Night and day, we are terrorized by the huge looking rats in and outside of the house. Rats can eat, destroy or do the unthinkable and that was exactly what their reign was until the incoming of Bety, the wise cat.

Then I remembered one of the popular sayings in my village that “the rat will never be present in the school where the cat is the headmaster or mistress”. Therefore, Bety the Cat, became a blessing to my house, the headmistress of the college: ‘End of the Rat Regime’ operating from my house in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory of Nigeria.

Oh, Do you think there are no rats there? I tell you, they are many rats there and they eat a lot and that is why they are so big, fat and fearful.

Rats could be very destructive and annoying. And these particular set of rats in my house before the reign of Bety meant real business. They would create all kinds of noise in the ceiling (POP) at night as if they were having some kind of dancing party and neither will they allow us to sleep. It was becoming very embarrassing. During the day time, you will hardly see them. Maybe they will all go for a break only to return at night.

One day, we noticed that they had eating the POP ceiling in the sitting and to be greatest surprise, one of the rats, maybe it was the one on destruction duty fell off the hole right in front of me. Whaaat……rat oooh….I shouted. And instead of me to kill it I ran with fear. It was really annoying.

The Rat Regime Continued

Before this particular incident, these rats had eating up m hair cream, cloths, shoes and for food stuff etc. Oh my God, you won’t believe it, they were transferring my food stuffs from one point to another happily.

In one occasion, they eat the ten litters on oil that my mother bought for our use all the way from Benue State. It was terrible. It was after then that I became so angry and began to lot for an alternative. And one very important one alternative I had was to get a cat. A cat?.....yes, a cat and it will end the rat regime in my house and environment.

The Reign of Bety

As the thought and search for a cat began, I got to the Corner shops around my house in Gwarimpa Estate Abuja. Gwarimpa Estate is one of the largest estates in the entire Africa. And Corner Shops are a mimi or semi market where things are sold and bought. Meanwhile, in the day time earliar, I had seen some little cats of some weeks old around the Corner Shops, so I went in search of them and it was around 9pm. Low and behold, one of the little cats came towards me while her siblings run for to hide.

So I got her; brought her home and she would be called Bety. And that was the name thereof.

That first night was a sleepless one for both I and Bety. She was crying all night and because she was probably missing her siblings and mother since their father is always nowhere to found in the cat family.

I think it was this huge cry on the first night that sacred all the rats away completely

But I assured Bety that it will be fine here and no more sleeping under the rock, tables etc in the cold out there. But she will have do do some little work for me and it is simple: end the rat regime in the house’ and you will have all you need.

That night, I have her milk and she graciously drank it looking for more. but once the milk finishes, she will begin another round of cry….pweee, pweeh….pweeeeeeewwww.

I hope is not only food you can to eat here, I often retort pointing at Bety. But it was not only food. Truly, that her cry alone signaled the rat institution that their regime was over in that house. One after another they all left… without any quarrel.
wow.

Bety’s Food

Upside down Sucking Style of Bety's Kittens...lol

Unlike other cats, Bety would not eat food will oil or eat other forms of cooked food. In fact, she eats more of fruits and vegetables. Surprisingly, the following are some of the fruits that Bety enjoys eating or drinking:

1. Carrot

2. Cucumber

3. Cooked green beans

4. Cabbage

5. Fish

6. Bread

7. Oat

8. Aloe Vera

9. Tea

Etc

Like many other cats, Bety loves fish. At the present or aroma of fish, she will run around you wishing to have a bite. And she is often given. But Bety can eat and eat more frequently.

She may cry and then scratch the wooden pole in the kitchen just to tell you ‘I am so hungry, I want to eat’. Bety can wake up and cry for food and want to be fed by all means.

She will often go and stay close to the door or cry towards it if she wants to out for play or to ease herself and she will cry in front of the door or use her left hand to scratch the door as a way of knocking to tell you to open the door.

Bety is left-handed since she uses her left land often and in most cases.

Sometimes she cries and run towards the house when another bigger cat is chasing her for fight. I think she prefers fighting from home for a better defense and attack.

The Challenge of Keeping Bety

Once, we had to travel to Makurdi, Benue for holiday, we had to carry Bety along. If not, who would feed betty for us. Keeping Bety did not come without challenges.

Bety met ‘Busy’ in our family house in Makurdi. Bety was the playing type and could enage herself, you or anyone around. She often did not get tired playing and running from place to another. Most times she will play with an object she sees on the ground.

Betty is not the quite type and does not stay one place without playing. She will often come into the room and position on the bed.

At some point, Bety puppu in the room and I even had to throw her into a bucket of water in anger. But that was the last time. She will often go out..down stairs and then outside to pass out waste and then cover it as usual like many other good cats.

Don’t you know that cats don’t like their feces to be seen? Yes, they often make a small hole on the ground, and after wards cover it.

One day Bety pushed down one of my finest class jogs I bought while I was in Lagos; It was from a three feet tall fridge and it got broken. I was so bitter

The Morals of this Story

There is solution to every problem; I mean that there is no problem without a solution but sometimes, the solution may not be found or rejected. So keep searching for the solutions you need and you will surely find it. Some of the solutions you will find and which may be very effective may not cost you so much but would demand your discipline or commitment to use it.

When I heard that rats wanted to destroy documents in the prestigious office of our President, and during the reign of Gen Muhammdu Buhari Rtd, all I wished was that Bety should be taken there to end the regime of rat in our dear Aso Rock (the official name of the area housing the office of the President) in Abuja, Nigeria.

Do You Want a Cat like Bety

As at the time of righting this, Betty is still alive and growing bigger, taller or longer if I may say so. She was just one year old and I hope we will still have her around for the next couple of years. DO you need a Cat? If yes, I believe Bety will soon give birth, why don’t you contact me to have a species of Bety. I can assure you that Bety has a good home training and she would train her children well.

Bety’s Kittens

Bety got pregnant and gave birth to three kittens (do you need one?). There are very beautiful but she lost one unfortunately, few about a week after birth. The two kittens remaining are very, very playful and they can fight playfully with each other too. One of them looks exactly like Betty, the mother-cat while the other looks different even in color- for she is black and white; while Betty and her-look alike maintain the brownish/white color as you can see below: