Toulope Ayeye, a final-year Law student at the University of Ibadan, has been a devoted cat owner for over a decade. To her, cats are the perfect companions—easy to maintain, naturally clean, intelligent, and independent, unlike dogs that constantly crave attention. However, she is concerned about the discrimination domestic cats face, even from educated people who still cling to superstitious beliefs linking cats and their owners to witchcraft. She shared her thoughts with DAYO EMMANUEL on her campus.
Do your parents keep pets?Y
es, they do. They keep cats and allow us to keep them as well.
How do you perceive cats—their carriage and nature?
Cats are wonderful to have. They’re very independent and don’t require constant affection—only a little, and on their own terms. They’re neat and very smart. I’ve heard people say they have to potty-train their pets, but with my cats, I simply place a litter box in one spot, and they instinctively use it. Honestly, cats are amazing.
How do people perceive you and your family considering some beliefs about cats?
Some people think cats are linked to witchcraft. We lived in an environment where people assumed we were witches simply because we had cats. I once went to a veterinarian for help, but she refused to treat my cat because of her personal beliefs. That was shocking, especially coming from an educated person.
When did you start keeping cats, and was it for personal or commercial purposes?
I started around 2015, not for business but as what I like to call an informal adoption centre. We take in stray cats and, if someone wants one, we give them out after asking a few questions to ensure they can care for the animal and won’t be cruel. At different times, we’ve had many cats, though we’ve lost some over the years.
At peak periods, how many cats have you had at once?
Altogether, over time, we’ve had about 15 cats. When we first started, we had Jasper and Peggy, along with five others—seven in total then.
It’s often said male cats don’t stay around for long. What has been your experience?
I’ll use Jasper as an example. He was my first cat, a stray at first. As he got older, he became more independent—sometimes gone for two or three days before returning. Later, he would be away for up to a week. Because of this, we couldn’t detect early when he became sick.
Were you ever able to track where he went?
No. We just knew he would return eventually.
How did Jasper die?
He fell ill, and I went to a vet to ask if she could treat him. She initially refused because he was a cat. I begged for about 30 minutes before she reluctantly agreed, but she didn’t have the right vaccines—only dog vaccines, which I knew could be dangerous for cats. By the time she agreed to help, it was too late. Jasper died on the way home. It was painful because we lived in a place where vets simply didn’t want to treat cats.
How expensive is it to keep cats, especially in this economy?
Cats are low-budget pets. They’re independent and eat what we eat, though you must avoid certain foods like onions, chocolate, and some types of milk. I learned that from reading online.
What’s your advice to veterinarians about treating cats?
They’re trained to treat animals, so they shouldn’t discriminate against cats. That mindset is changing now, but more awareness is still needed.
The domestic cat is not mentioned in the Bible. Do you agree this may fuel the discrimination?
Yes, that’s one of the things people told us—that cats aren’t good animals. My mother believes Jasper died because he “took” my brother’s illness, as my brother was very sick at the same time the cat was sick. It sounds weird. Some research suggests a cat’s purr—the vibrating sound—has healing properties and can even help heal when it has a broken bone. Some studies support this, but it’s not widely accepted yet.
Are cats dangerous?
Not really. They only attack in self-defence, usually when cornered and unable to escape.
Do you have any cats now?
Yes, just one. My cat Luna had one kitten first, then later gave birth to three. Sadly, she died along with the three kittens, so I only have that first offspring left.
