23:44 - 05 November 2003

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The FULL Story...

‘RATS? THEY’RE JUST CUDDLY!’

Published in The News and Star on 04/11/2003

By Natalie Wilson

THE rat pack descended on Cumbria as dozens of rodent-lovers proudly showed off their pets at the first Cumbria Rat Show.

Rat fans hailed the event, at Harraby Community Centre in Carlisle on Saturday, a great success and they now hope the show will become a regular fixture.

Around 50 people brought more than 100 top-class rats to be judged on body shape, coat quality and eyes.

And for the ones which didn’t quite make the grade, there were pet classes, where the winners were chosen for their friendliness or “cuddle-ability”.

The rat fanatics were keen to dispel a few myths about rats being dirty, unwelcome vermin.

Tog Porter, who breeds rats from his home in Annan, said: “They’re friendly, cuddly animals. People have it in their heads that rats are vermin but they’re not – they’re wonderful creatures.

“A rat will sit on your shoulder and watch television with you. They are very sociable creatures.”

Karen Burgess, of Currock, in Carlisle, took her rat-mad family along to the show for a day out. They have 12 rats, including two rescued from a house in Carlisle, where 75 of the creatures were discovered earlier this year.

Her 15-year-old daughter, Frances Stuart-Thompson, took some convincing at first but is now as much of a rodent-lover as her mum.

“I had been wanting a pet for ages and mum just decided to get a couple of rats, so that’s how it started. At first I wasn’t too keen on holding them but I’m fine with them now,” she said, as one of the rats ran down the back of her sweater.

The event was organised jointly by the North of England Rat Society and the Scottish Rat Club and people from as far afield as Preston, Edinburgh, Newcastle, came to show their rats. For more information about future rat shows contact the North of England Rat Society (www.neratsociety.co.uk) or the Scottish Rat Club (www.scottishratclub.co.uk).

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Rat packers: Seven-year-old Thomas Bloomer, right with brother Sean, eight, from Currock, and their pet rat at the first Cumbria Rat Rat Show in Carlisle loftus brown