Now I know Michelle, and I know that she knows a good rat when she sees one, but a fantastic hooded? I have to admit (sorry Michelle) that my first thought was, “Yeah, right.” However, since I didn’t feel like cleaning cages like I was supposed to, I figured it wouldn’t hurt to go have a look.

My jaw dropped! In the cage were the usual collection of pet shop rats. A couple Beige ones, some Agoutis, a scrungy looking Cinnamon, and a Lilac Hooded. Wow, what a Hooded!

OK, so he wasn’t perfect. One side of his hood was a little jagged. His spine stripe had a small irregularity on one side. He rolled over on his back and I discovered his chest marking had a little “dink” in it, and he had two groin spots. Over all though I can honestly say that I had never even seen a picture of a Hooded that good.

Naturally, I asked to have him taken out. The very first thing I noticed was how light he felt. Not nearly heavy enough for his size. I also noticed him breathing heavily, and when I held him up to my ear there was no question. Rattle, rattle, rattle he went.

Long ago I vowed never to bring home a sick rat, particularly from a pet shop. This is a classic way to bring a huge number of horrible diseases (SDA, etc.) into my rattery. My critters mean a lot to me, and the thought of losing many of them to a terrible epidemic ranks among my worst nightmares. I had a very hard decision to make. Naturally, I couldn’t resist. With much trepidation, and many misgivings, I dug out the change in the bottom of my purse and paid out a whole whopping 99 cents for the little guy.

Much to my mother’s displeasure, the little rat took up residence in the office. I honestly did not think he was going to make it. By the time I got him home he looked pathetic, so I set him up in the lab cage, with a water bottle full of a heavy dose of Tylan (one-quarter tsp. Tylan in 4 oz of water—this is not recommended!) and lots of Tang. Then I headed for a very hot shower with disinfectant soap, and a change of clothes.

For the next two weeks, much to my surprise, the little guy held his own. Except for changing the water/Tylan/Tang solution every day, and cleaning the cage when needed, I left him totally alone. I was scared to death that I would spread whatever he had to my other rats, so though I felt bad, I developed a hands off approach.

After about two weeks, I noticed a difference. The little rat perked up and started to take an interest in his surroundings. On the rare occasions I handled him, I noticed a marked decrease in the rattling. Fortunately, the rattling was never in his chest, just his head (sinuses). After four weeks on the Tylan, the rattling had completely disappeared, so I kept him on it for another two weeks, then crossed my fingers and took it away. The rattling did not come back.

I couldn’t believe it. The chances of getting a fantastic hooded are one in a thousand. The chances of getting a rat this sick well again must be one in ten thousand. After 6 weeks of no handling, this little rat also had a friendly, calm, gentle, curious temperament. All put together, he’s one in a million, so that’s his name (Max to his friends).

They are one of the oldest of the “fancy” varieties, certainly predating the earliest rat enthusiasts. In the period between 1840 and 1860, both Jimmy Shaw and Jack Black are reported to have had pied/colored and white rats. These most likely were early Hoodeds. In the very first show ever held for rats (Aylesbury Town Show, October 24, 1901) best in show was a “black and white even marked” (certainly the beginning of our hooded variety) owned by Mary Douglas.

Through the years the hooded has had many names. In the beginning it was known as “Even Marked.” In 1915 this was changed to “Japanese,” and in 1957 to “Japanese Hooded,” a name which still crops up from time to time today. The N.F.R.S. Standards called them “English Hooded” in 1976, and by 1977 they were simply refereed to as “Hooded.” AFRMA has always recognized this variety as “Hooded.”

Let me explain. The distinctive Hooded pattern is caused by the distribution of pigment cells in the rat embryo being impeded. The nerve cell tissue along the spinal column is the origin of these cells, thus when the color is restricted, the head, shoulders and spine are the areas left pigmented.

The AFRMA standard is very specific as to what Hooded rats should look like. It says that “Hooded rats may be shown in any recognized color. The sides, legs and feet should be a pure, clean white, free from spots or brindling. The hood should cover the head, neck and shoulders without a break, showing no white on the throat or chin, and should run in an even line around the body. The spine marking should extend in an unbroken line from the hood to the tail, be of moderate width, and be free of ragged edges or brindling. The tail should be colored at the base, then white to the end. Faults - White on the throat or chin, ragged edges to the hood or spine markings, spine marking too wide or too narrow, break in the spine marking; any color spots in white area; spotted tail.” Needless to say, this description leaves very little room for interpretation, and is in fact one of the most explicit standards we have. On top of the description being very precise, the rat also has to be a good example of a recognized color, and has to have good type. This combination can be almost an impossibility.

AFRMA
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