SNOWED - BUT AIREDALE PROVIDED IT’S HEART-WARMER—AS ALWAYS (Airedale Mouse Club show report for Feb 7, 1970); NEWCOMER TO MICE (Q on worms); MICE AT GREAT HARWOOD (show to be held Monday May 25)

1970 Fur & Feather
May 14, 1970, Vol. 133, No. 4165, Idle, Bradford, Yorkshire. THE EXHIBITION MOUSE: ‘She Cut Off Their Tails With A Carving Knife’ But There Is None Of These Mice In Britain (questions asked in past years, asked again—hot weather, Tailless mice, improving type and size in Dutch, using powder to clean show mice); Down Memory Lane – With Ernie Higgs (remembering past fanciers, rats not as popular as in the past and not as big, fancier looking to show rats).

1970 Fur & Feather
May 21, 1970, Vol. 133, No. 4166, Idle, Bradford, Yorkshire. THE EXHIBITION MOUSE: THAT GREAT FEELING, ERNIE HIGGS RECALLS THE DAY HE WON BEST IN SHOW; CENTRAL ENGLAND SHOW REPORT: RED LETTER DAY FOR JACK HARTLEY (Central England Mouse Club show report, with a Juvenile class for young exhibitors. BIS was a red owned by Jack Hartley, no rats entered, suggested a British Rat and Gerbil Club); LEICESTER SHOW CANCELLED (Leicester Mouse Club show was for May 23, 1970)

1970 Fur & Feather
June 25, 1970, Vol. 133, No. 4171, Idle, Bradford, Yorkshire. THE EXHIBITION MOUSE: SOME FACTS ABOUT FEEDING... ...AND SOME ABOUT THE MICE; London and Southern Counties awards (London and Southern Counties Mouse Club show reports for April 18 and May 23, 1970, [with a Juvenile class]); The Ranch Chinchillas column is interesting

1970 Fur & Feather
July 2, 1970, Vol. 133, No. 4172, Idle, Bradford, Yorkshire. THE EXHIBITION MOUSE: WHAT MAKES A GOOD STEWARD; 675 ENTRIES AT NOTTINGHAM (East Midland Mouse Club show report for June 13, 1970, with a Juvenile class); NMC NOTES (loss of stock to hot weather)

1970 Fur & Feather
July 23, 1970, Vol. 133, No. 4175, Idle, Bradford, Yorkshire. THE EXHIBITION MOUSE: NATIONAL MOUSE CLUB’S SUMMER CUP SHOW AT PUDSEY (show report for July 11, 1970, BIS was an Argente owned by S. Smith, Lilac [Dove U.S.] Foxes in Unstd. class); LONDON & SOUTHERN COUNTIES (LSCMC show report for June 20, 1970, BIS was an under-eight-week Champagne Tan owned by Tony Holland, also had rats)

1970 Fur & Feather
August 27, 1970, Vol. 133, No. 4180, Idle, Bradford, Yorkshire. THE EXHIBITION MOUSE: MARKED VARIETIES AT BINGLEY LACKED TYPE (show report for Aug. 5, 1970, with a Juvenile class, Himis are interlopers in Marked, SPS the greatest single advancement in the mouse Fancy); SILVER GOES BEST IN SHOW AT HALIFAX (Halifax Agricultural Show, BIS owned by Goodstock)

1970 Fur & Feather
September 17, 1970, Vol. 133, No. 4183, Idle, Bradford, Yorkshire. The cover said F&F to go from a weekly to fortnightly Oct. 8, 1970. THE EXHIBITION MOUSE: THE ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING WHICH IS LIKELY TO BE AN ALL NIGHT SITTING (amendment to raise memberships to 10s, proposition to move Himi to AOV, proposition from E. Jukes that the rats and rat standards was never consented to be removed so should remain and the N.M.C. should promote the breeding and exhibition of Fancy rats and show cages to be of original specification; report in Oct. 8 issue); MAINLY FOR THE NOVICE - by JEAN HALLETT (water, nesting material, food); MR BARBER REMEMBERS; WINNERS AT POYNTON SHOW (BIS was an Agouti owned by J. Hartley)

1970 Fur & Feather
October 1, 1970, Vol. 133, No. 4185, Idle, Bradford, Yorkshire. THE EXHIBITION MOUSE: TIM HEATH SAYS OUTCROSSING CAN IMPROVE THE CHOCOLATE TAN; CURRENT SHOW WINNERS: AIREDALE (continued) [BIS was an adult Champagne owned by Hallett], GUILDFORD (continued), GREENWICH (continued) [BIS was an under 8 week Champagne owned by Tony Jones]; FANCY RATS (asking the NMC to give all the help possible to stimulate ·interest in the Fancy Rat)

1970 Fur & Feather
October 22, 1970, Vol. 133, No. 4187, Idle, Bradford, Yorkshire. THE EXHIBITION MOUSE: ALL-TIME RECORD OF 1551 FOR NMC ANNUAL AT KNOWLE (Central England Mouse Club sponsored show, Sept. 26, 1970, show report, BIS was an under-eight-week Agouti owned by Jack Hartley, had a Team class, Unstd. class with Blue Sable, Lilac [Dove U.S.] Fox, Silver Blue, Pet Class, 24 trios up for auction, AGM held same day); NMC NOTES (new club formed in Sheffield, tumors); SPACES BETWEEN THE MAXEYS by Alf Horne (new member in the USA, need people to contribute articles and Q); Readers write... THIEVES, INCREASES ARE NECESSARY [increase in rail charges so need increase in entry fees], SHORTAGE OF ENTRIES, FROM THE MOUTHS OF...; AFFABLE HAMSTERS column; METHODS FOR THE PRACTICAL BREEDER: NUMBER 2 OF A NEW SERIES by R G SILSON

1970 Fur & Feather
December 3, 1970, Vol. 133, No. 4190, Idle, Bradford, Yorkshire. THE EXHIBITION MOUSE: Far better twenty healthy mice than eighty suspects by J ·Wormald (illness); CLASHING, RAIL FARES, ANNUAL MEETINGS: Tony Cooke’s Mice-ellany; A GERBIL SOCIETY; TO RE-CREATE SOME RARE· VARIETIES by Percy Swift, THE VARIEGATED, THE FOX; LAST 1970 SHOW OF CENTRAL ENGLAND CLUB by Fred Beach (Central England Mouse Club Annual Show, BIS mouse owned by Tony Jones, 32 rat entries); LONDON REPORT continued (London Championship Show); AIREDALE continued; (Nov. 2, 1970, show report, with a Juvenile class); NMC NOTES (Walter Maxey trophy given to Doreen Cooper for introducing the Siamese mouse); How should we mate Brokens?; METHODS FOR THE PRACTICAL BREEDER: PART 5 by R G SILSON; Obituary W Watmough (of Watmoughs Limited Publishing, early publishers of Fur & Feather and many books)

1970 Fur & Feather
December 31, 1970, Vol. 133, No. 4192, Idle, Bradford, Yorkshire. THE EXHIBITION MOUSE: THE CONTROL OF PARASITES: TONY COOKE DISCUSSES THE USE OF PESTICIDES; REPORTS FROM THE CALDER VALLEY (BIS was a Black Self owned by Jack Wormald); EAST MIDLANDS SHOW (East Midlands Mouse Club show on Dec. 12, 1970, BIS was a Dove Tan [Lilac Tan U.S.] owned by Tony Kettle); RATS COULD BE POPULAR by Steve Pugsley (British Rat and Gerbil Society being formed); THE JUDGES FOR ‘BRADFORD’ Stuart Smith’s NMC Notes (member from Sweden); VARIEGATEDS WERE SHOWN BEFORE 1933 by J Wormald; METHODS FOR THE PRACTICAL BREEDER: PART 7 by R G SILSON

1971 Fur & Feather
January 28, 1971, Vol. 134, No. 4194, Idle, Bradford, Yorkshire. THE EXHIBITION MOUSE: He Wants To Help To Save The ‘Aristocrats Of The Fancy’ (breeding Sable, clear fish tanks for cages); Get busy on the Tricolour-quickly (photo of a Tricolor, Himalayans are not marked); Are plastic wash bowls successful? (use as cages); Get rats to the shows (club was to be started, LSCMC holds classes for rats, breeders need to show their rats); Standard for the Mongolian Gerbil; drawing of mouse on stack of genetics books; Calder Valley Suggests Reduced Fees For Early Entries (day-of-show entries to cost more); One Of The Most Graceful Of Existing Quadrupeds by Eric Jukes (continuation of series on history of the rat, The clubs, Housing, Cleaning, Feeding, Grooming, Breeding; photo of 13-day-old rat babies).

Fur & Feather Articles from the LSCMRC Digital Library page

May 31, 1979 Fur & Feather, England. Articles: Genetics are not essential by John K Palin; Bradford Metro; MICE-ELLANY by Tony Cooke: Joys of a partnership; Mainly About Tans by Geoff Squibb; Ailments in hamsters (Part 1) by Dennis Homes.
June 7, 1979 Fur & Feather, England. Articles: MICE-ELLANY by Tony Cooke: Are genetics really necessary?; Something must be done about show schedules says G. Harlow; Lancashire Holch Potch; Midland Mouse Club by G. Harlow; Ailments in hamsters (Part· 2) by Dennis Homes; Best friends by Helen Dagg; show reports.
June 14, 1979 Fur & Feather, England. Articles: How I became a Mousewife by Angela Jukes; Ailments in hamsters (Part 3) by Dennis Homes; show reports.

Newspaper Articles: National Mouse Club

October 17, 1896 Mr. Charles Cruft (blurb 3rd column at bottom about mouse show at the People’s Palace), The Mercury, London, England
October 21, 1896 East London Exhibition (2nd column; ad for show that includes mice at the People’s Palace), Daily Mail, London, England
October 22, 1896 East-End Cat Show (2nd column; show at the People’s Palace included a mouse show), Daily Mail, London, England
- October 22, 1896 East London Exhibition (2nd column; same ad for show as Daily Mail, October 22, 1896), London Evening News
December 18, 1898 Mice of Many Colors (NMC; general article; doesn’t specifically mention name of U.S.A. club; tells that Anton Rothmueller of New Market, New Hampshire, was the first to take up the mouse fancy in the U.S.A.; stock from the U.S.A. to be shipped to England, Austria, New Zealand, and South Africa—the American strain does not develop asthma; the latest colors of cream and yellow mice in the N.M.C., yellow mice sell for $15), The Reading Eagle, Reading, Pennsylvania
February 12, 1899 Club Forming article from The Nebraska State Journal with blurb on the British National Mouse Club on the Messy Beast web site
February 4, 1900 Mice As Pets: Variety of Color That Has Been Obtained by Skillful Breeding (6th column; NMC, AMC), The Sun
December 13, 1903 Women Once Afraid Of Mice, Now Raise Them For Pets (article about NMC, mentions rats), Chicago Daily Tribune, Chicago, Illinois
December 16, 1903 The Ridiculous Mouse Evening News And Evening Mail, London (last column, part of article washed out)
January 13, 1904 Gossip From Gotham (bottom 1st column; NMC; suggest a copy of NMC be established in NY; talks like there is no American Mouse Club), St. Paul Globe
January 14, 1904 London Has A Rat Show (60 exhibits in Cheltenham, England, W. Maxey of NMC was judge), Jacksonville Daily Illinois Courier
- March 3, 1904 London Has A Rat Show Lawrence Daily Journal Lawrence, Kansas (2nd column; same article as Jacksonville Daily Illinois Courier, January 14, 1904)
April 11, 1904 A Rat Show (3rd column; 60 exhibitis in Cheltenham, England), The Attica Daily Ledger, Attica, Indiana
- April 22, 1904 A Rat Show Bedford Daily Republican, Bedford,Iowa (4th column; same article as The Attica Daily Ledger April 11, 1904)
April 16, 1935 How To Care For Pets: Mice (general care article, mentions NMC), Harrisburg Telegraph, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
January 21, 1937 News of the Week: Mouse Lovers Organize (1st column; 60 mice in first show of AMFC, NMC breeders get $100 for top mice), The Waterville Times, Waterville, NY
April 25, 1937 30,000 Mice Never Fed Cheese Montana Butte Standard, Butte, Montana (Mrs. E. D. Blowers, of the NMC, England; AMFC founded 1936)
September 12, 1937 Mouse Breeding Popular Sport (article about Mrs. E. D. Blowers, London mouse fancier wanting to make the United States mouse conscious; American Mouse Fanciers’ club) The Springfield Sunday Union and Republican, Springfield, Massachusetts
November 20, 1937 Cat vs. Rat, Mouse (7th column; combined cat, rat, and mouse show, NMC, AMFC), Daily Iowan, Iowa
February 1, 1938 Britain Breeds Mice In 32 Colors; Tries To Sell Us New Fad In Pets (article with photos of Mrs. Edith Blowers, Secretary NMC, England) Altoona Tribune, Altoona, Pennsylvania
March 11, 1939 Calder Valley Mouse Club (affiliated to the National Mouse Club), The Halifax Courier and Guardian, England
September 26, 1939 blurb last column at bottom (NMC has more than 500 members), The Ludington Daily News, Ludington, Michigan
- September 29, 1939 Brief City News (3rd column) The Index-Journal, Greenwood, South Carolina (same article as The Ludington Daily News, September 26, 1939)
- September 30, 1939 Zion (last column) The Daily Free Press, Carbondale, Illinois (same article as The Ludington Daily News, September 26, 1939; The Index-Journal, September 29, 1939)
April 26, 1947 Across The Desk (singing mouse; English breeders, Mrs. E. D. Blowers, England; AMFC first show, description of ideal mouse), The New York Age, New York, New York
December 17, 1962 Speaking of Pets: If you want to raise Mice here’s how to do it (NMC, AMC), Biddeford-Seco Journal, Maine
- December 23, 1962 Speaking of Pets: Fancy Mice Raised Bridgeport Sunday Post, Bridgeport, Connecticut (same article as Biddeford-Saco Journal, December 17, 1962)
August 2, 1964 Great Britain Has National Mouse Club! The Springfield Sunday Republican, Springfield, Massachusetts
September 26, 1964 Red, White and Blue Mice (bottom 4th column; about mice in England), Redlands Daily Facts, Redlands, California (also in Oshkosh Daily Northwestern, Oshkosh, WI, September 26, 1964; The Brownsville Herald, Brownsville, TX, September 27, 1964)
August 29, 1968 The Mouse Fancy (whole page devoted to mice, 2nd page has ad for show), Fur & Feather, England
October 2, 1968 Vaughan At Large: Join The Mouse Breeders (about book The Fancy Mouse and Walter Maxey), Playground Daily News, Fort Walton Beach, Florida
March 8, 1970 High Cost of Mouse Moving (bottom left hand corner), The San Bernardino County Sun, San Bernardino, California
- March 20, 1970 Raising Mouse Fares (2nd column), The Childress Index, Childress, Texas (same article as The San Bernardino County Sun, March 8, 1970)
December 15, 1974 Small Pets Create Noise At Big Show (Alexandra Palace Exhibition, mentions Pearl mice), Springfield Sunday Republican, Springfield, Massachusetts
November 27, 1980 Fur and Feather Show (12th Annual London Championship show, with rats and mice), The Galveston Daily News, Galveston, Texas

Videos

1947 Furs And Fanciers - Rabbits, mice, cavies at a London show; woman reading the booklet Mice for the Hobbyist, Exhibitor & Scientist by J. Wood.
1981Graham Fellows - Men of Oats and Creosote (Oxford Road Show 1981)
1980s Private Jack (Ernest John) Hartley, Stretford Manchester, the Mouseman of Britain, 1 - general info on mice, the N.M.C., and showing; the first part was being interviewed by a lady; the second part of this video (begins showing the countryside) with Mr. Hartley was The Fancy that was done by a film student that aired on the BBC2 in 1987
1980s? Private Jack (Ernest John) Hartley, Stretford Manchester, the Mouseman of Britain, 2 - beginning of video is rest of the show The Fancy that aired on the BBC2 in 1987; the next part is the Calder Valley Mouse Club Annual show in Halifax (club based in West Yorkshire)
1980s? Private Jack (Ernest John) Hartley, Stretford Manchester, the Mouseman of Britain, 3 - judging
1980s? Private Jack (Ernest John) Hartley, Stretford Manchester, the Mouseman of Britain, 4 - training a new judge
1987 The Fancy (1987) - is from part 1 and 2 videos Private Jack (Ernest John) Hartley, Stretford Manchester, the Mouseman of Britain. The Fancy, a film by Russell England and Mike James, with Richard Davis, camera, was made as a student film at the Manchester Polytechnic School of Film and Television. It was originally aired on BBC2 in 1987. The film features National Mouse Club member and judge Jack Hartley, The Shambles Stud. The mouse show featured was held at the Victoria Hall, Saltaire, Shipley, West Yorkshire.
1980s German TV film of the National Mouse Club featuring David Bumford, Jack Hartley, Frank Hawley, Don Parkinson, Pres. at the time, Colin M. Horne, Virginia and Phil Hall, and Alf Horne.
2011 National Mouse Club Annual Cup Show, Sowood, Sept. 24, 2011
2011 Alive with Mice - Trailer and full video - of Eric Jukes, member of the National Mouse Club and the London & Southern Counties Mouse & Rat Club, celebrating his 50 years as a mouse fancier with films and pictures of shows.
2019 Bradford Premiere Small Animal Show in Doncaster, England, January 19–20 2019, with NMC mouse judging January 20, 2019 and more mouse judging

See also the London & Southern Counties Mouse & Rat Club Digital Library page for more articles.

London & Southern Counties Mouse & Rat Club (LSCMRC) - founded 1916

LSCMRC logo 1916 to present - London & Southern Counties Mouse & Rat Club (LSCMRC), Great Britain.
The LSCMRC was founded February 5, 1916, as the London Mouse & Rat Club and celebrated their 100th anniversary in 2016. They held their first show June 12, 1916. However, due to the lack of rat exhibits, they dropped rats from the name in 1934 and was then known as the London and Southern Counties Mouse Club. In 1972 rats were added back to the classes and in 1982 became the London & Southern Counties Mouse & Rat Club again. Has published a newsletter since the early 1960s.

See the London & Southern Counties Mouse & Rat Club Digital Library page for more articles.

National Fancy Rat Society (N.F.R.S.) - founded 1976

1976 to present - National Fancy Rat Society, Great Britain.
The N.F.R.S. was founded January 13, 1976. They held their first show April 24, 1976. You can read more in the article “How It All Began . . .” or The Foundation of the National Fancy Rat Society. Publishes Pro-Rat-A magazine.

In the N.F.R.S. magazine, Pro-Rat-a Number 204 Nov./Dec. 2014 issue, is a photo of a Black Hooded Ch. Effective Girl on a rat-size Maxey show box from 1914 that won several awards. Now the N.F.R.S. uses clear carriers with wire tops. AFRMA rat show boxes are very similar to these early rat show boxes.

1981 Fur & Feather
February 19, 1981, Swansong At Bradford by Nick Mays. Fur & Feather, England.

1984 Fanciful Reflections: Eighty Years of the Rat Fancy, 1901 to 1981
Fanciful Reflections 1984 By Nick Mays. Covers the history of the rat fancy through newspaper and magazine articles. Includes plans for a rat show cage on page 50 that was originally in Fur & Feather. These were used in the days of Miss Mary Douglas that were large versions of the Maxey Mouse show cage.

1991 N.F.R.S. Handbook
N.F.R.S. Handbook 1991 The N.F.R.S. did a handbook in 1989, then revised and reprinted it in 1991. This booklet covered the history of the fancy rat and the N.F.R.S., as well as the care, breeding, genetics, and varieties of fancy rats. This is a PDF of the 1991 edition separated into each section. Remember, some aspects of rat keeping may have changed over the years.

Part 1, History (includes Miss Mary Douglas, Ralph Blake, and others)
Part 2, The Care of Fancy Rats
Part 3, Breeding Fancy Rats
Part 4, Varieties of Fancy Rats
Part 5, Miscellaneous Rat Matters

Mary Douglas, known as the mother of the rat fancy, died November 26, 1921. She showed the first rats in 1901 at a NMC show and with her involvement and enthusiasm the National Mouse Club added rats to its name and became the National Mouse and Rat Club in 1912. This lasted until 1929 when they dropped rat from their title and went back to the NMC.

1991 Miss Mary Douglas – the ‘Mother’ of the Rat Fancy by Nick Mays, NFRS Archivist, Pro-Rat-A 66 Nov./Dec. 1991. Nick had a column From the Archives in the NFRS newsletter Pro-Rat-A that had lots of great articles on the history of rats and rat keeping, this one on Miss Mary Douglas.

1993 Her Majesty’s Ratcatcher by Nick Mays, NFRS Archivist, Pro-Rat-A 78 Nov./Dec. 1993. This article in Pro-Rat-A’s From the Archives was about Jack Black, one of the original rat fanciers.

Newspaper Articles

December 13, 1903 Women Once Afraid Of Mice, Now Raise Them For Pets (article about NMC, mentions rats), Chicago Daily Tribune, Chicago, Illinois
January 14, 1904 London Has A Rat Show (60 exhibits in Cheltenham, England, W. Maxey of NMC was judge), Jacksonville Daily Illinois Courier
- March 3, 1904 London Has A Rat Show Lawrence Daily Journal, Lawrence, Kansas (same article as Jacksonville Daily Illinois Courier, January 14, 1904)
April 11, 1904 A Rat Show (60 exhibits in Cheltenham, England), The Attica Daily Ledger (similar article to Jacksonville Daily Illinois Courier January 14, 1904; Lawrence Daily Journal March 3, 1904)
- April 22, 1904 A Rat Show Bedford Daily Republican, Bedford,Iowa (4th column; same article as The Attica Daily Ledger April 11, 1904)
November 27, 1980 Fur and Feather Show (12th Annual London Championship show, with rats and mice), The Galveston Daily News, Galveston, Texas
April 2009 So You Think You Know About Rats? by Ann Storey, N.F.R.S., Fur & Feather, England

U.S.A.

Fancy Mouse Club, Chicago, Illinois - 1890

1890 Fancy Mouse Club, Chicago, IL
I found one mention of this in the October 25, 1890 The Fanciers’ Journal and it was a generic reference so don’t know what the official name of the club was at the time.

U.S.A. Publication

October 25, 1890 Fitz-Poodle’s Doggy Experiences (about half way down the first column), The Fanciers’s Journal, Philadelphia, PA. You can read the collection of Vol. 5 of the Journal online.

American Mouse Club (AMC), New York - founded 1898

1898–1904? American Mouse Club (AMC), New York
This club was organized February 4, 1898, during the New York Poultry and Pigeon Association exhibition. H. C. Scheel of NY was elected the President. Although this fact got lots of coverage in several newspapers all the way to July 1901, there were never any articles about shows or other events they put on. The article February 4, 1900, Mice As Pets: Variety of Color That Has Been Obtained by Skillful Breeding tells that the AMC had members all over the country. This same article says that mice were sent from the N.M.C. to the U.S.A. (doesn’t say to who) and that the AMC is the latest addition to clubs here.

U.S.A. Newspaper Articles

February 5, 1898 A Mouse Club Organized (AMC organized February 4, 1898, during New York Poultry and Pigeon Association exhibition, H. C. Scheel of NY elected President), New York Times, New York
December 18, 1898 Mice of Many Colors (NMC; general article; doesn’t specifically mention name of U.S.A. club; tells that Anton Rothmueller of New Market, New Hampshire, was the first to take up the mouse fancy in the U.S.A.; stock from the U.S.A. to be shipped to England, Austria, New Zealand, and South Africa—the American strain does not develop asthma; the latest colors of cream and yellow mice in the N.M.C., yellow mice sell for $15), The Reading Eagle, Reading, Pennsylvania
February 4, 1900 Mice As Pets: Variety of Color That Has Been Obtained by Skillful Breeding (6th column; NMC, AMC; mice imported 1896 [probably by Mr. Rothmueller, mentioned in November 27, 1899 article Mouse Collecting Club], sell for $5 to $22; article hard to read, see the Feb. 23 one), The Sun
- February 23, 1900 A Peculiar Class of Pets: Mice of Many Breeds Entering a New Field of Favor (4th column), Evening Times, Washington D.C. (same article as The Sun, Feb. 4, 1900)
March 25, 1900 Gathered Here and There (bottom 3rd column; blurb about being recent addition to clubdom), Saint Paul Globe
April 30, 1900 The American Mouse Club (bottom 4th column; blurb about club being organized in NY), Daily Iowa State Press, Iowa
- May 3, 1900 The American Mouse Club (last column at bottom), Rochester Weekly Republican, Indiana (same article as Daily Iowa State Press, April 30, 1900)
May 11, 1900 part of Curious Condensations (1st column towards bottom; blurb about being recent addition to clubdom), Virginia Enterprise
- May 26, 1900 part of News In Paragraphs (last column), Scranton Tribune (same article as Virginia Enterprise, May 11, 1900)
- June 5, 1900 part of Gleanings (bottom 3rd column), Herald Star, Ohio (same article as Virginia Enterprise, May 11, 1900; Scranton Tribune, May 26, 1900)
- June 12, 1900 part of News and Notes For Women: Gossip (6th column), News and Herald, Winnsboro, South Carolina (same article as Virginia Enterprise, May 11, 1900; Scranton Tribune, May 26, 1900; Herald Star, June 5, 1900)
- June 17, 1900 The American Mouse Club... (bottom 3rd column), Biloxi Herald, Mississippi (same article as Virginia Enterprise, May 11, 1900; Scranton Tribune, May 26, 1900; Herald Star, June 5, 1900; News and Herald, June 12, 1900)
- July 5, 1900 part of Gleanings (4th column), Mentone Tri County Gazette, Indiana (same article as Virginia Enterprise, May 11, 1900; Scranton Tribune, May 26, 1900; Herald Star, June 5, 1900; News and Herald, June 12, 1900; Biloxi Herald, June 17, 1900)
- October 11, 1900 part of Gleanings (5th column), Mentone Tri County Gazette, Indiana (same article as Virginia Enterprise, May 11, 1900; Scranton Tribune, May 26, 1900; Herald Star, June 5, 1900; News and Herald, June 12, 1900; Biloxi Herald, June 17, 1900; Mentone Tri County Gazette, July 5, 1900, August 16, 1900, December 13, 1900)
- July 3, 1901 part of First Of All–The News (1st column), Naugatuck Daily News, Connecticut (same article as Virginia Enterprise, May 11, 1900; Scranton Tribune, May 26, 1900; Herald Star, June 5, 1900; News and Herald, June 12, 1900; Biloxi Herald, June 17, 1900; Mentone Tri County Gazette, July 5, 1900; Mentone Tri County Gazette, Oct. 11, 1900)
January 13, 1904 Gossip From Gotham (bottom 1st column; NMC; suggest a copy of NMC be established in NY; talks like there is no American Mouse Club), St. Paul Globe

United States Mouse Club (USMC), Chicago, Illinois - founded 1899

1899–1900? United States Mouse Club (USMC), Chicago, Illinois Mouse Collecting Club
This club was founded by John H. Grube in Albany along with several prominent Chicago Women—Mrs. Leland Norton, founder and president of the Chicago Cat club and Mrs. Poyer owned Northwestern Rabbitry were some of the main ones mentioned. Not sure exactly when it was founded as the October 27, 1899, article tells about the club to have a show with the cats and cavies in December, where the November 19, 27, and 28 tells of it recently starting and then the December 1 article says it was started the previous week. Mr. Rothmueller of New Hampshire [not sure of his club affiliation as he is mentioned in the USMC article of November 27, 1899, and the February 4, 1900, AMC article] imported first mice to the U.S.A. Mr. Grube had the largest collection of mice in the U.S.A. in 1899 of which most were imported stock.

U.S.A. Newspaper Articles

December 4, 1898 Cats And The Cat Fancy In North America 1880s To 1900s (4): Cat Show Attracts Society (USMC started in 1899 by prominent Chicago women), article with the The New York Times article on the Messy Beast web site
October 27, 1899 Show Cats, Mice, and Cavies (6th column; combined show of cat club, cavy club, USMC in Chicago in December 1899), Chicago Daily Tribune, Chicago, Illinois
November 19, 1899 Cavy Culture A New Fad (mice and rats; mentions a club getting started), The Courier-Journal, Louisville, Kentucky
November 27, 1899 Mouse Collecting Club (4th column at top; with drawing of lady with mice, USMC recently started, Mr. Rothmueller has mice imported from England), The Sandusky Star-Journal, Sandusky, Ohio
- November 28, 1899 Mouse Collecting Club The Leavenworth Times, Leavenworth, Kansas (same article as The Sandusky Star-Journal, November 27, 1899)
- December 1, 1899 Chicago Women (4th column), The Wichita Daily Beacon, Wichita, Kansas (same article without drawing as The Sandusky Star-Journal, November 27, 1899; The Leavenworth Times, November 28, 1899, but this one says USMC organized previous week
January 14, 1900 Pet Fowl and Cats (far right top corner, article above and below drawing; National Fanciers’ Association show at Tattersall January 22–27, 1900, fourth annual Chicago show of poultry, pet stock, pigeons, and cats; John Grube from Albany, Pres. USMC, to exhibit mice), The Sunday Inter Ocean, Chicago, Illinois
May 17, 1900 The Unquiet Sex (1st column; USMC latest fad organized among animal lovers), The Fort Wayne News, Fort Wayne, Indiana

Colorado Fur and Feather Association, Denver, Colorado - 1900

1900 Colorado Fur and Feather Association, Denver, Colorado
There were many Pet Stock and Fur/Feather type associations popping up all over the country during this time. The Colorado Fur and Feather Association was one of them and held their first show January 15–20, 1900. This was composed of The Colorado Poultry Club, The Colorado Belgian Hare Club, and The Colorado Pigeon Club.

In an article in the Idaho Springs News, Volume XIX, Number 38, December 20, 1901, (third paragraph from the bottom) they mention for the CFFA Jan. 13–18, 1902, show (third annual), exhibits were to include poultry, cats, pigeons, canaries, rabbits, and cage birds.

U.S.A. Publication

January 1900 Colorado Fur and Feather Association show catalog 1900 - This was found by the ARBA Hall of Fame Library. The show catalog for the first show of the Colorado Fur and Feather Association included an advertisement for the Denver Pet Stock, Co. They bred fancy mice and white rats as depicted in their hand-drawn ad.

Mouse Club, Chicago, Illinois - founded 1901

1901 Mouse Club, Chicago, Illinois
This is a different club than the USMC even though they were both in Chicago. There was only one article about this group. This was another Chicago club made up of women, this time most were from the Beresford Cat Club. The efforts of Miss E. C. Copeland started the club. This club was to pay special attention to the breeding of the Himalayan mouse.

U.S.A. Newspaper Articles

January 28, 1901 Mouse Club Organized (3rd column; different Chicago club than the USMC, Mouse Club recently organized by Chicago women, Miss E. C. Copeland efforts started club, more than 200 women members, most from Beresford Cat Club, planning first show, club to pay special attention to the breeding of the Himalayan mice, of which Miss Copeland has some), St. Louis Republic, Saint Louis, Missouri

American Fur Fancier’s Association (AFFA) - founded 1903?

1903? American Fur Fancier’s Association (AFFA), East Coast
Imported rats in 1898 and imported mice from N.M.C. in 1903. Held a show at the Madison Square Gardens in New York (may be what is talked about in the January 6, 1904 newspaper article). The AFFA had their own Fancy Mouse Club.

1910 - Yearbook of American Fur Fancier’s Association
Year Book of American Fur Fanciers Association, 1910 Miss C. Spencer was Chairman of the fancy Mouse Club; 1910 Prize list of $1 for Best Mouse Exhibit and $1 for Best Mouse at Annual Show; Mouse Club members; article Resumé mentions mice ...the coming year might see considerable progress with the long tails. (see entire book on ARBA web site)

1913 - Yearbook of American Fur Fancier’s Association
Year Book of American Fur Fanciers Association, 1913 Miss A. E. C. Lathrop was Chairman of the fancy Mouse Club, a fancier of mice, cavies, and rabbits, but favorite is the mouse; article How To Feed And Care For Mice; Mouse Club members; cost to join was $1 a year (see entire book on ARBA web site)

1915 - American Fur Fancier’s Association (AFFA) Standards of Perfection book
The American Pet Stock Standard of Perfection and Official Guide of the American Fur Fancier’s Association Covering all Varieties of Rabbits, Cavies (guinea pigs), and Mice 1915. American Fur Fancier’s Association Standards of Perfection book - The Fancy Mouse chapter starts on page 39; it tells about how in 1903 America’s first fancy mice were imported from the N.M.C. by Mr. Anton Rottmueller of Boston and in the fall of that same year Dr. L. H. Wood of Groton, Connecticut imported about 30 varieties; colored mice were sold as pets in New York in 1890; in 1904 a show was held in Madison Square Gardens; there was a Fancy Mouse Club of the American Fur Fanciers’ Association; Miss Abbie E. C. Lathrop of Granby, Massachusetts was involved in the start of the club and was Chairman of the Fancy Mouse Club of the American Fur Fanciers’ Association until 1914, she also bred rats [she was instrumental in the start of laboratories using mice by sending them ones with health issues to try and figure out what the problem was; the chapter also includes drawings of the recognized varieties. Even though it doesn’t say it in the title, there is a chapter on rats starting on page 44 and lists colors such as yellow/fawn (light canary to deep orange), orange, cream, lilac, maltese (light blue in shade with white underneath), blue (called Cream in Europe; light maltese color with black or pink eyes that came from the yellow rats), chocolate, Hooded/Broken marked {although in the points section it has Hooded and Broken separate), with pink, ruby, and black eyes; tells of rats being imported in 1898 by Dr. E. B. Southwick; yellow rats were caught on a steamer with the male being a deep orange color with rich crimson eyes [Silver Fawn?] and the yellow females had black eyes [Fawn?]; includes rat standards with classes based on eye color. This is an archived online version available in various formats.

U.S.A. Newspaper Articles

January 6, 1904 Photos of cats for Madison Square Garden Show January 5–9, 1904 (this might be the show mentioned in the AFFA Standards of Perfection book), The Brooklyn Daily Eagle, Brooklyn, New York
October 5, 1908 Judges For Poultry Exhibition Announced (bottom 1st column; had 2 mouse classes), The York Daily
November 1908 Guinea Pigs, Rabbits and Fancy Mice Country Life In America Vol. XV, November 1908 to April 1909. New York, Doubleday, Page & Company.
July 29, 1916 Tabor Will Be Judge For Pet Stock Show (6th column; including rats and mice), Trenton Evening Times
September 2, 1916 Add Pet Stock Show To Trenton’s Inter-State Fair (3rd column; with classes for mice and rats), The Bristol Daily Courier
September 7, 1916 Select Judges To Award Pet Stock Exhibit Prizes (3rd column; including rat and mouse judge), The Bristol Daily Courier

National Pet Stock Association of America (NPSAA) - founded January 10, 1910–1917 Chicago, Illinois/National Breeders and Fanciers Association of America (NBFAA) 1917–1925/ ARBA 1925 to present times

1910 - National Pet Stock Association of America (NPSAA), Chicago, Illinois.
NPSAA founded 1910, name changed to National Breeders and Fanciers Association of America (NBFAA) in 1917, then in 1925 became the current American Rabbit Breeders Association (ARBA). While it was the NPSAA and the NBFAA, they included mice and rats among other small animals.

1915 - National Pet Stock Association of America (NPSAA) Standard of Perfection book
“Standard of Perfection for Rabbits, Cavies, Mice, Rats & Skunks by the National Pet Stock Association of America. Founded as the NPSAA in 1910, then name changed in 1917 to NBFAA, then became the ARBA 1925. Has Standards of Perfection points for mice and rats.

1919 - Food & Fur Breeders of America book
Food & Fur Breeders of America; Rabbits, Cavies, Foxes, Skunk, Mice, Rats 1919. Food & Fur Directory, Co., Fort Worth, TX. Has a short chapter “Rats and Mice For Pleasure and Profit” by H. C. Brown (Pres. of Brown Pet Stock Co., Emporia, KS). Also has an “Associations” section telling about the National Breeders & Fanciers Association (previously known as the National Pet Stock Association; presently known as the American Rabbit Breeders Association). This is an archived online version available in various formats.

1920 - National Breeders and Fanciers Association of America (NBFAA) Standard of Perfection book
“Standard of Perfection for Rabbits, Cavies, Mice, Rats, Skin and Fur Bearing Animals of the The National Breeders and Fanciers Association of America.” Has Standards of Perfection points for mice and rats. NBFAA (was NPSAA 1910, name changed to NBFAA 1917, then became ARBA 1925).

1921 A Glance Back in Time: Wealth in Rats and Mice
Published The Laboratory Supply Company, Philadelphia, PA, Established since 1912. Written by a member of the National Breeders’ and Fanciers’ Association of America, Inc.

1926-1927 - ARBA Guide Book and Standard
The American Rabbit and Cavy Breeders Association (Incorporated) Guide Book and Standard, 1926-1927 articles: Mice Farming with photos of Broken Marked, Even Marked, and Dutch mice; and Rat Farming with photos; members who breed mice and/or rats; two ads of breeders of mice and rats (see entire book on ARBA web site)

1928-1929 - ARBA Guide Book and Standard
The American Rabbit and Cavy Breeders Association (Incorporated) Guide Book and Standard, 1928-1929 articles: Rat Farming with photos and Mice Farming with photos of Broken Marked, Even Marked, and Dutch mice; members who breed mice and/or rats; one ad of a breeder of mice and rats (see entire book on ARBA web site)

U.S.A. Newspaper Articles: National Pet Stock Association (NPSA)

February 20, 1898 Raising Mice For Pets (NMC, formation of National Pet Stock Association and Mouse Club), The New York Times, New York, New York
February 17, 1899 Will Surpass All (poultry and pet stock show to include mice), Kansas City Journal, Kansas City, Missouri
October 19, 1915 Authority On Pet Stock Is Coming Here (NPSA secretary to visit local branch, examine and classify all kinds of stock [Evals], Lawrence county association members raise white and spotted rats and mice), New Castle Herald, New Castle, Pennsylvania
April 18, 1916 Fur Fanciers’ Show (4th column; mice and rats to be exhibited in Indiana show), The Indianapolis News, Indianapolis, Indiana
April 20, 1916 Fine Rabbit Display At Fur Fanciers’ Show (same event as mentioned in The Indianapolis News, April 18, 1916; no mention of rodents; talks about rabbit breeds), The Indianapolis News, Indianapolis, Indiana
October 23, 1916 Pet Stock Fanciers Organize (3rd column; Topeka breeders form group, includes rats and mice, to be charter/member of NPSA), The Topeka Daily Capital, Topeka, Kansas
February 18, 1917 Organizing Pet Stock Clubs (bottom 2nd column; organizing pet stock clubs in the west, white rats, mice, affiliate with NPSA), The Atlanta Constitution, Atlanta, Georgia
November 22, 1917 Pet Stock Men To Have Big Show In December (last column; show in December in Topeka to include rats and mice, NPSA judge), The Topeka Daily Capital, Topeka, Kansas
September 18, 1919 Pet Stock Interesting (no specific group mentioned, just that there would be exhibits of mice and rats at the pet stock show at the State Fair), The Hutchinson News, Hutchinson, Kansas

U.S.A. Newspaper Articles: National Breeders & Fanciers Association of America (NBFAA)

December 21, 1918 Raise White Mice (6th column; ad with drawing for Bulette Pet Stock Farm in Los Angeles, members of National Breeders & Fanciers Association of America - NBFAA), Santa Ana Register, Santa Ana, California
July 22, 1919 Pet Stock At The Fair (cash prizes for displays of white mice and rats), The Hutchinson News, Hutchinson, Kansas
September 5, 1919 Mice In Nine Shades (bottom 3rd column; more than 200 mice of nine different colors entered for exhibit of NBFA), The Topeka Daily Capital, Topeka, Kansas
July 30, 1920 Sires To Aid Fur Bearers (5th column; Better Sires–Better Stock, mice), Brevard News, Brevard, North Carolina (same article also in San Francisco Chronicle, San Francisco, California, May 2, 1920; Casa Grande Dispatch, Casa Grande, Arizona, July 31, 1920; Manitowoc Herald-Times, Manitowoc, Wisconsin, August 27, 1920; The Graphic, Nashville, North Carolina, May 26, 1921)

National Mouse and Rat Club of America (NMRCA) - 1916

1916 National Mouse and Rat Club of America
I just found an article on the Museum of Aquarium and Pet History web site (a new online museum based in CA that began July 2022; be sure to check out MOAPH video Episode 4 about historical mouse cages with mention of AFRMA) that has an ad for the National Mouse and Rat Club of America, an organization to encourage the breeding of fancy and utility mice and rats, with Dutch mice in their logo.

In the section The Mouse World of the October 1916 edition of The Pet Stock World magazine, are articles Rats - Mice - Dollars - Cents (a continuation of a previous article) by S. Chichester Lloyd, Regular Contributor, and White Mice by Edward A. Fritz. Jr. The rat articles tells about using a box in the corner of the cage (as a litterbox) and giving the rats a water dish to wash in. The article has 3 ads, one is the ad for the new club which cost $1 for membership. Officers were in the midwest and east coast.

Rat and Mouse Club of America (RMCA) - 1922

1922 - Rat and Mouse Club of America (RMCA).
I found mention of this club in the book Outdoor Opportunities: The Raising and Care of Small Animals, Birds and Plants. There wasn’t any mention of when it started or where it was located.

1922 Outdoor Opportunities: The Raising and Care of Small Animals, Birds and Plants
Outdoor Enterprise Publishing Co, Kansas City, Missouri, 1922. The chapter Rats and Mice by John Allen, President of the Rat and Mouse Club of America says mice come in Harliquin, Plums or Plum Silvers, and Tortoise Shell, among others, and Grey Agoutis are very successful at shows; rats come in Agouti, Blue, Chocolate, Yellow, White, and Hooded.

American Mouse Fancier’s Club (AMFC), New York - founded 1936

1936–1939? or later? - American Mouse Fancier’s Club (AMFC), New York.
This group got a lot of newspaper coverage for their shows in 1937 and 1938 that were held with the different cat clubs. It is the only club that had photos of their shows in the newspapers/magazines that I have found. Rev. Ferrier suggested forming an American Mouse and Rat Club in the Dec. 1935 All-Pets magazine. A club was then founded—the American Mouse Fancier’s Club (AMFC). In the June 1936 All-Pets article it tells that rats were to be included.

1935 All-Pets Magazine
Dec. 1935, Vol. 8, Number 7, Lightner Publishing Co., Chicago, IL. Another American version of England’s Fur and Feather magazine at the time. Includes a section “Small Animals” with articles “The Future of the Mouse Fancy by R. W. Ferrier; Tumors in Mice by S. P. Holman, Fla.”

1936 All-Pets Magazine
Jan. 1936, Vol. 8, Number 8, Lightner Publishing Corporation, Chicago, IL. Another American version of England’s Fur and Feather magazine at the time. Includes a section “Small Animals” with article “The Exhibition Mouse” by R. W. Ferrier; “Mickey Mouse and the Pet Shops” by By Alfred 0. Philipp.

1936 All-Pets Magazine
May 1936, Vol. 8, Number 12, Lightner Publishing Co., Chicago, IL. Another American version of England’s Fur and Feather magazine at the time. Includes a section “Small Animals” with articles Breeding Fancy Mice Requires Skill and Patience by B. A. Lang; Mouse Show by Rev. R. W. Ferrier; also info on newly formed American Mouse Fancier’s Club

1936 All-Pets Magazine
June 1936, Vol. 9, Number 1, Lightner Publishing Co., Chicago, IL. Another American version of England’s Fur and Feather magazine at the time. Includes a section “Small Animals” with articles “The American Mouse Fanciers’s Club” by the Rev. R. W. Ferrier [club to include rats, use the N.M.C. Standards and Maxey show cage, All-Pets to be the official organ of the club]; “How Maginnis Breeds Fancy Mice” by John. J. Maginnis, Westmont, Illinois.

1936 All-Pets Magazine
Dec. 1936, Vol. 9, Number 7, Lightner Publishing Co., Chicago, IL. Another American version of England’s Fur and Feather magazine at the time. Includes a section “Small Animals” with articles “Fancy Mice: Facts the Fanciers Should Know” by R. W. Ferrier; “Calif. Bans Mice; Do You Know.” and an article American Mouse Fanciers’ Club by R. W. Ferrier, Stockport, N.Y. (about the Boston Cat club show to be held Jan. 14 and 15, 1937, that was to have classes for mice and rats)

1937 All-Pets Magazine
Jan. 1937, Vol. 9, Number 8, Lightner Publishing Co., Chicago, IL. Another American version of England’s Fur and Feather magazine at the time. Includes a section “Small Animals” with articles “Getting Ready for Boston” by R. W. Ferrier [about the show for mice and rats Jan. 14 and 15 with the Boston Cat Club Annual Show]; “American Mouse Fanciers’s Club” by R. W. Ferrier, Stockport, N.Y., Sec.; Mouse Over Man; Pet Life in the Science Room By Dennis Glen Cooper, in Nature Magazine that mentions waltzing mice and white and hooded rats.

1937 All-Pets Magazine
Feb. 1937, Vol. 9, Number 9, Lightner Publishing Co., Chicago, IL. Another American version of England’s Fur and Feather magazine at the time. Includes a section “Small Animals” with articles Deer Mice; Behind the Scenes: Mouse Fanciers Interviewed by ‘CYMRU’ [fictitious accounts of breeders]; Fancy Mice and Rats for Exhibition: An Absorbing Hobby by R. W. Ferrier.

1937 News-Week
Jan. 23, 1937. Includes an article “Mouse Show: A Minister’s Pet Rodent Wins Silver Cup” about the American Mouse Fancier’s Club and their first show in Boston, Massachusetts, Jan. 14 and 15, 1937.

1937 Life
Dec. 13, 1937, Time, Inc. Includes an article with photos “Mice are Exhibited at Manhattan Cat Show” about the American Mouse Fancier’s Club.

1938 All-Pets Magazine
Jan. 1938, Vol. 9, Number 8, Lightner Publishing Co., Chicago, IL. Another American version of England’s Fur and Feather magazine at the time. Includes a section “Fancy Mice” with articles “New York Mouse & Rat Show, Nov. 1937 – Judge’s Report,“ by R. W. Ferrier, about the Manhattan show with the Empire Cat Club Nov. 19–20 with 75 mice and 5 rats benched; “Boston Mouse Show [January 13–14, 1938, with the Boston Cat Club]; AMFC Club Report; The Mouse Fancy: Shows and Exhibiting” by R. W. Ferrier.

1938 All-Pets Magazine
Feb. 1938, Vol. 9, number 9, Lightner Publishing Co., Chicago, IL. Another American version of England’s Fur and Feather magazine at the time. Includes a section “Fancy Mice” with articles “Mouse Musings” by Robert H. Brown; “A.M.F.C. Notes; The Real Fancy Mouse” by R. W. Ferrier.

1939 All-Pets Magazine
Feb. 1939, Vol. 10, number 9, Lightner Publishing Co., Chicago, IL. Another American version of England’s Fur and Feather magazine at the time. Includes a section “Fancy Mice” with articles “The Future of the Mouse Fancy by R. W. Ferrier; Breeding White Mice; and American Mouse Fanciers Club by Rev. R. W. Ferrier.”

1939 All-Pets Magazine
Dec. 1939, Vol. 11, Number 7, Lightner Publishing Co., Chicago, IL. Another American version of England’s Fur and Feather magazine at the time. Includes a section “Fancy Mice” with articles “Varieties and Standards by Martin Hartman, New City, N.Y. (part 1); Wants Activity; Mouse Musings.”

Web Sites

1937 Cat Fancy Beginnings in America (combined cat clubs and AMFC show, 75 entries of mice and rats), on the Cat Fanciers’ Association Foundation web site

U.S.A. Newspaper Articles: American Mouse Fancier’s Club

December 11, 1936 Dog Barks: Rats and Cats to Consort (3rd column; All-Pets magazine start of column; Annual Show of Boston Cat Club with 6 classes for rats and mice), The Springfield Daily Republican, Springfield, Massachusetts
January 14, 1937 Whiting’s Boston Letter (6th column; Boston Cat Club with mouse show by AMFC), The Springfield Daily Republican, Springfield, Massachusetts
January 21, 1937 News of the Week: Mouse Lovers Organize (1st column; 60 mice in first show of AMFC, NMC breeders get $100 for top mice), The Waterville Times, Waterville, NY
- January 22, 1937 Mouse Lovers Organize (5th column), Mexico Independent, Mexico, NY (same article as The Waterville Times, January 21, 1937)
- January 22, 1937 Mouse Lovers Organize (1st column), The Hearne Democrat, Hearne, Robertson County, Texas (same article as The Waterville Times, January 21, 1937; Mexico Independent, January 22, 1937)
January 22, 1937 Another Football Miracle (top right hand corner; blurb about new AMFC), Big Spring Texas Daily Herald, Big Spring, Texas
- January 22, 1937 Sports Roundup (bottom 2nd column), Denton, Texas, Record Chronicle, Denton, Texas (same blurb)
- January 22, 1937 Here And There In The World Of Sports (4th column), The Gastonia (N. C.) Daily Gazette, North Carolina (same blurb)
- January 22, 1937 Sports Roundup (4th column), Jefferson City Post-Tribune (same blurb)
- January 22, 1937 Sports Roundup (7th column), North Adams Transcript (same blurb)
- January 22, 1937 Newsreel Of Sports In America (7th column), The Oshkosh Northwestern (same blurb)
- January 22, 1937 Sports Roundup (1st column), The Record Argus, Greenville, Pennsylvania (same blurb)
- January 22, 1937 Sports Round Up... (7th column), Rhinelander (Wis.) Daily News, Wisconsin (same blurb)
- January 22, 1937 Kansas Coach Works Miracle (2nd column), The Ogden Standard-Examiner, Ogden, Utah (same blurb)
February 18, 1937 Not In The Box Score (5th column; blurb about new AMFC, Rev. Reginald Ferrier is President), Moravia Union, Moravia, Iowa
- February 25, 1937 Not In The Box Score (2nd column), The Bayard News, Bayard, Iowa (same article as Moravia Union, February 18, 1937)
February 20, 1937 The Curious World (cartoon/drawing of mouse, mouse colors) Clovis News-Journal, Clovis, New Mexico (same blurb about mouse colors in Manitowoc Herald-Times, July 20, 1938; Reading Times, July 25, 1938
April 24, 1937 30,000 Mice Never Fed Cheese (Mrs. E. D. Blowers, NMC, England, AMFC organized 1936), Sheboygan Press, Wisconsin
- April 25, 1937 30,000 Mice Never Fed Cheese Montana Butte Standard, Butte, Montana (same article as Sheboygan Press, April 24, 1937)
July 19, 1937 Animals: Mice Beautiful (archived article about Mrs. E. D. Blowers; American Mouse Fanciers’ club), Time
September 12, 1937 Mouse Breeding Popular Sport (article about Mrs. E. D. Blowers, London mouse fancier wanting to make the United States mouse conscious; American Mouse Fanciers’ club) The Springfield Sunday Union and Republican, Springfield, Massachusetts
November 20, 1937 Pet Rats and Nice Frolic In Cat Show; Blue-Blooded Rodents Have No Fear of Feline Neighbors in Adjoining Cages (combined show of cat club and American Mouse Fanciers’ club), The New York Times, New York
November 20, 1937 Sour Note Sounds at Cat-Rat Show As Rodent Bites Proud Feline’s Paw (6th column; short article), The Republican Courier, Findlay, Ohio
- November 20, 1937 Attempt To Take Picture of Mouse and Cat Failure (7th column), The Gazette and Daily, York, Pennsylvania (same article as The Republican Courier, November 20, 1937, chopped)
- November 20, 1937 Cat vs. Rat, Mouse (7th column; combined cat, rat, and mouse show, NMC, AMFC), Daily Iowan, Iowa (longer article of The Republican Courier, January 20, 1937)
- November 20, 1937 Oddities In The News The Galveston Daily News (same article as Daily Iowan, November 20, 1937)
- November 20, 1937 Rodents, Persians Are Annoyed When Cameramen Appear (2nd column), Reno Evening Gazzette, Reno, Nevada (same article as Daily Iowan, November 20, 1937; The Galveston Daily News, November 20, 1937)
November 28, 1937 Church Mice Not So Poor When Stockport Rector Breeds Them for Shows (article with photos), Syracuse Herald, New York
December 6, 1937 Miscellany, Dec. 6, 1937 (article about combined show of cat clubs and American Mouse Fanciers’ club in Manhattan), Time
February 7, 1938 Mice And Cats To Be In Same Show (top of 7th column; AMFC and Columbian Cat Fanciers to hold joint exhibition April 2 and 3 in Washington), The Port Arthur News, Texas
- February 7, 1938 Oddities in The News (6th column), The Times And Daily News Leader, San Mateo, California (same announcement as The Port Arthur News, February 7, 1938)
- February 7, 1938 Large Time Promised (bottom 2nd column), Santa Ana Register, Santa Ana, California (same announcement)
- February 7, 1938 Mouse and Cat Fanciers Will Hold Joint Exhibition (bottom 5th column), The Amarillo Globe-Times, Amarillo, Texas (same announcement)
- February 7, 1938 Mouse and Cat Fanciers To Hold Joint Meeting (bottom 3rd column), The News-Herald, Franklin, Pennsylvania (same announcement)
- February 8, 1938 Cat-Mouse Exhibition (bottom 5th column), The Bakersfield Californian California (same announcement but missing part of it)
- February 8, 1938 Quirks in the News (5th column), Nevada State Journal, Reno, Nevada (same announcement)
April 2, 1938 Cat and Mouse Show Proves Peaceful (bottom 2nd column; joint show of AMFC and cat club; short version of April 4, 1938, article), Dunkirk Evening Observer, Dunkirk, New York
- April 2, 1938 Cats, Mice and Women Assembled In Harmony (6th column), Middletown Times Herald, Middletown, New York (same article as Dunkirk Evening Observer, April 2, 1938
April 3, 1938 Here’s a Mixture—Cats, Mice, Women in One Show Connellsville Daily Courier, Connellsville, Pennsylvania (more of article Dunkirk Evening Observer, April 2, 1938)
- April 4, 1938 Mice And Cat Fanciers Gather In Dynamite-Like Atmosphere The Port Arthur News, Texas (same article as Connellsville Daily Courier, April 3, 1938)
April 4, 1938 Cats, Mice And Women Mixing At Joint Exhibition Of Pets (bottom of first column) and rest of article (right hand side; full article of joint show of AMFC and cat club April 2) The Southwest Times, Pulaski, Virginia
May 7, 1938 Happy Ending (photo of kitten with mouse from joint show of AMFC and cat club April 2), Altoona Tribune
- May 24, 1938 Happy Ending (photo of kitten with mouse) The Amarillo Globe-Times, Amarillo, Texas (same as Altoona Tribune, May 7, 1938)
May 12, 1938 Cat Looks at a Mouse, and Now They’re Friends (bottom 1st column; from joint show of AMFC and cat club April 2), The Cambridge City Tribune, Cambridge City, Indiana
November 25, 1938 By The Way (about the combined show with the Empire Cat Club and The American Mouse Fancier’s Club), The Brooklyn Daily Eagle, Brooklyn, NY
July 26, 1939 Mouse Village (display of 16 colors of fancy mice at Seventh World’s Poultry Congress in Cleveland, Ohio, stock imported from England, 2,000 breeders of fancy mice in United States and England, developing to standards of AMFC, costs 20 cents a year to feed a mouse), The Mason City Globe-Gazette, Mason City, Iowa
April 26, 1947 Across The Desk (singing mouse; English breeders, Mrs. E. D. Blowers, England; AMFC first show, description of ideal mouse), The New York Age, New York, New York
2007 Chapter 7, The Metaphor of Domestication in Genetics, by Karen Rader Where The Wild Things Are Now: Domestication Reconsidered Edited by Rebecca Cassidy and Molly Mullin, Berg, 2007, page 188 (AMFC)

No Clubs during 1940

1940 All-Pets Magazine
Nov. 1940, Vol. 12, Number 6, Lightner Publishing Co., Chicago, IL. Another American version of England’s Fur and Feather magazine at the time. The section Fancy Mice has article “Even Marked Mice.” There were no clubs at this time but All-Pets was keeping interest in mice by running articles and would help in getting a club going that would register and hold shows.

American Mouse and Rat Fanciers’ Association (AMRFA) - founded 1941

1941 - American Mouse and Rat Fanciers’ Association (AMRFA), East Coast and Midwest.
This is a new club I hadn’t heard of before that was mentioned in the Dec. 1940 issue, then was official in the Jan. 1941 issue of All-Pets magazines. They had officers in several states on the East Coast and Midwest areas and were going to hold shows with the rabbit/cavy and poultry/pigeon shows, but I don’t know if they ever had a show or how long they lasted.

1940 All-Pets Magazine
Dec. 1940, Vol. 12, Number 7, Lightner Publishing Co., Chicago, IL. Another American version of England’s Fur and Feather magazine at the time. The section Fancy Mice, has articles “American Mouse & Rat Fanciers’ Association; Care and Feeding Fancy Mice.”

1941 All-Pets Magazine
Jan. 1941, Vol. 12, Number 8, Lightner Publishing Co., Chicago, IL. Another American version of England’s Fur and Feather magazine at the time. In the section Fancy Mice, it has articles “The American Mouse & Rat Fanciers’ Association; Foods and Cages for White Mice and Rats from the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture”; and a drawing of The Dutch Mouse.

1941 All-Pets Magazine
Feb. 1941, Vol. 12, Number 9, Lightner Publishing Co., Chicago, IL. Another American version of England’s Fur and Feather magazine at the time. The section Fancy Mice, has articles “Functions of a Mouse Club by C. Frank Fayne, Shaker Heights, Ohio; The American Mouse & Rat Fanciers’ Association, News–Notes,” and photo of a Black-eyed White Self Mouse.

1941 All-Pets Magazine
April 1941, Vol. 12, Number 11, Chicago, IL. Another American version of England’s Fur and Feather magazine at the time. The section Fancy Mice, has articles “Selection for Size by C. Frank Fayne; The American Mouse & Rat Fanciers’ Association, Official News–Notes.”

1941 All-Pets Magazine,
May 1941, Vol. 12, Number 12, Hobbies Inc., Chicago, IL. Another American version of England’s Fur and Feather magazine at the time. In the section Fancy Mice, has articles “Selection For Size by C. Frank Fayne, Shaker Heights, Ohio; The Future of Mice by D. G. Laughton,” as well as other articles “Deer Mice; Over 335 Varieties.”

1941 All-Pets Magazine
June 1941, Vol. 13, Number 1, Chicago, IL. Another American version of England’s Fur and Feather magazine at the time. The section Fancy Mice, has articles “Selection for Size by C. Frank Fayne, Shaker Heights, Ohio; The American Mouse & Rat Fanciers’ Association.”

No Clubs during 1945

1945 All-Pets Magazine
April 1945, Vol. 16, No. 11, Lightner Publishing Co., Chicago, IL. Another American version of England’s Fur and Feather magazine at the time. In the section Odd Pets, has an article “Why Not A Mouse Club?” by D. E. Nelson.

American Mouse Club (AMC), California - founded 1959

1959–1960s - American Mouse Club (AMC), California.
This was Richard Pfarr’s group: see the book Modern American Mouse. This was not the same American Mouse Club that was in New York in 1898. This group was founded in California and according the the book, followed the N.M.C. in their standards and used show boxes like theirs. These show boxes were then donated to the Southern California mouse fanciers in 1975 that then went on to form the Mouse and Rat Breeders Association (see below).

1959 All-Pets Magazine
June 1959, Vol. 30, number 6, Fond du Lac, WI. Another American version of England’s Fur and Feather magazine at the time. Includes an article “Mouse Club Formed in California” about the formation of the American Mouse Club with Richard Pfarr as the Secretary (wrote Modern American Mouse).

1960 All-Pets Magazine
Sept. 1960, Vol. 31, number 9, Fond du Lac, WI. Another American version of England’s Fur and Feather magazine at the time. Includes an article “Fancy Mice: a one ounce tale of success” by Robert J. Wyndham that mentions the American Mouse Club (Pfarr’s group).

Modern American Mouse
By Richard Pfarr. 1962. All-Pets Books, Inc., WI. ASIN B0007FFCUQ, B0013RHEVM. Has old American Mouse Club standards.

U.S.A. Newspaper Articles 1962, 1968

December 17, 1962 Speaking of Pets: If you want to raise Mice here’s how to do it (NMC, AMC), Biddeford-Saco Journal, Maine
- December 23, 1962 Speaking of Pets: Fancy Mice Raised Bridgeport Sunday Post, Bridgeport, Connecticut (same article as Biddeford-Saco Journal, December 17, 1962)
October 15, 1968 Action Line (2nd column; asking about American Mouse Club), Oakland Tribune, Oakland, CA

Mouse & Rat Breeders Association (MRBA), California - founded 1978

December 9, 1978, to mid 1990s - Mouse & Rat Breeders Association (MRBA), California.
This was a local Southern California group that began in 1975 as the Southern California Mouse and Hamster Breeders. Their first show was held January 4, 1976, in Pomona, California. The first show that included rats along with the mice and hamsters was held April 25, 1976, in Ventura, California. After a couple years the hamsters were dropped. It wasn’t until 1978 that an official group was then formed. Read article. Published a newsletter Mouse and Rat Tales.

Richard Pfarr judging mice at the MRBA Jan. 4, 1981, show in Pomona, CA, with Jim Touchette and Mr. Pfarr’s grandson looking on. Photo by Debbie Hauser.

Richard Pfarr with the BIS mouse at the MRBA Jan. 4, 1981 show

The MRBA Jan. 4, 1981, show in Pomona, CA, with Richard Pfarr showing off the P.E. White Self Standard mouse BQA-3 that was Best Self, Best Standard, and BIS, owned by Linda Huscher. Photo by Debbie Hauser.

Rat, Mouse, and Hamster Fanciers (RMHF) - founded 1984

September 23, 1984 to mid 2000s
The Rat, Mouse, and Hamster Fanciers (RMHF) was founded Sept. 23, 1984, and was based in the San Francisco Bay area. They held several shows a year; several AFRMA members attended their shows in 1995, 1996 (Travels with Squeaky: An AFRMA Road Trip, Nov.-Dec. 1996 AFRMA Newsletter), and 1997 (Travels with Sunny: AFRMA Road Trip 1997). Published a newsletter.

U.S.A. Newspaper Articles (from their newsletter)

From the RMHF newsletter Vol 7 No 3 July 1991 Rats combat image problem at fair about the RMHF show at the Alameda County Fair, Pleasanton, CA 1991
March 1, 1993 Moss Beach artist judges who wins and loses the real rat race from the RMHF newsletter Vol 9 No 2 April 1993, about RMHF judge Kendra Davis, The Times, San Mateo, CA
From the RMHF newsletter Vol 11 No 2 March-April 1995 Lauded artist creates with real mouse about RMHF judge Kendra Davis, Half Moon Bay Review, Half Moon Bay, CA

Northeast Rat & Mouse Club, Int’l (NRMCI) - founded 1988

December 1988 to early 2000s - Northeast Rat & Mouse Club, Int’l (NRMCI), East Coast.
The Northeast Rat & Mouse Club, Int’l (NRMCI) was founded by Liz Fucci (AFRMA member) and Gina Loiacono. Read article. Published Journal of the NRMCI.

The NRMCI had several chapters

Little Mouse Club (LMC) - 1999 to 2005 (started out a chapter of the NRMCI, then went on own in 1999). This was run by longtime AFRMA member and mouse fancier, Wanda Wilson. Unfortunately with her death in 2005, was also the death of the club. The Little Mouse Club also had a Junior Member Chapter (JMC) for kids
Mid-Atlantic Chapter - 1991
Des Moines, Iowa, Chapter - 1991 - Fancy Rat and Mouse Enthusiasts (FRAME); was told about this by a research scientist that was made an honorary member in 1991, found one newspaper article about them, June 13, 1991, The Des Moines Register A new four-letter word for rats and mice: Pets
New York Chapter - Jan. 1996. Published Potent Rodent.
Appalachian Chapter - 1996

U.S.A. Newspaper Articles

October 1, 1990 What’s Not to Love In a Long Pink Tail And Big Red Eyes? (story about the fall 1990 show of the NRMCI; was in the RMHF newsletter Vol 6 No 6 1990), The Wall Street Journal, Palo Alto, California
June 13, 1991 A new four-letter word for rats and mice: Pets (story about rats and mice, Colleen Merk of new Des Moines chapter of NRMCI, Fancy Rat and Mouse Enthusiasts [FRAME]), The Des Moines Register, Des Moines, Iowa
April 30, 1996 Rising from pest to pet (story about rats, Raquel Cintron of NY chapter of NRMCI, Debbie Ducommun of Rat Fan Club), Winnipeg Free Press, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
October 20,1998 Odds & Ends (Durham, Maine; rats, show in Pennsylvania of NRMCI), Del Rio News-Herald
- October 22, 1998 Northeast: Rodents are way of life for competitive ‘rat’ lady Pacific Stars And Stripes (same article as Del Rio News-Herald, October 20, 1998
March 8, 1999 Expo: 4 legs, feathers, floppy ears (rats, Candy Miesen, NRMCI display at Greater Philadelphia Horse and Pet Expo), Doylestown Intelligencer Record, Pennsylvania

Miscellaneous Articles/Books

1700s 1800s 1910s 1920s 1930s 1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s 2000s
Web Sites USA newspaper articles

1775 Yoso-tama-no-kakehashi
Yoso-tama-no-kakehashi 1775 Yoso-tama-no-kakehashi was written in 1775 and was in 2 volumes: volume 1, volume 2 (on the National Diet Library web site). Article about these books Yoso-tama-no-kakehashi; the first Japanese guidebook on raising rats by Takashi Kuramoto, was published in Experimental Animals, Vol. 60 (2011) No. 1 P 1-6.

1787 Chingansodategusa
Chingansodategusa 1787 Written by Chôbei Zeniya (on the National Diet Library web site). Article telling about this book An Eighteenth Century Japanese Guide-book on Mouse-Breeding by Mitosi Tokuda, was published in Journal of Heredity, Vol. 26, Issue 12, Pp. 481-484, Dec. 1935.

???? Home Pets
Date unknown (very old), Rats and Mice in the book Home Pets.

1851 Domestic pets: their habits and management
Written by Jane Loudon. Published by Grant and Griffith. White Mice a very brief chapter that starts off saying White mice are very beautiful little creatures, they can be taught to come, and talks about cages and food.

1865 Beeton’s Book of Poultry and Domestic Animals
1865. Published by Ward, Lock & Co. The Mouse.

???? Pet Rabbits, Cavies, and Mice
Date unknown—a very old book, by George Gardner. F. Carl, London. This is an archived online version available in various formats.

1890 Fanciers’ Journal
September 6, 1890, Vol. 5 No. 10, Philadelphia, PA. Includes a section “Cage Birds And Pets” and this one was on PET MICE: They Can Easily Be Taught to Do Many Tricks. by an Old Fancier (talks about White, Black, and Fawn colors and lists color combinations)

1890 Fanciers’ Journal
November 9, 1890, Vol. 5 No. 19, Philadelphia, PA. Includes a section “Cage Birds And Pets” and this one was on FANCY MICE: Their Care and Management—Prolific Breeders by an Old Fancier (topic of cleanliness).

1896 Fancy Mice
Fourth Edition, 1896, by An Old Fancier [Dr. Charles Carter Blake]. L. Upcott Gill, London/Charles Scribner’s Sons, New York. An archived online version to view in various formats is available.

1899 Fanciers’ Magazine
Vol. II February 1899, No. 8. Published by The Fanciers’ Publishing Co., Worcester, Mass. Mice shown at Boston Show Jan. 17–21, 1899, and New York Show in Madison Square Gardens. This was probably the members of the American Mouse Club based in New York at the time. See entire archived online version.

1912 Fancy Mice
Fancy Mice Davies 1912 Fifth Edition, 1912, by C.J. Davies. L. Upcott Gill, London. An archived online version to view in various formats is available Fancy Mice, Their Varieties and Management as Pets or for Show.

1919 A Glance Back in Time: Outdoor Enterprises and Domestic Pets
June 1919, Vol. 3, number 10, Kansas City, MO. An American version of England’s Fur and Feather magazine. Includes a section “Rat and Mouse Department” and this one was on the housing of mice.

1919 Everybodys Poultry Magazine.
September 1919, Vol. 24, No. 9, Hanover, PA. Article on Importance and Profit In White Mice by Orville S. Ferris. About raising mice for medical research to save lives or use in submarines to detect defective air. Tells how to make hutches, their breeding, feeding, and health.

1920 Everybodys Poultry Magazine.
August 1920, Vol. 25, No. 8, Hanover, PA. Article about mice in the Hares, Rabbits, Pigeons and Pet Stock Dept. by L.W. Lott.

1920s? 1930s? Nutshell Series No. 29: Fancy and Pet Mice
Third Edition. Cage Birds, Link House, Greville Street, London, E.C.1. Deals with housing, breeding, mating, rearing, feeding, exhibiting, management, diseases, varieties, etc.

1920s? 1930s? Mice for the Hobbyist, Exhibitor & Scientist: A Practical Guide to their Breeding, General Management & Exhibiting.
Fifth Edition by J. Wood. Fur and Feather, Idle, Bradford. A really old fancier’s book. Chapters include: Introduction, The Mousery, Cages—Breeding and Show, Purchase of Stock, Breeding and General Management, How to Breed For Exhibition, Exhibiting, Rats.

1932 Fur & Feather
Fur & Feather February 5, 1932, A London Rattery by J. Wilton-Steer.

1935 Colour Inheritance in Fancy Mice
By W. Mackintosh Kerr, M.B., Ch.B. Watmoughs Limited, Idle, Bradford, and London. A very good, really old fancier’s book.

1935 Article An Eighteenth Century Japanese Guide-book on Mouse-Breeding
Dec. 1935, An Eighteenth Century Japanese Guide-book on Mouse-Breeding by Mitosi Tokuda, published in Journal of Heredity, Vol. 26, Issue 12, Pp. 481–484. The book Chingansodategusa was written in 1787 by Chôbei Zeniya (on the National Diet Library web site).

1935 All-Pets Magazine
Sept. 1935, Vol. 8, Number 4, Lightner Publishing Co., Chicago, IL. Another American version of England’s Fur and Feather magazine at the time. Includes a section “Small Animals” with article “Mouse Facts” by S. P. Holman. Includes 2 sentences on rats.

1935 All-Pets Magazine
Oct. 1935, Vol. 8, Number 5, Lightner Publishing Corporation, Chicago, IL. Another American version of England’s Fur and Feather magazine at the time. Includes a section “Small Animals” with article “Short Eared Mice”by S. P. Holman; “Smart Rats.”

1935 All-Pets Magazine
Nov. 1935, Vol. 8, Number 6, Lightner Publishing Co., Chicago, IL. Another American version of England’s Fur and Feather magazine at the time. Includes a section “Small Animals” with article “Food for Fancy Mice and Rats” by S. P. Holman.

1935 All-Pets Magazine
Dec. 1935, Vol. 8, Number 7, Lightner Publishing Co., Chicago, IL. Another American version of England’s Fur and Feather magazine at the time. Includes a section “Small Animals” with articles “The Future of the Mouse Fancy” by R. W. Ferrier; “Tumors in Mice” by S. P. Holman, Fla.

1936 All-Pets Magazine
Feb. 1936, Vol. 8, Number 9, Lightner Publishing Corp., Chicago, IL. Another American version of England’s Fur and Feather magazine at the time. Includes a section “Small Animals” with article “Mouse Names” by S. P. Holman, Florida.

1936 All-Pets Magazine
June 1936, Vol. 9, Number 1, Lightner Publishing Co., Chicago, IL. Another American version of England’s Fur and Feather magazine at the time. Includes a section “Small Animals” with articles “The American Mouse Fanciers’s Club by the Rev. R. W. Ferrier [club to include rats, use the N.M.C. Standards and Maxey show cage, All-Pets to be the official organ of the club]; How Maginnis Breeds Fancy Mice by John. J. Maginnis, Westmont, Illinois.”

1936 All-Pets Magazine
Sept. 1936. Another American version of England’s Fur and Feather magazine at the time. Article In Recommendation of White Rats by Joya Dickman. (looking for magazine)

1937 The Farmer’s Home
September 7, 1937, The Farmer and Stock-Breeder Ltd., London. Includes an article “Fancy Mice As Pets”

1938 Rabbits, Guinea Pigs, & Mice
Rabbits, Guinea Pigs, & Mice (Pets For Young People) by Wellesley Pain. 1938. Blackie & Sons Limited, London. Has a chapter on Fancy Mice

1938 All-Pets Magazine
Feb. 1938, Vol. 9, number 9, Lightner Publishing Co., Chicago, IL. Another American version of England’s Fur and Feather magazine at the time. Includes a section “Fancy Mice” with articles “Mouse Musings by Robert H. Brown; A.M.F.C. Notes; The Real Fancy Mouse by R. W. Ferrier.”

1938 All-Pets Magazine
Dec. 1938, Vol. 10, Number 7, Lightner Publishing Co., Chicago, IL. Another American version of England’s Fur and Feather magazine at the time. Includes a section “Fancy Mice” with articles “Errors In Mouse Breeding” by J. Partington; “Cages For Mice; Pet Mice; Mousery Odors [note]”

1939 All-Pets Magazine
Jan. 1939, Vol. 10, Number 8, Lightner Publishing Co., Chicago, IL. Another American version of England’s Fur and Feather magazine at the time. Includes a section “Fancy Mice” with articles “Weaning White Mice by J. M. Herbert; Rodent Myths; Cleanliness [note]”

1939 All-Pets Magazine
Feb. 1939, Vol. 10, Number 9, Lightner Publishing Co., Chicago, IL. Another American version of England’s Fur and Feather magazine at the time. Includes a section “Fancy Mice” with articles “The Future of the Mouse Fancy” by R. W. Ferrier; “Breeding White Mice;” and “American Mouse Fanciers Club” by Rev. R. W. Ferrier.

1939 All-Pets Magazine
March 1939, Vol. 10, Number 10, Lightner Publishing Co., Chicago, IL. Another American version of England’s Fur and Feather magazine at the time. Includes a section “Fancy Mice” with articles “Mouse Breeding Hints; Conditioning Show Mice” by J. K.; “Care of Young Mice; Gestation Chart For Mice; Sex Control Experiment [rats]; Broken Markings”

1939 All-Pets Magazine
April 1939, Vol. 10, Number 11, Lightner Publishing Co., Chicago, IL. Another American version of England’s Fur and Feather magazine at the time. Includes a section “Fancy Mice” with article “Domestic Mice and Rats” by Martin Hartman, New City, New York.

1939 All-Pets Magazine
May 1939, Vol. 10, Number 12, Lightner Publishing Co., Chicago, IL. Another American version of England’s Fur and Feather magazine at the time. Includes a section “Fancy Mice” with articles “Housing Mice” by Martin Hartman, New City, N. Y.; “Quality of Breeders; Avoid Nervous Mice”

1939 All-Pets Magazine
Dec. 1939, Vol. 11, Number 7, Lightner Publishing Co., Chicago, IL. Another American version of England’s Fur and Feather magazine at the time. Includes a section “Fancy Mice” with articles “Varieties and Standards” by Martin Hartman, New City, N.Y. (part 1); “Wants Activity; Mouse Musings.”

1940 All-Pets Magazine
March 1940, Vol. 11, Number 10, Lightner Publishing Co., Chicago, IL. Another American version of England’s Fur and Feather magazine at the time. Includes a section “Fancy Mice” with an article “Wild Mice and Rats” by Martin Hartman, New City, NY. (about exotic pet species), and a big ad from Dr. Salsbury’s Mousery in Charles City, Iowa, with Imported Prize-Winning English Strains.

1940 All-Pets Magazine
April 1940, Vol. 11, Number 11, Lightner Publishing Co., Chicago, IL. Another American version of England’s Fur and Feather magazine at the time. Includes a section “Fancy Mice” with articles “Shipping Mice - Rats” by M. Hartman, New City, N.Y. (part 1); “Red Mice” by R.W.F.

1940 All-Pets Magazine
June 1940, Vol. 12, Number 1, Lightner Publishing Co., Chicago, IL. Another American version of England’s Fur and Feather magazine at the time. Includes a section “Fancy Mice” with articles “Why Mice and Rats?” by Martin Hartman; “Use Shepherd’s Purse; Use of Foster Does.”

1940 All-Pets Magazine
July 1940, Vol. 12, Number 2, Lightner Publishing Co., Chicago, IL. Another American version of England’s Fur and Feather magazine at the time. Includes a section “Fancy Mice” with articles “House Mouse Plus White Mouse” by F.E.H., Kennebunk, Maine; “Aggressive Hamsters; Greenfoods for Mice.”

1940 All-Pets Magazine
Aug. 1940, Vol. 12, Number 3, Lightner Publishing Co., Chicago, IL. Another American version of England’s Fur and Feather magazine at the time. Includes a section “Fancy Mice” with articles “Color Crosses in Mice” by C. B. Collins; “Dutch Mouse Markings.”

1940 All-Pets Magazine
Sept. 1940, Vol. 12, Number 4, Lightner Publishing Co., Chicago, IL. Another American version of England’s Fur and Feather magazine at the time. The section Fancy Mice, has articles Starting Out In Fancy Mice; ‘Panda’ Colored Mice.

1940 All-Pets Magazine
Oct. 1940, Vol. 12, Number 5, Lightner Publishing Co., Chicago, IL. Another American version of England’s Fur and Feather magazine at the time. The section Fancy Mice, has articles “Fancy Mice Varieties; White Mice Breeding.”

1941 All-Pets Magazine
Feb. 1941, Vol. 12, Number 9, Lightner Publishing Co., Chicago, IL. Another American version of England’s Fur and Feather magazine at the time. The section Fancy Mice, has articles “Functions of a Mouse Club” by C. Frank Fayne, Shaker Heights, Ohio; “The American Mouse & Rat Fanciers’ Association, News–Notes,” and photo of a Black-eyed White Self Mouse.

1941 All-Pets Magazine
March 1941, Vol. 12, Number 10, Lightner Publishing Co., Chicago, IL. Another American version of England’s Fur and Feather magazine at the time. The section Fancy Mice, has article “Show Mouse Requisites” by C. Frank Fayne

1941 All-Pets Magazine
July 1941, Vol. 13, Number 2, Chicago, IL. Another American version of England’s Fur and Feather magazine at the time. The section Fancy Mice has article “Handling Mice” by C. Frank Fayne, Shaker Heights, Ohio.

1941 All-Pets Magazine
August 1941, Vol. 13, Number 3, The Lightner Publishing Co., Chicago, IL. Another American version of England’s Fur and Feather magazine at the time. The section Fancy Mice has an article “A Practical Rat Breeding Cage” by Samuel M. Poiley, Assistant Technologist.

1941 All-Pets Magazine
September 1941, Vol. 13, Number 4, The Lightner Publishing Co., Chicago, IL. Another American version of England’s Fur and Feather magazine at the time. The section Fancy Mice has articles “New York Mouse Fancier Finds His Mice Profitable” (which includes information on the new Syrian hamsters) and “Mouse Breeding Hints” (about marked mice and inbreeding).

1941 All-Pets Magazine
October 1941, Vol. 13, Number 5, Hobbies Inc., Chicago, IL. Another American version of England’s Fur and Feather magazine at the time. The section Fancy Mice has articles “Breed Fancy Mice With Care; Pet Mice Are Varied; Cages For Mice.”

1941 All-Pets Magazine
November 1941, Vol. 13, Number 6, Hobbies Inc., Chicago, IL. Another American version of England’s Fur and Feather magazine at the time. The section Fancy Mice has articles “Shipping Hints; Fancy Mouse Origin; Hooded Rats; Agouti Mice; Color Breeding.”

1941 All-Pets Magazine
December 1941, Vol. 13, Number 7, Lightner Publishing Co., Chicago, IL. Another American version of England’s Fur and Feather magazine at the time. The section Fancy Mice has article “Selecting Fancy Mice (part 1).”

1942 All-Pets Magazine
January 1942, Vol. 13, Number 8, Lightner Publishing Co., Chicago, IL. Another American version of England’s Fur and Feather magazine at the time. The section Fancy Mice has article “Selection of Mice (concluded from December ALL-PETS).”

1942 All-Pets Magazine
April 1942, Vol. 13, Number 11, Lightner Publishing Co., Chicago, IL. Another American version of England’s Fur and Feather magazine at the time. The section Fancy Mice has article “Mark Your Mice”

1942 All-Pets Magazine
All-Pets May 1942 May 1942, Vol. 13, Number 12, Lightner Publishing Co., Chicago, IL. Another American version of England’s Fur and Feather magazine at the time. Has ads only.

1942 All-Pets Magazine
June 1942, Vol. 14, Number 1, Lightner Publishing Co., Chicago, IL. Another American version of England’s Fur and Feather magazine at the time. Has article on breeding does.

1942 All-Pets Magazine
All-Pets Sept. 1942 Sept. 1942, Vol. 14, Number 4, Lightner Publishing Co., Chicago, IL. Another American version of England’s Fur and Feather magazine at the time. Has ads only.

1942 All-Pets Magazine
All-Pets October 1942 Oct. 1942, Vol. 14, Number 5, Lightner Publishing Co., Chicago, IL. Another American version of England’s Fur and Feather magazine at the time. Has ads only.

1943 All-Pets Magazine
April 1943, Vol. 14, Number 11, Lightner Publishing Co., Chicago, IL. Another American version of England’s Fur and Feather magazine at the time. The section Mice has article “Mice-Capades” by P. Denuine.

1943 All-Pets Magazine
August 1943, Vol. 15, Number 3, Lightner Publishing Co., Chicago, IL. Another American version of England’s Fur and Feather magazine at the time. With articles Raising Fancy Mice: An Inexpensive Hobby by W. L. Cotta; The Fascination of the Golden and Cinnamon Agoutis by A. C. Jude, Fur and Feather; Shavings, Hulls or Grasses Good Litters For Mice.

1944 All-Pets Magazine
May 1944, Vol. 15, No. 12, Lightner Publishing Co., Chicago, IL. Another American version of England’s Fur and Feather magazine at the time. The section Odd Pets has an article “Mice Need Dryness, Warmth.” by Frederick Jones, Jr.

1944 All-Pets Magazine
July 1944, Vol. 16, No. 2, Lightner Publishing Co., Chicago, IL. Another American version of England’s Fur and Feather magazine at the time. The section Odd Pets has an article “Fancy Show Cage for Mice Easily Built.”

1944 All-Pets Magazine
Nov. 1944, Vol. 16, No. 6, Lightner Publishing Co., Chicago, IL. Another American version of England’s Fur and Feather magazine at the time. The section Odd Pets has a small article “Rodentia Group.”

1944 All-Pets Magazine
Dec. 1944, Vol. 16, No. 7, Lightner Publishing Co., Chicago, IL. Another American version of England’s Fur and Feather magazine at the time. The section Odd Pets has an article “Number in Litter Not Determinant of Size.”

1945 All-Pets Magazine - No Clubs during this time, 1945
Feb. 1945, Vol. 16, No. 9, Lightner Publishing Co., Chicago, IL. Another American version of England’s Fur and Feather magazine at the time. The section Rabbits, Cavies, Hamsters has an article “Demand For Mice In 1945” by Frederick Jones, Jr., and the section Odd Pets has an article “Rat Redeems Herself with Heroic Action” by R. E. (Pete) Gettys.

1945 All-Pets Magazine
March 1945, Vol. 16, No. 10, Lightner Publishing Co., Chicago, IL. Another American version of England’s Fur and Feather magazine at the time. The section Rabbits, Cavies, Hamsters has articles “The Golden Hamster by Donald H. DeMeules; Successful Hamster Raising by Al Hayner”; plus ads for mice and rats.

1945 All-Pets Magazine
May 1945, Vol. 16, No. 12, Lightner Publishing Co., Chicago, IL. Another American version of England’s Fur and Feather magazine at the time. The section Odd Pets has an article “Mouse Cleans its Fur By Chewing Tobacco.”

1945 All-Pets Magazine
June 1945, Vol. 16, No. 13, Lightner Publishing Co., Chicago, IL. Another American version of England’s Fur and Feather magazine at the time. The section Odd Pets has an article “A Mouse Club Is Needed” by Floyd M. Shuck.

1945 All-Pets Magazine
Sept. 1945, Vol. 16, No. 16, Lightner Publishing Co., Chicago, IL. Another American version of England’s Fur and Feather magazine at the time. The section Odd Pets has an article “Outcrossing Mice.”

1945 All-Pets Magazine
Nov. 1945, Vol. 16, No. 18, Lightner Publishing Co., Chicago, IL. Another American version of England’s Fur and Feather magazine at the time. The section Odd Pets has an article “The Life Story of a Black and White Rat” by Frederick Farrell.

1946 All-Pets Magazine
Jan. 1946 (the cover says Jan. 1945 but is the Jan. 1946 issue), Vol. 17, No. 1, Lightner Publishing Co., Chicago, IL. Another American version of England’s Fur and Feather magazine at the time. The section Odd Pets has an article “Breeding For New Colors In Dutch Mice.”

1946 All-Pets Magazine
February 1946, Vol. 17, No. 2, Lightner Publishing Co., Chicago, IL. Another American version of England’s Fur and Feather magazine at the time. The section Odd Pets has an article “Breeding Mice Outdoors” by H. Dempsey.

1946 All-Pets Magazine
March 1946, Vol. 17, No. 3, Lightner Publishing Co., Chicago, IL. Another American version of England’s Fur and Feather magazine at the time. The section Odd Pets has an article “Care and Housing of Mice Mice” by V. M. Couch.

1946 All-Pets Magazine
May 1946, Vol. 17, No. 5, Lightner Publishing Co., Chicago, IL. Another American version of England’s Fur and Feather magazine at the time. The section Odd Pets has an article “Raising Rats and Mice” by Jack Morrison.

1946 All-Pets Magazine
June 1946, Vol. 17, No. 6, Lightner Publishing Co., Chicago, IL. Another American version of England’s Fur and Feather magazine at the time. The section Odd Pets has an article “Mouse Pedigree System.”

1946 All-Pets Magazine
Sept. 1946. Another American version of England’s Fur and Feather magazine at the time. The section Odd Pets has an article “Breeding Mice the Westminster Way” by D. E. Nelson.

1947 More Mousey Matters: A Manual of Mousekeeping
First Edition, by R. Pitt Francis. W.T. Maddock & Co., Printers, Ferndale. Includes a chapter on rats, directions on making two kinds of mouse wheels, tells of 7 shades of brown mice, and a mouse show is one of the delights of a lifetime.

1947 All-Pets Magazine
January 1947, Vol. 18, No. 1, Kalamazoo, MI. Another American version of England’s Fur and Feather magazine at the time. The section All-Pets Department has an article “Fostering Mice.”

1947 All-Pets Magazine
May 1947, Vol. 18, No. 5, Kalamazoo, MI. Another American version of England’s Fur and Feather magazine at the time. The section All-Pets Department has an article “Color Breeding.”

1949 All-Pets Magazine
January 1949, Vol. 20, No. 1, All-Pets Magazine, Fond du Lac, WI. Another American version of England’s Fur and Feather magazine at the time. The section All-Pets Department has an article “Native Wild Mice” by John F. Breen.

1949 All-Pets Magazine
June 1949, Vol. 20, No. 6, Fond du Lac, WI. Another American version of England’s Fur and Feather magazine at the time. The section All-Pets Department has an article “The Fancy Mouse” by P. M. Soderberg.

1949 Raising Laboratory Mice and Rats
“Raising Laboratory Mice and Rats” Leaflet No. 253 by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

1951 All-Pets Magazine
May 1951, Vol. 22, No. 5, Fond du Lac, WI. Another American version of England’s Fur and Feather magazine at the time. The section All-Pets Department has an article “The Fancy Mouse, Sixth in a Series” by A. C. Jude [probably supposed to be Seventh of a Series]; also has article “African Rats” by Science Service.

1951 The Mouse Breeder’s Text Book: A Handbook For The Research Breeder With Notes For The Novice
By R. Pitt Francis. 1951. W.T. Maddock & Co., Printers, Ferndale. Companion to More Mousey Matters. Caters more to the business side of mouse keeping. Includes sections: Buying In Bulk, Running Repairs, First Aid, A Rat-Proof Shed, Accounts, The Business Side, Advertising, Serial Numbers (regarding orders), The Causes of Mother’s Eating Their Babies, Double Feeding, Making A Mouse Wheel, Imaginary Conversation (questions a beginner might ask), and Exhibiting. This book came with extra goodies.

1951 All-Pets Magazine
June 1951, Vol. 22, No. 6, Fond du Lac, WI. Another American version of England’s Fur and Feather magazine at the time. The section Pet Shop has an article “Pet Store Mice” by Irvin W. Dietrich.

1955 Country Life Magazine
January 13, 1955, Volume CXVII No 3026. Has an article “Angelica” by Baroness Elizabeth Beck.

1959 All-Pets Magazine
May 1959, Vol. 30, number 5, Fond du Lac, WI. Another American version of England’s Fur and Feather magazine at the time. Includes an article “Mice as Pets” by Malcolm Davis.

1959 Mice for the Hobbyist, Exhibitor & Scientist: A Practical Guide to their Breeding, General Management & Exhibiting.
Sixth Edition (revised) by J. Wood. Fur and Feather, Watmoughs Limited, Idle, Bradford. A really old fancier’s book. Has a chapter on rats.

1960 More Mousey Matters: A Manual of Mousekeeping
Second Edition, by R. Pitt Francis. W.T. Maddock & Co., Printers, Ferndale, Wales, U.K. Includes a chapter on rats, directions on making two kinds of mouse wheels, tells of 7 shades of brown mice, and a mouse show is one of the delights of a lifetime.

1961 Mice and Rats
Mice and Rats 1961 By Jean E. Cook. Iliffe Books, Ltd., London. A really old basic booklet.

1961 Raising Mice and Rats for Laboratory Use
“Raising Mice and Rats for Laboratory Use” Leaflet No. 483 by the United States Department of Agriculture.

1978 Fur & Feather
Fur & Feather June 1, 1978, Unstandardized Varieties by Ann Storey.

1980 Fur & Feather
Fur & Feather March 20, 1980, Fancy Rats As A Hobby by Helen Dagg.

1987 Unknown publication
They May Not Be Forever, But Rats are a Girl’s Best Friend by Jacquie Phelan.

2011 Article Yoso-tama-no-kakehashi; the first Japanese guidebook on raising rats
Eighteenth Century Japanese Guide-book Rat 2011 Yoso-tama-no-kakehashi; the first Japanese guidebook on raising rats. article by Takashi Kuramoto, published in Experimental Animals, Vol. 60 (2011) No. 1 P 1–6. The book Yoso-tama-no-kakehashi was written in 1775 and was in 2 volumes (volume 1, volume 2, on the National Diet Library web site).

Web Sites

May 1, 1931 A Preliminary Note On The Occurrence of a Color Mutation In The House Mouse (Mus Musculus) Science, Vol. 73, No. 1896.
History of the Norway Rat (Rattus norvegicus) (on the Rat Behavior and Biology web site
How It Began by Clyde Keeler (in the book Origins of Inbred Mice that includes the history of rats and mice)
Making Mice by Karen Rader (history of mice)
Chapter 7: Fanciers, Geneticists, and Other Humans: Early Domestication of the Mouse by Karen Rader (history of mice) in the book Where the Wild Things Are Now: Domestication Reconsidered by Rebecca Cassidy, Molly Mullin, 2007

U.S.A. Newspaper Articles

1876–1877 Familiar Science and Fanciers Journal, Vol. 3, 1876; Vol. 4, 1877; White and Fancy Mice; White and Fancy Mice; Misc. ads/mention of white mice (PDF pages 23 (12 in book), Vol. 3 No. 1, Jan. 6, 1876; 79 (68), Vol. 3 No. 6, Feb. 10, 1876; 80 (69) Vol. 3 No. 7, Feb. 17, 1876; 91 (80) Vol. 3 No. 7, Feb. 17, 1876; 207 (196) Vol. 3 No. 16, May 1, 1876; 219 (208) Vol. 3 No. 17, May 8, 1876; 689 (98) Vol. 4 No. 5, May 15, 1877, won prizes)
January 16, 1898 Feathers and Fine Dogs (bottom 3rd column; show with prizes for rats and mice) The Sun, New York, New York
January 30, 1898 Feathered Champions To Show (bottom 2nd column; article about show at Madison Square Garden for 9th Annual exhibition of the New York Poultry and Pigeon Association with classes for white rats and mice) The Inter Ocean, Chicago, Illinois
February 2, 1898 Fine Birds The Stars (1st column; 9th Annual New York Poultry and Pigeon Show included pet mice and rats), The Sun, New York, New York
February 6, 1898 Blue Blooded Feather Stock (4th column; New York Poultry and Pigeon Association show with rats and mice), The Times, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
1898–1899 The Only White ‘Zoo’ In Existence (included white rats and mice), The Harmsworth Monthly Pictorial Magazine, Volume I, 1898-9.
February 24, 1901 Mice Are Quick To Learn (2nd column), The Inter Ocean, Chicago, Illinois (also in The Times, Philadelphia, PA, May 8, 1901)
January 3, 1903 Chicago Show (ad/article with drawing) Chicago Daily Tribune, Chicago, Illinois
December 2, 1904 Rats and Mice Pets At The Poultry Show (fancy mice and rats at Association of Poultry and Pet Stock Breeders show in New York December 1, 1904) The New York Times, New York, New York
December 22, 1906 Poultry Premiums (5th column; 18th Annual exhibition of the Northern Illinois Poultry Association exhibition including white rats and mice to take place Jan. 14–19, 1907), Belvidere Daily Republican, Belvidere, Illinois
- December 25, 1906 Poultry Premiums Republican-Northwestern, Belvidere, Illinois (same article as The Daily Republican, December 22, 1906)
December 18, 1907 Blue Ribbon Hens In Garden Show (5th column; New York Poultry, Pigeon, and Pet Stock Association with display of pet mice), The New York Times, New York, New York, rest of story, top left hand corner
December 16, 1917 Specialists in High Class Stock (1st column; ad selling white rats and mice) The San Bernardino County Sun, San Bernardino, California
August 18, 1918 The Fanciers’ Department (ad looking to buy white mice and rats) The Atlanta Constitution, Atlanta, Georgia
April 13, 1919 Pet Stock Show (bottom left hand corner; ad for Topeka Breeders and Fanciers’ Association show with white mice) The Topeka Daily Capital, Topeka, Kansas
April 28, 1919 No Female Burglars Will Ever Pry About This Home (article about Texas breeder with colored mice) San Antonio Evening News, San Antonio, Texas
April 29, 1919 Raise Pets For Profit (3rd column; breeder has white, black, and black and white rats, several species of mice) The Ottawa Herald, Ottawa, Kansas
May 20, 1919 The Rabbit Show Attracts Visitors (5th column; First Annual Exhibition of Central Texas Breeders and Fanciers, mice in show), The Taylor Daily Press, Taylor, Texas
September 26, 1919 Good Pet Stock Exhibits (4th column, mice exhibited in fair), The Ottawa Herald, Ottawa, Kansas
November 14, 1919 Fourteen Cups For First Rabbit Show (1st column; prizes for white mice pen) Decatur Review, Decatur, Illinois
January 3, 1920 Down State Poultry Show Here This Month (3rd column; Sixth Annual show of Down State Poultry Association, prior show had white mice), The Daily Free Press, Carbondale, Illinois
October 2, 1928 Veritable Noah’ Ark of Animals (3rd column; Chicago show under auspices of recently organized National Pet Owner’s Association, exhibitors to enter white mice, white rats), The Indiana Gazette, Indiana, Pennsylvania
- October 17, 1928 Veritable Noah’ Ark of Home Pets To Try for Prizes in Chicago Show The Amarillo Globe-Times, Amarillo, Texas (same article as The Indiana Gazette, October 2, 1928)
November 19, 1931 MICE AT PET SHOW UPSET CAT MORALE; All Blue Ribbon Decorum Cast Aside When Manx Gets a View of Rodent Exhibit. ADVANCE ON A WIDE FRONT Skirmish Subsides in Time for Annual Prize Awards to Aristocratic Felines. Manx Runs Wild. Prize-Winning Cats. (cat show at the Garden, house trained mice), The New York Times, New York, New York
June 26, 1932 Rodents That Make Attractive pets (with photo of mouse) and article Strange as It Seems, Ladies Go in for Mice As Pets in a Big Way (rare specimens go for $10, $20, describes mice using wording from the standards), The Brooklyn Daily Eagle, Brooklyn, New York
July 10, 1932 Mice (about grasshopper mice) and Pet Problems (question about raising mice for profit), The Brooklyn Daily Eagle, Brooklyn, New York
August 18, 1932 Rabbit Growing Industry to Have Exhibits at Fair; Big Poultry Show Also Promised (4th column; mention of rats and mice being given space for exhibit) The Erie County Independent, Hamburg, New York
- August 25, 1932 Rabbits, Poultry Exhibits Offered Erie County Independent, Hamburg, New York (4th column; same article as The Erie County Independent, August 18, 1932), rest of story
November 5, 1933 Pet Problems: Colored Mice (question on red, blue, green mice), The Brooklyn Daily Eagle, Brooklyn, New York
July 20, 1938 blurb on mouse colors (last column, top, underneath date), Manitowoc Herald-Times, Manitowoc, Wisconsin
- July 25, 1938 blurb on mouse colors (first column, bottom), Reading Times, Reading, Pennsylvania (same article as Manitowoc Herald-Times, July 20, 1938)
July 30, 1959 Steele Says Get a Hobby (far right column; mentions mouse fanciers, clubs, and shows) The Bridgeport Post, Bridgeport, Connecticut
November 2, 1959 Rat Steals Show At Windy City Cat Club (pet rat travels with cat friend to cat shows), The Herald-Press, Saint Joseph, Michigan
September 26, 1964 Red, White and Blue Mice (bottom 4th column; about mice in England), Redlands Daily Facts, Redlands, California (also in Oshkosh Daily Northwestern, Oshkosh, WI, September 26, 1964; The Brownsville Herald, Brownsville, TX, September 27, 1964)
October 7, 1968 Meet A Member Of The Mouse Fancy (about the book The Fancy Mouse and Walter Maxey, Toledo Blade, Toledo, Ohio

Some Other Clubs That Have Come and Gone in the U.S.A.

1990–2001?	American Rat, Mouse, Hamster Society of San Diego (ARMHS), California. This group had several shows at the Del Mar Fair. Published Rodent Tales.
1998–2004?	Rat Association of Texas (RAT) - held shows in the Dallas/Fort Worth area
1999–2005	Rat Association of Southwest Missouri (RASM) - not a membership club, promoted rats
2000	AFRMA of South Texas, Corpus Christi; was a chapter of AFRMA, had one show March 25, 2000
2000–2004	Rat & Mouse Fanciers for Excellence (RMFE), Midwest (IL); held shows in the Midwest, published Rat and Mouse Fancy Report newsletter
2000–2004?	Rat Lover’s Association of Southern California (RLA) - did educational displays
2001–2002	Pioneer Rat & Hamster Society (PRHS), Kansas; was a chapter of AFRMA
2002–2007	Midwest Rat Enthusiasts (MRE) - originally own club but in 2003 affiliated with Rat Society of America (RSA)
2003–2007	Rat Society of America (RSA) - was to a be parent organization for rat clubs in North America, not a membership club but provided standards, requirements related to classes (for titles) and quarantine practices, as well as RSA-approved/trained judges for affiliated clubs
2003–2008	Northern Illinois Rat Organization (NIRO), Chicago, Illinois, affiliated with Rat Society of America (RSA) May 5, 2005 Lovable little varmints: Fancy Rat Show planned to diminish dirty myths (Debbie Fratini and NIRO first show May 7, 2005) The Daily Herald, Naperville, Illinois May 7, 2005 Lovable little varmints: Fancy Rat Show planned to diminish dirty rat myths (Debbie Fratini and NIRO first show May 7, 2005) The Daily Herald, Naperville, Illinois May 8, 2005 Rats can be cute, too: Organization puts on show to prove rodents could be loving pets (NIRO first show held May 7, 2005, at the DuPage County Fairgrounds in Wheaton, IL) The Daily Herald, Naperville, Illinois May 16, 2005 A true rat pack (several photos of NIRO first show held May 7, 2005, at the DuPage County Fairgrounds in Wheaton, IL) The Daily Herald, Naperville, Illinois
2004–2009?	Society of Michigan Rat Fanciers (SMRF) - affiliated with Rat Society of America (RSA)
2004–2009	Michigan Fancy Rat Association (MFRA) - was an online resource page that educated the public on rats as pets
2004?–2015	Great Lakes Fancy Rat Association (GLFRA), Michigan-based social club, put on displays at local pet expos; club dissolved with death of Robin MacDonald See the YouTube video of the West Michigan Pet Expo in 2011 featuring Robin MacDonald, President of the GLFRA.
2005–2015	Rat Fanciers of the Lakes (RFL), Michigan; club dissolved in 2015 with death of Robin MacDonald; was affiliated with RSA, NIRO, then American Rat Club (ARC) in Chicago, Illinois
2006?	Rodent Fanciers of America, changed to Rodent League of America (RLOA), San Diego, CA, founded by Cindy Maresic of Fuzzy Misfits Rattery; never got started from what I could tell
2006–2008?	California Association of Rat Enthusiasts (CARE) - held a couple shows in Pasadena, California
2006–2008	Midwest Mouse Club (MMC) - had four shows in Illinois and Indiana
2007?	Eastern Rat Association (ERA) - couldn’t find any info other than a comment on a forum
2007–2008	Rocky Mountain Fancy Rat Association (RMFRA), promoting rats as pets in Colorado, Texas, New Mexico, Wyoming, Idaho, Arizona, Montana, Utah, and Nevada; was an affiliate of RSA
2007–2010?	East Coast Mouse Association (ECMA), Tennessee and Kentucky; had several shows on the East Coast
2007–2010	Southeast Fancy Mouse Association (SEFMA) - became chapter of Fancy Mouse Association
2008	Colorado Rat Breeders Organization (CRBO) - group promoting ethical breeders in Colorado, also to help people looking for rats
2008–2013	The Rodent Club, an East Coast informal group in Cecil County, MD, of small pet enthusiasts. Hosted RodentFests with shows 1–2 times a year in Leesport, PA.
2009–2011?	Fancy Mouse Association (FMA) - became parent club for Southeast Fancy Mouse Association (SEFMA) and Mid-Atlantic Mouse Association (MAMA)
2009	Mid-Atlantic Mouse Association (MAMA) - was a chapter of the Fancy Mouse Association; resurrected as own group in 2015
2012	Western Illinois Rat & Mouse Club (WIRMC) - was to be a fancy club, never got off the ground
2012–October 8, 2016	American Rat club (ARC), an Illinois rat club with shows in Michigan at RFL show location, one in Indiana; was affiliated with RFL until that club was dissolved in 2015
2014–2015	North West Mouse Club (NWMC), a fancy mouse club for Pacific Northwest mouse fanciers (Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and lower British Columbia); never had a show
2015–2016	AFRMA South Central, an affiliate of AFRMA in the South Central U.S. (Texas, Oklahoma, and other South Central states); had one show in Texas May 16, 2015, and one show in Oklahoma Sept. 26, 2015
July 12, 2019–2023	Northwest Fancy Mouse Association (NWFMA), an affiliate of AFRMA in the Pacific Northwest for mouse fanciers; hosted an AFRMA show June 25, 2022
March 13, 2022–2023	Fancy Mouse and Rat Breeders of NWGA, an affiliate of AFRMA on the East Coast

See also the article on Helen Perley (had the White Animal Farm in Maine–established in 1934, died in 1994 at age 90).

Submissions of articles, info, books, magazines, defunct clubs name/date, etc., pertaining to the history of the rat/mouse fancy always welcome. Send to editor@afrma.org.

Updated September 28, 2024