We’ve all heard of performance dogs before, but here is something new and possibly even better – a traveling cat circus.
Although you might think that things can’t get any better than house cats riding skateboards, playing musical instruments and sometimes even wandering off into the audience, I assure they can.
Besides their remarkable entertainment, The Amazing Acro-Cats have helped to save the lives of more than 200 kittens over the past several years.
According to the founder of Acro-Cats, Samantha Martin, “The team [of cats] themselves are all former rescues and strays”.
About four years after she decided to start the group, Martin felt inspired to take on an even bigger role and saving the kittens in need of help. In searching for a new kitten to adopt and train as a new member of the Acro-Cats she found a crowded and high-kill shelter in Chicago.
A worker at the shelter told Martin that several kittens were going to end up on that night’s euthanasia list if they didn’t find foster homes immediately. She decided to take in all 12 kittens, saving their lives in that “life-changing moment”.
Fostering a shelter pet means taking in and housing the animal until they can find them a forever home. Although kittens are usually easily adopted, animal shelters are often not able to care for kittens younger than eight weeks old. They require bottle feeding and overnight care, which are things that shelters aren’t equipped for.
Even though she didn’t make any of the kittens a part of the cast of the Acro-Cats, she did find permanent homes for all 12 of them. This started a long-lasting legacy for both Martin and her traveling cats.
Martin and her assistant currently travel the country with 16 performance cats, a one-eyed non-performing cat named “Captain Patch” and a few foster kittens. The most amazing part of their travels being the special three-level cat bus that the felines stay in.
“The foster kittens never have problems adapting to life on the tour bus,” Martin said. “Since they are kittens, they’re much more adaptable to new places and experiences.”
Because the Acro-Cats tour the United States their kittens come from all over. Over the past few years, Martin along with her Acro-Cats team have fostered and saved an estimated 209 kittens; most found their forever homes but a select few were able to stay to join the act.
The Acro-Cats do more than just take in stray kittens though. “We try to partner with a local rescue and donate a portion of the [show’s] proceeds,” explains Martin.
On top of that, the feline circus act shows that cats can be trained, which helps people become more open to adopting them. Martin says that cats just need interaction and a way to use their brain. She stresses the importance of only using positive reinforcement – no punishments – when training cats.
Read these characteristics which almost all cat lovers have in common:
INTROVERTED AND SENSITIVE
It’s the nature of cats that they are not friends with everybody, and the same trait can be seen in their owners too. Usually, they live alone and are happy with their independent lifestyle. They are introverts but are comfortable hanging around with other people. However, they would need some me-time to relax and recharge.
CAT LOVERS LEAN TO LEFT
It has been observed that people with liberal political leanings prefer cats over dogs. You might be a liberal dog lover or a conservative cat owner; if you’re a liberal, you love cats and vice versa.
CAT OWNERS ARE OPEN-MINDED
Five traits – conscientiousness, neuroticism, extraversion, agreeableness, and openness are often seen in most cat lovers. As compared to dog owners, people who have cats as pets are more open and therefore, have greater artistic creativity.
ATTENTION SEEKERS
Just like their pets, cat lovers seek attention from people around them. They like to be the centre of all conversations. At times, cat owners rely on their pets for emotional support.
THEY RESPECT CATS MORE THAN ANYONE
Cat people respect cats more than humans, in general. The saddest sight for a cat lover is to see the animal on the streets without a home. Cat lovers are often seen making a special effort to rescue or rehabilitate homeless cats.