Fancy felines: Acro-Cats come to MPAC for another circus performance

The divide often runs deep between dog lovers and feline fans, as most choose their side of the favorite-pet pendulum.

Some favor could swing toward cats this weekend when the Amazing Acro-Cats perform "Circus Cats" at the McKinney Performing Arts Center (MPAC) in McKinney.

For the second straight year, feline specialist Samantha Martin is bringing to MPAC cats that play drums, walk tight ropes and jump through hoops to entertain audiences. The one-hour performance starts at 3 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 11 at MPAC.

"It's very quirky," said David Taylor, MPAC director. "Most people would never think you could actually train a cat, but you can. They do all sorts of fun things."

Martin, who worked at a veterinary clinic, animal shelter and pet shop before forming the Acro-Cats, travels all over with her unique feline crew. She and her animals have made appearances on "The Tonight Show" with Jay Leno, "Animal Planet," CBS, MTV, CNN and other TV and radio programs throughout the U.S. and Europe.

The circus crew is the featured act and best-known part of Martin's "Amazing Animals," a United States Department of Agriculture (USDA)-approved, fully licensed, private zoo that houses more than 30 different animal species. Martin has a degree in animal husbandry, is a graduate of the Brookfield Zoological Internship program and is working toward an animal behaviorist degree.

The Acro-Cats performed at MPAC last year following their appearance at the Dallas Pet Expo, an annual show that highlights different pets' agility, costumes and talents. Taylor jumped at the chance for a repeat performance when he learned that Martin and her cats would again be coming through Dallas.

"One thing the community constantly asks for is family entertainment," he said. "Everyone had so much fun last time that I thought it was a really good match. It's one of the very few acts like this that everyone can enjoy."

Martin will be dressed in her trademark black and purple cat suit and ears while she acts as conductor and ringmaster for the traveling cat circus. The 13-cat troupe will perform tricks with hoops, tumblers and skateboards, hoist flags and roll balls over parallel ropes.

Martin said a few of the Acro-Cats are new to this year's show, but all of them will again be led by Tuna, the nine-year-old "star of the show."

"She was the inspiration behind it all," Martin said. "She's kind of a genius cat; she can do 16 different tricks. She's the smartest, boldest cat, and all of the other cats are afraid of her."

Their fellow feline performers, the five-member Rock Cats, will play jazz music for the show's finale. Martin started traveling with the musician cats about eight years ago, long before the Acro-Cats entered the picture.

She decided to train cats more seriously after the Rock Cats received warm receptions at different pet expos around the country. Martin, a Chicago resident, found an avenue for helping the feral kittens she began rescuing from local animal shelters.

Five foster kittens in need of a permanent home will be with the whiskered wonders on Sunday. Martin teaches audiences at every show how to take care of their cats, and she makes the foster cats available for potential owners who won't shy away from training them.

The foster kittens will perform a few tricks in a pre-show session that Martin said increases their chances of finding a master.

"We teach them to do some cute things so people are more apt to adopt them," she said.

The training, typically associated only with dogs, is just as beneficial for cats, Martin said.

"No one thinks cats should be trained like dogs," she said. "It's a great mental stimulus that benefits them mentally and physically. Otherwise, they get fat and bored and are more likely to end up in shelters because owners don't have a bond with them that they could."

Though the foster kittens may not be as skilled as the featured performers, they are all leash-trained and whistle-trained, benchmarks Martin said are necessary in times of emergencies such as fires or tornados.

Martin trains the cats for both the show and possible placement. Since April 2009, when she began using her shows to find homes for cats she rescues from Illinois animal shelters, Martin has adopted out 70 cats. She bottle-fed and tamed many of them on her own, and several that weren't adopted are now Acro-Cats.

"I take in two to 12 at a time depending on how many I can accommodate," she said. "When we travel, I encourage people to adopt from their local shelters."

Those who qualify through the approval process administered after the show may get to take home one of the five kittens. The rest of the audience will leave to the tune of pianos and cow bells, all played by feline paws.

"They perform one trick after another," Martin said. "If you train cats, they can act just like dogs."

The Amazing Acro-Cats show is open to all ages. Tickets cost $13.50 for adults and $9.50 for kids, and can be purchased at the door or online at www.mckinneyperformingartscenter.org.

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