West Midlands Railway (WMR) has appointed Betty the cat to the role of Junior Mouse Catcher at Sutton Coldfield station.

Betty lives at Folklore Coffee and Bagels on platform 2 at the station.

Folklore Coffee owner Alex Light adopted Betty last year after finding her living as a stray with three kittens near an apartment block in Sutton Coldfield town centre.

Alex arranged for new homes for all three of Betty’s kittens but decided to keep Betty.

Betty has settled into domesticated life at the café and has now been recognised as a valued member of station staff.

Sutton Coldfield is on the Cross-City Line and is located 7.5 miles north-east of Birmingham New Street.

WMR reports that it identified Betty as “a rising star in station management”, praising her for her “regular safety paw-trols, comprehensive whisker-sessments, and dedication to cat litter picks”.

Betty is the second cat to have been given an official role with the train operator.

The first was George, an orange tabby cat who lives and works at Stourbridge Junction station.

George, who is owned by a member of WMR staff, has held the position of ‘Senior Mouse Catcher’ since 2021, when Stourbridge won the World Cup of Stations.

George has over 100,000 followers on social media, and WMR named a Stourbridge Shuttle train after him for International Cat Day last year.

It is not known whether George and Betty have a claws in their contracts of employment guaranteeing the regular provision of cat treats.

“They say cats always land on their feet – and Betty certainly has with this role. She is really popular with customers and has her own Instagram account and it’s brilliant to see her hard work recognised by WMR.

“One of the goals of International Cat Day is to reduce the number of homeless cats and encourage adoption, and Betty’s story really resonates with that mission.”

Alex Light, owner of Folklore Coffee and Bagels