 Rat fancy as a formal , organized hobby began when a woman named Mary Douglas asked for permission to bring her pet rats to an exhibition of the National Mouse Club at the Aylesbury Town Show in England on October 24 , 1901 . Her black @-@ and @-@ white hooded rat won " Best in Show " and ignited interest in the area . After Douglas ' death in 1921 , rat fancy soon began to fall back out of fashion . The original hobby formally lasted from 1912 to 1929 or 1931 , as part of the National Mouse and Rat Club , at which point Rat was dropped from the name , returning it to the original National Mouse Club . The hobby was revived in 1976 with the formation of the English National Fancy Rat Society ( NFRS ) . Pet rats are now commonly available in stores and from breeders , and there exist several rat fancier groups worldwide . 
