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Originally, the term "fancy mouse" meant an animal from the mouse fancy, i.e. a mouse that is bred toward standard and meant to be shown. This is what the term "fancy" means, or at least meant. It's the same as with the cat fancy, where cats are bred to standard and shown. Alley cats, mongrels, and mix-breeds are not "fancy cats." Yet if they were mice you'd find them in a tank at Petco for $2 labeled "fancy."
Nowadays, though, with mice, I see people and pet stores using the term "fancy mouse" on mice which could never been shown, when what they should be using is "hobby mice," i.e. mice bred as a hobby only, not towards any particular standard, and not toward the goal of showing their mice.
I often see any mouse which is not a PEW called "fancy" and the PEWs called "feeders." This is inaccurate, as those mice have certainly never set foot onto a judge's table.
Those of us who do keep mice for show seem to be migrating toward the words "show mice" or "exhibition mice," since "fancy" is losing its original meaning.
Based on the international forums I belong to and the mouse friends I have in the US, Canada, Australia and Europe, I think this usage is common across borders.
Has anybody else noticed this?
Nowadays, though, with mice, I see people and pet stores using the term "fancy mouse" on mice which could never been shown, when what they should be using is "hobby mice," i.e. mice bred as a hobby only, not towards any particular standard, and not toward the goal of showing their mice.
I often see any mouse which is not a PEW called "fancy" and the PEWs called "feeders." This is inaccurate, as those mice have certainly never set foot onto a judge's table.
Those of us who do keep mice for show seem to be migrating toward the words "show mice" or "exhibition mice," since "fancy" is losing its original meaning.
Based on the international forums I belong to and the mouse friends I have in the US, Canada, Australia and Europe, I think this usage is common across borders.
Has anybody else noticed this?