Quarantine Procedures for Shows

This means:

• Not allowing people who own rodents to be in contact with your show rats if you keep them in the same "contained air space"* as your other rats. If you have rats that are to be placed with current rodent owners, meet them outside or at an offsite location. Explain to them why you are in quarantine. If they would like to meet your other rats set a date after QT is over.


• How does this affect ride sharing and staying at another's home the night(s) before a show?
• If a person chooses to carpool or share residence during QT for a show, then it is their responsibility to make sure that all rats entering the car or home are free from any health problems. If any airborne problem shows up during health check, then none will be allowed to enter.
• If parasites are found, then only those in the same cage as the affected rat will not be allowed to enter.


• Absolutely NO NEW RATS may be taken into the same "contained air space" (This means any room that has the possibility of the same air flow affecting both spaces) as the rats intended for show during this three week period. Rats can be traded, purchased, or accepted via shipment as long as they are not brought to the area of your show rats. You will also need to make arrangements to clean yourself if you come into contact with any new rodent before entering the area you keep your show rats. Ideally, trades, shipments and purchases will be conducted after a show.


• If ANY rat having air contact with your show rats becomes ill, dies unexpectedly or have unexplained issues you should withdraw entry from the show. If you have questions on their illness or unexplained issues, please report this immediately to either the show director or the RatsPacNW board. They will make final decisions as to wither the show rats are safe to enter the show or if you need to withdraw entry.


• Quarantine ends after health inspection at the show. If you have one rat found to be ill, then you will be asked to leave with all your rats! Please, do not bring ill rats and reconsider bringing any if you suspect a problem. Contact the show director or a member of the RatsPacNW board for help deciding.

Show and beyond:

• Plastic show boxes are preferred on the judges table. If you present your rat in a wire cage, the judges will ask that you borrow or rent a plastic show box. The club will provide show boxes for rent for $5 each, which can be used for the entire day.


• While attending an event, do not handle others rats or allow your rats to be handled. If handling occurs insist on the use of hand sterilizer before and after.


• Do not allow rats to come into contact with your clothing.


• Do not allow rats to run loose on cage tops or carry rats around a room that are not in a plastic show box. Beware of rat sales in the parking lot.


• RatsPacNW does not condone rats being traded, sold, or transferred outside the show building. These rats may not have been through a proper quarantine. If you see such a sale, please notify a RatsPacNW member or the show director.


• Improperly quarantined rats may still pass on viruses to rats in the show by people who have handled them and unknowingly bringing it into the show.


• If you have rats that did not make the age mark of 6 weeks for the show you will need to make other arrangements for delivery.


• Quarantine after the show is recommended for a minimum of 2 weeks, with 3 weeks being ideal.


• We recommend that all cages at the show also be disinfected with a bleach and water mix or another disinfectant.


• If a health problem occurs, quarantine should begin all over again. Some viruses require a period longer than 3 weeks to be eradicated.