Literal translation for this proverb can be “When cats are absent, rats are all over the house.”

We, as Haitians, know hostility exists between cats and rats. Cats, mostly in the country, like to chase rats to eat. This is one of the reasons why many families like to have cats at their houses. Rats do a lot of damage in houses, plantations and warehouses. Cats are the first thing people think of and decide to have to get rid of rats. But when the cat is dead or is not at the house anymore, rats begin to be all over the place again.

Haitian people say this proverb when the chief, the leader of a place, mostly strict parents, teachers, or supervisors are out of the house, the class and the company respectively and the children or students are making a mess or employees stop working and are telling jokes to one another. They also say this proverb when the authority once established in an area is no longer operating and injustice and chaos is taking place.

Let’s be people who do what is supposed to be done with and without supervision.