Station cat Betty given ‘Junior Mouse Catcher’ title for her purr-fect work
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Betty the cat has landed a new role at Sutton Coldfield station after impressing West Midlands Railway with her ‘purr-fect’ patrols
A cat that lives in a train station has been appointed ‘Junior Mouse Catcher’ by a railway company that was impressed by her ‘paws-itive’ work ethic.
Betty the cat, who lives at Folklore Coffee and Bagels on platform 2 at Sutton Coldfield station, was given the job title by West Midlands Railway (WMR).
Betty was adopted by Folklore Coffee owner Alex Light in 2025 when she was a stray with three kittens near an apartment block in Sutton Coldfield town centre.
Alex found loving homes for the kittens but couldn’t bear to part with Betty.
She has now settled ‘purr-fectly’ into domestic life at the station café and been recognised by WMR for her dedication to patrolling the platform and greeting commuters.
Alex said: “Betty lives full time at the shop - she has a few favourite spots dotted around with a perching shelf by the till and a few comfy beds alongside the customer seating as well as a little quiet space away from everyone only accessible by cat flap.
"She wakes up at 5:30am - has a quick breakfast before going on her first patrol around the station and then usually returns to the shop around 7:30am to greet the commuters.
"After that, her days are weather depending - but she is always back in time for lunch when the shop closes.
“In the evenings - while we do prep for the next day, she usually has a final patrol up and down the platform before having dinner and getting an early night.”
Betty is the second cat to be ‘employed’ by WMR. The other, George, lives and works at Stourbridge Junction station and has held the position of ‘Senior Mouse Catcher’ since 2021.
George, who is owned by a WMR staff member, has more than 100,000 followers on social media and had a Stourbridge Shuttle train named after him last year.
Zoe Hodgins, regional station manager at WMR, said: “We are very excited to have Betty on board. She’s proven she has a fantastic cat-titude and takes her daily duties – greeting customers, napping and warding off mice - very seriously.”
You can follow Betty's career on Instagram at @bettyhatesmice
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