ARLINGTON, MASS. (WHDH) - Cats are taking the stage in Arlington, mastering tricks and dazzling audiences in a show that travels around the country.
At first, they may look like the cat you have at home, but Samantha Martin has spent the last decade and a half teaching her furry friends how to jump, walk, and even play their way across stage.
“My cats, actually, are almost a little bit like dogs, they’re very energetic — well, some of them are more energetic than others,” Martin said.
Acro-Cats is a nationwide tour that started back in 2009. The performance highlights the cats’ abilities, and while these cats may seem extraordinary, they all arrived as orphans, strays, or rescues. Martin said it doesn’t take long to show the cats the ropes.
“With kittens, it takes minutes because I start working with the little kittens as soon as they’re taking solid food, and they’re jumping through a hoop within two minutes and following the targets, so it really doesn’t take long at all,” Martin said.
“Some of the more complicated things, like playing the drums, strumming a guitar, rolling on a barrel — that can take several weeks,” she continued.
The training is what Martin hopes to pass onto the audience. Each show ends with a demonstration.
“Because training your cat really helps develop a bond and will lead to a lot less people leaving their cats behind,” Martin said. “Because if you spend those five or 10 minutes a day teaching your cat how to do something, it’s a way to really strengthen the bond between cat and owner.”
The tour partners with local agencies to help find homes for strays. Martin said they’ve found 385 cats homes so far, thanks to the tour.
Arco-Cats will be hosting shows at the Regent Theatre in Arlington through Sunday. You can buy tickets or sign up to volunteer online.
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