Entering a Show
What do I enter my rat/mouse in?
At each show you have a choice of entering your animals into either pet or varieties classes.
Pet classes are not judged on looks, but rather on health, temperament & condition. Pet rats and mice are categories are broken into age and sex groups which are listed here.
Entering into Varieties can be a little more difficult as each rat and mouse has a special variety with it's own name. If you bought your rat and mouse from a reputable breeder, they should be able to tell you which one your rodent is. If you aren't familiar with rodent varieties please send us an email with a picture of your rat or mouse at info@qrf.org.au.
Rodents entered into both Pet and Varieties accumulate Championship Points by winning Best Pet in Show & Reserve Pet in Show among many other awards. You can find out more information on Champion Points here.
For more details on the Pet Standards please click here.
You can find more information on our Rat Variety Standards ​here.
You can find more information on our Mouse Variety Standards here.
​These websites may also serve as a helpful guide:
Rats: The Dapper Rat "What Rat is That?"
Mice: Finn Mouse's "The Mouse Varieties" and American Fancy Rat and Mouse Association.
To enter your rat or mouse in the next Queensland Rodents Fanciers (QRF) show, read the following information and enter your animal's information into the appropriate form, linked on this page.
Is my rat or mouse eligible to enter?
As long as each of the following requirements are met you can enter your pet.
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Your pet can't be pregnant or nursing.
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He/she must be in good health & not showing any symptoms of sickness.
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He/she must be at least 8 weeks old to enter a Pet class, and at least 12 weeks old to enter a Varieties or Conformation class.
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You need to mite/lice treat them as a preventative measure at least 1 week before the show day. You can buy "Ivomec" or "Revolution" from your pet shop or vet to treat your rats & mice. Simply dab a small drop behind each ear and your rats & mice are covered.
Each rat/mouse can only be entered in one class for the day.
Each entry costs $3 (members) or $6 (guests).
Pet Classes
Click here for the list of Pet Classes
"Pet" classes are judged only on how friendly & healthy the rodent is whilst the "looks" of the rodent are not at all judged. We recommend Pet classes for people who are new to showing, for rodents who are exceptionally friendly, or for rodents who are not suitable for varieties classes (physical deformity or not a standardised variety).
Pet classes are divided by animal age and sex to ensure comparison of like to like.
Varieties Classes
Click here for the list of rat variety classes and here for a list of mouse variety classes.
"Varieties" classes are also judged on how friendly and healthy the rodent is, along with their conformation, colour, marking and coat. To enter a "Varieties" class you need to know what colour, marking and coat type your rodent is.
Additionally, your rodent needs to be a variety recognised by our club, you can check the rat standards and mouse standards to see if your rodent's variety is on there. Each variety also has disqualifications listed, so make sure your rodent doesn't have any of the disqualifying traits. There is a limit of four animals entered into each category per person for both rat and mouse varieties. For example a person can only enter 4 rats into standard marked non ticked rat, 4 standard self non ticked and so on. This limit is lifted to 6 rodents per duo/group membershp.
Non-Standard Class
The non-standard section is judged exactly the same as the varieties classes, however, "Colour/Marking" and "Coat" is not included in the scoring. This class is for rodents who would get disqualified in the varieties classes for not fitting a standard, but who are excellent in other areas. Non-standard compete for their own champion and reserve in show, and accumulate championship points.
Junior Owned Pet Class
This class is judged the same as our other Pet classes, however, it is for owners younger than 18 years only. Under 18s are welcome to enter any of our classes and this is simply an added option. Rodents entered in this class, however, cannot be entered in another class (one class per rat). This class is not included to go in the running for the final "Best Pet in Show" award and prizes, however, a "Best Junior Owned Pet" ribbon is given to the winner.
What is a "Breeder Prefix"?
If you purchased your rat/mouse from a breeder, that rodent should have an abbreviation in front of its name to represent where it came from. For example, "Pixie Paws Rodentry" has a prefix of "PPR". If "Fluffy" was bred by them, her official name would be "PPR Fluffy". It is polite to include a breeders prefix on your entries - if your rodent wins an award that breeder can be recognized. You can ask your breeder what their prefix is. If you're not sure you are welcome to leave that part of the form blank. The breeder does not need to be registered with QRF for their prefix to be included.
I sent the form, now what?
You can check that your entries have been lodged successfully by viewing the current show catalog here.
Oops! I made a mistake on my entry form after I already sent it! What do I do?
Not to worry. You need to send through a brand new entry form with any changes included on it before entries close. If entries have closed, however, your changes will not be accepted. So please double check & triple check when you send the form! Please note that you may see multiple records for your updated entries for a while after submitting them. Our show secretary will delete all but the newest entries when there are multiple, so make sure the final entry form you submit is the correct one!