This article is from the WSSF 2004 AFRMA Rat & Mouse Tales news-magazine.

By Nancy Ferris

RN Simply Slick

I didn’t set out to breed Selfs—Hoodeds were my passion. In fact, my goal was to re-create Max, Nichole Royer’s 5 times Best In Show winning Lilac Hooded. I was doing pretty well, with each generation bringing me closer and closer to my goal. But sometimes a little event can send you running in a totally different direction. Such an event happened quite innocently at our November 1999 Board meeting.

Nichole had been very successful with her Siamese, and since there was a lot of interest with several new members, she brought her latest litter to the Board meeting to have a little mini “how to pick out your best Siamese baby” seminar. The litter was a little over 2 weeks old, eyes open, and starting to walk around. As Nichole went through the finer points of the babies, I took a casual look in the tank. My eyes were drawn to a Russian Blue Point female. She was beautiful, lots of substance, big ears, nice thick long tail. In other words, she had TYPE!! A few years earlier during one of my judge’s training sessions, Karen had brought out a female lightly marked Black Variegated to illustrate proper type. This rat was good size—lots of substance. She had an incredibly thick, round, long tail; something that was seriously lacking in rats, especially females. In fact, while going over her, I was surprised to find that she was a female. I’ve been carrying that mental image of that rat ever since, and there in Nichole’s tank was a baby version of it. I have no idea why I wanted her. I didn’t need to take on another project, and I certainly didn’t want to work with Siamese. A few weeks later at the AFRMA Christmas party, I brought her home. Named Tarot’s Runaround Sue for her ability to fly out of the cage as soon as the lid was opened, taking a tour of the cage tops, and returning to her cage in the blink of an eye.

During the following months I watched her grow up, but didn’t give a lot of thought to breeding her. Sue was entered in the pet class at the May show. Upon seeing her, both Nichole and Karen told me I really needed to breed her. Off to Nichole’s to pick out the proper mate. We discussed the possibilities—her father, her brother, and then I saw a Black Self Satin. The effect of Satin on Black was just dazzling. The coat just sparkled. If I “had” to do Self, that’s what I wanted. Nichole informed me that there was a 75% chance that Sue was carrying Satin. It was decided to breed her to her half brother, Tarot’s Totally Fire and Ice, a Blue Self, who was Best Self in Show and Best Pet at the January 2000 show—combining show quality plus great temperament. I waited for what I jokingly was calling my “boring litter.” One of the exciting things about breeding Hoodeds, was waiting and watching the pigment come in on babies. Over the first week I’d watch as that stripe showed up waiting and hoping for the perfect marking. After years of working with Hoodeds, the prospect of a Self/Siamese litter just seemed dull and boring, no watching for markings, just wondering what color I’d get.

On June 12, 2000, my boring litter arrived and by June 13, I knew there was something in there that was anything but boring. There was something different about him. He was bigger than his littermates, but not that much bigger. There was something else. Rather than looking embryonic with everything being a little out of proportion, this baby looked very symmetrical. What really got my attention was his tail. It was very long and thick. I just knew I had a Best in Show winner on my hands. I also thought I was nuts thinking that while looking at a baby that was less than 24 hours old. I was happy to see that his whiskers were crimped meaning he was a Satin, and even happier to see he was black. I hoped he would look as nice as the one that Nichole had. Over the next weeks and months, I watched him grow up. He was beautiful—lots of substance, big ears, big eyes, nice head...and that tail! His color was deep black, and so typical of the Selfs, he began to silver. However, the older he got, the less he was silvered. Another baby born 3 weeks after Slick, a Lilac Hooded male, the spitting image of his great-great grandfather, Max, distracted me. After four years and eight generations, I had done it. I had cloned Max.

Both boys were entered in the October 2000 show. At 4 months, I figured both were too immature to win Best in Show. It came as a total shock when Slick won the Satin class, then went on to take his first Best In Show. He would repeat this at the January and March 2001 shows. Although I knew Slick was good, I didn’t realize just how good until a few weeks later. After the April Board meeting, the bunch of us were sitting around looking over the show pictures from the March show. His show picture had turned out exceptionally nice, really showing off his outline and that long, thick tail of his. Anyone who has known Karen for any length of time knows that she is not overly generous with her compliments. A “nice rat” is interpreted as “a nice, show quality animal.” A “really nice rat” means a very nice show animal, very worthy of taking his class, variety, or Best in Show. Karen’s comment about Slick that evening, “He’s the best rat I’ve seen in a very long time. Everyone should be breeding to him.” A few months later, she paid me just about as high a compliment, she sent a female to be bred to him.

We discussed the possibility of Slick meeting or beating the record number of Best In Shows won by any rat. Frosty, my Pink-Eyed White, held that record since 1986. Nichole’s Lilac Hooded, Max, came within whiskers distance of meeting the record with his 5 BISs. Unfortunately, he died the night before what probably would have been Best in Show number 6. I was on a mission. So, in spite of some comments I was starting to hear about retiring him as I put him on the show table, Slick was out to match Frosty’s record.

It was no surprise that he won the next two shows. Number Six would be the Orange County Fair. The Fair was also Frosty’s 6^th, so this was a sentimental win, too. The weeks preceding the show, I became a nervous wreck. I checked him constantly for scabs, injuries, a torn ear—anything that would prevent him from showing. I was sure something would happen to him the week before the show. While he was up on the judging table, I paced back and forth, much like what I do at a dog show before I go in the ring. Finally, Best In Show was awarded. Slick had his 6^th. However, unlike Frosty, who had a couple of losses in her career, Slick was undefeated. The comment was made, “Now are you going to retire him?” I replied, “Probably, but he has sons who will be ready to take his place at the next show.”

So, what was so special about Slick? Without a doubt, it was his type. The standard calls for a long, racy animal. Slick was just that. He was large, with plenty of substance. He was muscular without being flabby. When viewed from the side, your eye just followed his outline from the tip of his nose to the tip of his tail. Nothing was out of balance. He was jet black without a tinge of brown, and while he was slightly silvered as a youngster, most of the silver molted out.

The story could end here, but Slick proved that he could pass his great type and temperament on to his kids and grandkids.

Gr. Ch. Tarot’s City Slicker (“BatBoy”) and Gr. Ch. Tarot’s Simply Sleek

Tarot’s City Slicker

Slick’s first breeding was to a Blue Point Siamese, Tarot’s Simply Seiko, owned by Nichole. This was a linebreeding, and as expected, there wasn’t anything earth shattering in the litter. What Nichole wanted was to take the best female from that litter and breed it back to Slick. Tarot’s Total Eclipse, a Black Self Satin, was the choice. Thus, the first inbreeding back to Slick took place. The standout of that litter was a Blue Self Satin, dubbed “BatBoy” due to his huge ears. These littermates would help Slick to win the Progeny Get of Sire class at the November 2001 and January 2002 shows. BatBoy won the Satin class and Stud Buck at the November 2001 show, and Best In Show at the May 2002 show. He very closely resembled Slick, except his head may have been a tad longer to carry his large ears. TR Simply Sleek, a Black Self Satin, also closely resembled Slick, but was just a tad smaller. He was Best In Show at the January 2002 show.

Gr. Ch. KK1820-A Basic Black

KK1820-A Basic Black

KKS1820-B at 6½ weeks

A few weeks after Slick’s final BIS, Karen sent a beautiful Black Standard female to be bred to Slick. She was a beautiful, typey rat, with nice big ears and eyes, and a thick tail. Even though she was older, she was a very deep black with no rusting; very unusual for a Black female. There were only two in her litter, both males, a Standard and a Satin. I took the Standard as Slick’s stud fee. I was hoping to eventually make “Standard Slicks.” “Basic Black” or “Karen’s Black” as I called him, won two Best In Shows, May and August 2002, and carrying on the family tradition he repeated Slick’s win at the 2002 Orange County Fair.

The breeding was repeated which produced a litter of five. I kept KK1825-1 Karma, a Black Self Satin, who looked very much like her mother.

Gr. Ch. Tarot’s Simply Dapper

Tarot’s Simply Dapper

Dapper, a Seal Point Siamese was bred and owned by Nichole. His mother was Tarot’s Total Diva, a Russian Blue Self Slick daughter, litter sister to BatBoy and Sleek. Dapper was BIS and Best Pet at the 2002 Pet Expo, as well as the Spottie Guy Award winner for 2002. He was the main topic of the article in the Wall Street Journal, and even had his picture on the front page.

RN Blackout

RN Blackout

Another Black Self Satin Slick son out of Tarot’s Murphy Brown, a Chocolate Self Satin litter sister to BatBoy and Sleek. Blackout managed to tear his ear, which cost him his show career. He does, however, have several Best Stud Buck wins to his credit.

Gr. Ch. RN Simply Striking

RN Simply Striking

From Gr. Ch. Tarot’s City Slicker, bred to KK1825-1 Karma; my attempt at combining Slick’s lines to Karen’s lines. Striker was Best Satin at the November 2002 show at just 4 months of age. He went on to win Best In Show at the January, April, May, and October 2003 shows. He was also Best Stud Buck at those shows along with the 2003 Orange County Fair.

Gr. Ch. RN Encore! Encore!

RN Encore

Encore was a result of mating Gr. Ch. KK1820-A Basic Black with Striker’s litter sister, RN Simply Kismet. This youngster started his show career by winning Best Kitten at the April 2003 Pet Expo show. He won his first Best In Show at the 2003 Orange County Fair, making this a third generation win. He even beat his Uncle Striker by doing this. He won his 2^nd Best in Show at the January 2004 show, 3^rd at the April 2004 show.

Ch. RN Indigo

Indigo is a Russian Blue Self Standard, litter sister to Encore. That litter is quite possibly the best overall litter I have produced to date. Indigo’s color is beautiful dark blue without a hint of brown. She was Best Self and Best Standard at the May 2003 show, and Best Self Standard at the 2003 Orange County Fair. At the January 2004 Show, Indigo was Best Self and Best Standard, just 10 weeks after having a litter. What a thrill it was to see these two littermates go up against each other for Best in Show.

RN Flash

BSR Basil

Gr. Ch. KK1820-A Basic Black out of KK1825-1 Karma, Flash presented a bit of a problem for me. While he is a nice, typey boy, he just wasn’t quite as good as what I already had in my rattery. I took him to the January 2003 show, and while deciding whether or not to hang on to him or sell him, Carol Lawton walked by my set-up, and offered to buy him. He won the Kitten Class that day and went home with Carol, where he is already making his mark on her rattery. In his first litter, he produced Ch. BSR Basil, Best Self Standard and Best Standard at the October 2003 show, and BSR Kelsey who has been 2^nd place in the Satin class at the October 2003 and January 2004 shows.

Although I knew within the first 24 hours of his life that Slick was something special, I had no idea just how much of an impact he would have on the fancy. Although Slick met but did not break the record for Best in Show, with six Grand Champions and two Champions among his progeny, Slick has truly set records. His sons produced as well as their father, and even his grandsons are producing litters that have the Slick “glow,” or as we’ve come to call it, the “Slick Look.” With every new litter I still feel the same excitement as I look at the babies and see a little of him in each of them... and there is always that one, the one that will carry on the legacy. Even though he is gone now, through his progeny Slick lives on.

A Black Satin showing the kinky/wavy whiskers distinctive to Satins. You can see these at birth so you can tell which ones in the litter are Satin.

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