Great Lakes Fancy Rat Association

The Great Lakes Fancy Rat Association (GLFRA) is a club based in Michigan and the surrounding area. We do not believe in being the “rat police” and believe that our members should have a few common goals as fanciers – be it through pet ownership or ethical breeding. As a pet owner, and if applicable, as a breeder, of the fancy rat - I will comply to the following:

I will promote rats as pets, not feeders, and I will always consider my animals as pets before all else, and will treat and promote, and care for them as such.

I will seek veterinary care for my animals when necessary.

I will provide adequate (or better) caging, food, clean water, and healthy bedding for my animals at all times.

I will not sell rats as feeders, or sell to those I know to be feeder breeders.

I will assess the health, temperament, and type of both parents before they are bred. I will also research the genetics of the lines of both parents, when possible, before they are bred.

I will not sell or place any rats known to be sick.

I will keep accurate records regarding the health, temperament, genetics, and other pedigree information of all my animals. If any animals are placed, I will give the information regarding said animal(s) to the adopter.

I will keep records of all placed animals and whom they are placed with.

I will use an adoption contract when placing any animals.

I will require that any animals adopted from me be properly quarantined by the adopter(s) in the case that they already own one or more rats. I will provide proper quarantine information to the adopter if needed.

I will be open minded to new information regarding rat care at all times, be willing to learn, as well as share and receive new ideas. Information may include, but is not limited to health, diet, caging, genetics, etc.

I will be open minded to other's rat-keeping methods and not discourage others from those methods unless they are causing harm to the animals or other people. What works for some, may not work for all, and I will be understanding and respectful of this.

I will be understanding and respectful of the different ideas people may have regarding their fancy rat keeping methods, realizing that you don't have to have the most expensive equipment or food for a fancy rat to be healthy and well adjusted. Love, affection, attention and regular daily exercise are important factors in keeping our fancy rats thriving, physically and mentally.

All applicants must print out a copy of this and mail it in with your application. The file has been converted to a PDF file for easier download and can be found by right-clicking the PDF icon below and selecting 'Save File As'.

GLFRA Code of Ethics