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The Introduction of the
Judging Mat
Why?
To give your rats, the
best possible environment when being
judged!
It is the Committee’s belief
that sometimes a rat may get spooked by the scents left
behind by a previous entrant.
We have over the past
seen that Rats we know are calm when in cages, on
shoulders, being passed around from
member to member,
act out of character on the judging table. We believe
that this “skittish” behavior could be due to
a previous
entrant urinating, scenting, and soiling or in some way,
affecting the areas where the judge has to place the
rat
for observation and judging. This is not their fault,
just their nature.
This mat
belongs to you and your exhibit(s), so that your, their
and their cage mates’ smells are with them on the
Judging Table and could calm down your pet(s).
Judging Mat Specifications
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MATERIAL |
Absorbent non greasy fabric |
Fleecy,
Polar Fleece, etc |
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THICKNESS |
Thick enough to prevent
leakage |
Single
or Double Thickness |
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COLOUR |
Pure White |
No
Colours
or “Off” White |
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PATTERN |
None |
Patterns
may affect what the judge sees |
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TEXTURE |
Minimal |
Textures
may affect what the judge sees |
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SHAPE |
Square or Rectangle |
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SIZE |
450mm x 300mm nominal |
Length
between 440mm to 490mm and width 290mm to 300mm |
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CONDITION |
Clean & neat |
Not
tatty frayed or excessively soiled etc |
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IDENTIFICATION |
Clearly marked on the back |
You can either use a
tag, low impact marker or fabric label |
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EMBELLISHMENTS |
None |
The mat
is not part of the contest |
Some Questions
Where do I get them?
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They
can be self-made or purchased from merchandising |
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Does the mat affect judging? |
The
mat itself NO, but the calming effect it may have
in the Rat, YES! |
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How many mats will I need? |
One
per set of cage mates would be the minimum! One per Rat
would be Ideal |
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What happens if a mat is soiled? |
If
the next Rat to use the mat is a cage mate, maybe
nothing, some spares could help! |
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Does this include Pet Class? |
Yes,
but the Pet Class may have announced themes, for
instance a Christmas Theme. |
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When will it start? |
Until the end of 2007 it will be optional and
recommended (until the bugs are ironed out) and
mandatory in 2008 |
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