{Published in the May/June 2000 Rat&Mouse Gazette!!!}
Everyone wants the perfect rat, imagins the perfect rat, dreams of the perfect rat. But the fact is there is no perfect rat. Seeing photo's of prize winning rats at shows always makes a person say:"Oh I wish Squeak or Whiskers looked like that. Just because Squeak or Whiskers aren't beautiful blazed berkshires dosen't mean they aren't beautiful and loveing in their own way. In my opinion fancy rats are highly over-rated. Not that they aren't wonderful rats too, all rats are wonderful, many people just breed for color or fancy markings, not for the love of the animal.We hear about culling, disposing of the rats that don't have that beautiful marking.Some people will do anything to get rid of a rat they consider "non-perfect." Leaving them on people's doorsteps, dumping them by the side of the road, letting them go to defend for themselfs. It's pretty wild. If rat fanciers have enough to worry about trying to educate the public that rats are not gross and dirty. So next time you think about taking a walk to the pond think about the rat named Scruffy and how much you loved him and how someone could love the rats in the bag just the same. I still belive in the old saying:"Treat other people {and ratties} how you would like to be treated." 
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