[SarahC]

The pink mouse is a picture for you Daisy,my beautiful clanger.

 

[ian]

I've just picked up my first hairless mouse from Daisy today. They are so weirdly beautiful.

 

[dangermouse]

aww love her .....................

 

[Cait]

Still like the hairless rats Sarah, though Dave would never let me have any again :lol:

 

[SarahC]

ah but you do of course have the very lovely harvest mice.

 

[ian]

Why are hairless mice not standardised-they are in america?

I think I've spoken to Cait about this before actually. How would you go about getting a variety recognised by the NMC?

 

[Cait]

You have to show it consistently in unstandardised classes for a couple of years and gain fancier support for the variety, then move to a provisional standard. I used to show hairless in unstandardised and got laughed at (not that I care) - unfortunately you are never going to win over a lot of the current membership to hairless, though I have no problem with them myself.

 

[ian]

Well theres you (a NMC Judge no less), I'm sure SarahC (a recent BIS winner) of course would support the hairless, and me and Daisy (not that we are important!).

I have looked at the entry form for the Bristol show and there doesnt seem to be an unstandardised catergory, is it AOV?

 

[Cait]

No, it's a special unstandardised class, there are very few of them. If you were to start with a 'new' variety you would have to ask show secretaries to put a class on for you so you could show off your new project

 

[ian]

Cool, I'll speak to the secretary tomorrow and see if he is an open minded kind of guy. I think we might have more chance at one of the bigger intergrated shows though as I can see the hairless being a point of interest which might bring nonmouse people over to the exhibition.

Thanks for the tips Cait, I'm sure nothing will come of it but it will keep me and Daisy occupied atleast.

 

[Cait]

You'd have to ask before the schedule for a show is published Beware that if you do go own this road you need to show the variety to their best or they will be instantly dismissed. The first thing people say with hairless is 'oh, they've got fluff/whiskers etc' :shock:

 

[ian]

OK, thats a shame, will have to wait a bit longer then, might hava a look at what shows are coming up in the next few months.

So the hairless need to be at their peak and set to impress

 

[SarahC]

I dont want to dampen your spirits but hairless cavies have recently been banned from exhibition and the general feeling towards the mice is the same.I have already piped up with the fact that hairless cats and dogs can be exhibited but the bottom line is you are unlikely to do your self any favours at the moment pushing the mice,sorry for that as you know I like them very much.

 

[daisy]

Sarah - thats FANTASTIC! those ears! and it looks huge?!

as always - love the ratties, they look just like ours, who are about to explode with babies!!

what could be better than a pot of baldy mice and rats all together (maybe some frenchie pups thrown into the mix...)

 

[Peteyandthegang]

Theyre so sweet, I love them :love1

 

[ian]

Is there any logical reason that the hairless mice aren't accepted? or is it simply down to taste.

Longhair and Astrex and both standardised by the NMC and hairless is standardised in America. I understand that the NMC holds a lot of tradition and I respect that but at the same time I think expanding and developing the fancy should be one of the organisations main aims. I have only really had a proper look at Daisy's hairless mice but some of them are incredible and certainly fit the American standards which already exist. I think there is potential, its just about convincing the members, the best way might be to bring hairless along to the shows (obviously not showing as not allowed) and get people familiar with the variety?

 

[SarahC]

some of the anti feelings are based on the fact that these varieties attract pet keepers rather than fanciers.I have quite a lot of sympathy for this train of thought.Some fancies have been ruined by this fluffy element.There is room for both but the pet keeper/mouse cuddler always needs to remember that its a club for exhibition mice with all the harsh realities that go with it.The thing to do is open up a debate in the nmc news which I for one would participate in or ask for it to be bought up at a committee meeting and then attend.People will be more willing to listen if you are a supportive /active club member,there are after all lots of fly by nights,here today gone tomorrow .

 

[SarahC]

just want to add for fear I might have offended anyone that we are a good friendly mix of exhibitors and pet keepers on here and it's great.Just pointing out that the mouse club isn't the same equal mix because it is interested in the mouse solely as an exhibition animal and that is also as it should be.

 

[ian]

I'm sure you haven't caused offence, pet breeding and exhibit breeding are completely different things and often people with some conflicting ideas and practices. I think its down to the open mindedness (?) of all the members of this forum that as a mixed group we can take ideas from different types of breeders.

I think that now I am going to be showing fairly regularly, thanks to the fact I now have selfs opposed to just the rumpwhites which are still a bit hit and miss, people will start to know me and I'll become more familiar. I'm happy to write something and send it to the NMC News, I might even take it to a committee meeting (but would be terrified as not too great with public speaking and that sort of thing).

I am quite surprised that hairless are considered a pet variety as I cant see them having massive commercial appeal :lol: I suppose we need to be able to prove they aren't just a ghoulish interest point and have the potential to be a strong variety in its own right.

I only got my first one yesterday! Its because I'm weirdly competative/deluded and as soon as I get a mouse I want to start kicking arse at the shows.

I'll see you at Bristol anyway Sarah and maybe we (and Daisy) can talk about it then, I imagine there wont be much else to do I think its going to be a small show.

 

[SarahC]

me thinks you are right about not much to do,look forward to seeing you.