10/7/2015 CircusCatsAreLionsofTheirProfession,butDomesticatHeartTheNewYorkTimes

http://nyti.ms/1JSyNIE

THEATER

CircusCatsAreLionsofTheirProfession,
butDomesticatHeart
ByJENNIFERA.KINGSON JULY9,2015

TOtrainacattobalanceonaballandwalkitforward,youwillneeda
weightedball,atracktoplaceiton,ahandheldclickerandlotsofkittytreats.
Eachtimethecatmasterspartoftheprocessstandingontheball,say,or
learningtowalkbackwardtomaketheballadvanceyoumakeaclicking
noisewhiledeliveringatreat.Ittakestime,patienceandawillingcat.

Youstartverysmall,saidSamanthaMartin,ringleaderoftheAmazing
AcroCats,a14catcircusthatiscomingtoNewYorkCitynextweekforthe
firsttime.Sometrickstakeweekstotrain,sometakejustminutes.

Sheshouldknow.Ms.Martinscats,whowillplayonehourshowsfrom
July16through19attheMuseBrooklyn,aretrainedtodohighlynoncatlike
things:Tuna,theleadperformer,ringsacowbellAlley,whoholdsthe
GuinnessWorldRecordforlongestcatjump(sixfeet),pliesherspecialty
Sookiepushesashoppingcartacrossthestage,unlesssheisdistractedby
shinyobjectsorfindsthestagetoowarm,inwhichcasesheliesdown.

TheshowendswiththeRockCats,asixpiecebandwhosemembersplay
freeformonaminiatureguitar,drumsetandotherinstruments.Exceptwhen
theydont.

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10/7/2015 CircusCatsAreLionsofTheirProfession,butDomesticatHeartTheNewYorkTimes

Iamprettymuchatthemercyofwhattheywanttodo,saidMs.Martin,
whoisinherlate40sandhasbeentraininganimalsfromatenderage.The
performance,shesaid,isneverthesame,becausethecatsleadtheshow.

Ms.MartinisbasedinChicagobutdriveshercircusaroundthecountryin
apaintedbusreminiscentofthePartridgeFamilys.Untilnow,shehas
avoidedNewYorkforfearofmaneuveringthebusinthecity.

Shegotherstartat10,teachingsimpletrickstoherfamilysyellow
Labrador,Boots.Asateenager,shebecameenamoredofrats.

Atonepoint,Ihadarattrainedtodriveuptomydollhouseinalittletiny
firetruck,goupaladder,retrieveadollandbringthedolldownintoan
ambulance,Ms.Martinsaid.Butherfirstattemptatapetcircus,theAmazing
AcroRats,wasnotacommercialsuccess,forobviousreasons.Icouldnt
makealivingwithrats,shesaid.

ThenMs.Martinmigratedtofowl.Ihadachickenthatplayedthepiano,
aduckthatplayedthedrumsandagoosethatplayedtheguitarusingtheir
beaks,shesaid.Poultryisremarkabletoworkwiththeylearnvery
quickly.Butalongcameavianflu,andpeoplestoppedturningouttoseethis
act.

Ms.Martinswitchedtocatsroughly10yearsago,trainingsheltercats
thatsheadoptedandfostered.Alltheperformersareherpets.Whentheyare
notjumpingthroughhoops,climbingropesorpushingwheelbarrowsonstage,
Ms.Martinscatsareprizedbytelevisiondirectorsandhaveappearedin
commercialsforbrandslikeTargetandPurina.

Mycatsareexcellentonset,Ms.Martinboasted.Theyjustmovein
theyareaccustomedtothestage.

Partofhermessageisfamiliarincatadoptioncircles:Friendliershelter
catsaremoreappealingtopotentialowners.Since2009,Ms.Martinsaid,she

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10/7/2015 CircusCatsAreLionsofTheirProfession,butDomesticatHeartTheNewYorkTimes

andhertwoassistantshavetrained159fostercats,oftenteachingthemtogive
humansahighfiveortojumpthroughahoop,tomakethemmoreadoptable.

Somanycatsendupinsheltersbecausetheyhavebehavioralproblems,
andmostbehavioralproblemsareduetoboredom,Ms.Martinsaid.Ifyou
trainyourcattodotricks,youmakethemusetheirbrains.Ihopeto
encouragepeopletoexpectmoreoftheircats.

Dr.CarloSiracusa,aveterinarianspecializinginbehaviormedicineatthe
UniversityofPennsylvaniaVeterinarySchoolsRyanHospital,saidthatwhile
catsdonotneedtobetrainedandsomeneedlessstimulationthanothers
thereisnoharminteachingthemtricksaslongasnopunishmentsare
involved.(SomeRussiancatcircuseshavedrawncontroversyforthewaythey
treattheanimals.)

Emotionally,itsnotbadforthecattobetaughtanthropomorphic
tricks,Dr.Siracusasaid.Oneethicalthingiswhetheritsappropriatetowatch
animalsmimickinghumanbehavior,butIdontreallythinkthatacatcares
aboutthis.Theactionforthecat,playingonaninstrument,itsnotfun,but
theyrewaitingforthetreat.

Oneofhisstudents,Dr.Siracusanoted,hastrainedacattoplaydead
whenshepointsherfingerlikeagunandsaysbangavideoofthisisposted
onaPennFacebookpage.Likeallsuchtricks,itbringstomindtheSamuel
Johnsonsayinginvolvingadogwalkingonitshindlegs:Itisnotdonewell
butyouaresurprisedtofinditdoneatall.

AttheendofMs.Martinsshow,themusiciancatsplayon,andthe
audiencecanminglewiththeperformers.

AngelaBuccinni,directorandfounderoftheMuseBrooklynacircus
orientedperformancespacethatmovedtoBushwickinAprilafterlosingits
leaseinWilliamsburgsaidshewaslookingforwardtotheshow.Iknow
thatwevehadatonofinquiries,shesaid,andthatallofourmanagersare

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10/7/2015 CircusCatsAreLionsofTheirProfession,butDomesticatHeartTheNewYorkTimes

fightingoverwhoisgoingtogettoworkthisevent.

TheAmazingAcroCatsandRockCatswillperformJuly16andJuly17at8p.m.,
July18at5and8p.m.andJuly19at2and5p.m.Nocatsareallowedinthe
audiencetheMuseBrooklyn,350MoffatStreetcircuscats.com.

AversionofthisarticleappearsinprintonJuly10,2015,onpageC21oftheNewYorkeditionwith
theheadline:LionsofTheirProfession,butDomesticatHeart.

2015TheNewYorkTimesCompany

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