The Amazing Acro-Cats | This Past Weekend w/ Theo Von #539

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support today's guest is a cat Advocate. a performer and a trainer for almost 20. years she's been touring with her. performance crew of cats called the acro. cats where they perform routines tricks. and much more she's also started the. only all cat band in the world tuna and. The Rock Cats no one loves anything as. much as Samantha loves cats today's.

guest is Samantha Martin and the acro. cats. [Music]. me I'll sit and tell you my. stories. shine on. me and I will find a song sing. [Applause].

yeah so I want to learn all about um. Acro cats and I want to learn all about. the traveling cat Universe and. everything that there is to know about. it because it really is just fascinating. to think about them cats and and. everything that they're doing and um and. just how involved with it you are you. know um just to start I guess what are. some like what is a cat I guess. basically how would you even what is. like a like I mean I know it's kind of. an easy question but what do you some.

people probably don't aren't even that. aren't big pets like connoisseurs or. whatever how do you put that in a. um is there a certain size of it or like. how tall is a cat a tall oh boy that's. you're open with a question I don't even. know the answer to they're V they really. vary in size um some the some of the. cats are more petite we do a lot of. bottle babies so they tend to be a. little bit on the smaller side uh. females a little bit on the smaller side. uh but the your cats are really kind of.

misunderstood everybody thinks that cats. are aloof and that they they can't be. trained that they don't really need you. socialization or kind of the same kind. of things that that dogs need a lot of. people get cats you know thinking it's. not going to be any work at all I just. have to scoop a litter box or get an. auto scooping litter box and throw out. some food and be done with it where you. know a dog is so much more work but in. actuality a cat is uh is just as much. work as a dog and people should invest. that time because cats are brilliant.

people don't realize just how brilliant. cats are yeah oh yeah I've seen some. cats they have all types of cats. um yeah they even had one cat went to. space I think. even I know a cat went to Niger Falls. really you know a cat that went to Niger. Falls it went down Niagara Falls went. down the first person that that survived. uh a barrel trip down the Falls she took. a cat with her no way for good luck or. just for just who knows I mean I wasn't. around during that time to ask her. afterwards like what made you bring a.

cat down the falls with you but she and. the cat survived so wow yeah um okay so. a cat like and a cat can be you said. almost any size yeah oh yeah I mean. there's huge cats there's Main [ __ ] cats. that are giant uh our our cats are a. little bit on the they're all none of. our cats are pure bed bread cats cuz. they're all rescue cats so they but the. main [ __ ] cats are giant I mean I've. seen like they're almost dog size oh wow. so and then there's the real small ones.

that the munchkins and that have the. short legs and that they and you know. it's not really good to breed for. certain thing you know it just seems. uncomfortable for some of the cats to to. have like short legs and difficulty for. them to get around but yeah they they. come in all different sizes and shapes. and large ear small ear some cats are. hairless some cats are completely you. know furry just so a cat can basically. be almost. any like how tall are the cats you work. with cuz the cats I've seen are probably.

a lot of them are about this tall prob. well I guess that's if they're just. sitting up if they're walking yeah yeah. that's I mean it's kind of there's a. typical cat size but the main Coons are. the ones that are the Giants oh main. main yeah the main Coons are the giant. ones you know see people like with the. record maincoon and they're holding it. and it takes two arms and it's still. hanging over their arms so it's like a. PL the base kind of and do you do you. employ any main Coons no because they. really we need small agile cats to be.

Acro cats okay so for acro cats we're. talking a smaller cat we're talking. what's the premier size kind of like a. for an Acro cat oh the runs the orphans. the runs the Strays the ones with the. with the uh especially the ones with the. attitude with the trouble makers those. make the best Acro cats those little. like cuz they got like shortcat syndrome. so they they already have like a little. chip on their shoulder so they've got. attitude and they're they're like I'm. I'm you know don't mess with me yeah I'm. going to show you and so yeah those make.

those are the best Acro cats and they're. a little bit on the smaller side so they. can do a lot more they can climb higher. they can jump further uh yeah they just. it's just they're more agile so yeah we. you know we tend to employ strictly uh. uh rescue cats okay no pure breads oh. really so you guys so Acro cats is a lot. of rescues then oh yes yes they're all. former orphans rescues and. Strays man it's almost like the Bad News. Bears in a way huh.

I you know that movie you seen yeah yeah. I've seen it it's been a long time so so. it kind of don't really remember the. premise yeah I think it was just some of. the some of them were kind of like um. yeah some of the kids were kind of like. having a tough time you know I was like. those type of kids um so how did you get. started with Acro cats and what is Acro. cats first of all so the amazing acats. they're a troop of former orphan rescues. and Strays that have come into my life.

over the years and I've trained them to. do awesome things to show people that. not only can cats be trained but they. should be trained so well they travel. around the country we uh we now tour in. a large bus we initially started out in. in a small ambulance and then slowly. built up to this giant uh money pit of a. bus yeah busing is expensive oh so. expensive so you guys were in an. ambulance at at one point I started. things I started my career you know with. with an ambulance back in the days when.

I was you know doing rats and uh. Wildlife education and all of that so. I've been I've been working with animals. since I was 10 okay so you've been. working with an animal since you was a. child really you was really um just a. child animal worker and they um and so. you get started you said with Rats first. uh I knew I wanted to be an animal. trainer since I was seven okay so you. knew out of the gate you wanted to be. out there with them animals yes and how. did you know you'd be at a zoo or. something would flare up in you when you. would see an animal or how do you know.

that you loved them well I my parents. did a like a letter every year like. those annoying Christmas letters that. people send out detailing their whole. their whole year oh yeah like Patty got. her menstrual cycle or whatever and. Danny's playing volleyball or whatever. yeah and so my parents did one every. year yeah we got those in our. neighborhood some of them were too much. like oh yeah one year they sent it was. like Ron left us if anybody seen or. whatever call us and we're like this is. for Christmas look like it was just but.

some of them got it a little invasive. but um okay sorry I interrupted you oh. no yeah but but so so looking back. through all those those Christmas. letters I it talked about how I talked. about wanting a cat wanting a cat as. soon as I was able to talk I wanted a. cat and then I found a book uh that was. like a book about me that I had filled. out when I was seven and it said when I. grow up I want to be and I put on I put. I filled in animal trainer or Indian oh. that's good yeah yeah that's kind of the. same thing almost because the Indians.

were so close to Nature really you know. yeah yeah it really is kind of similar. path I guess spiritual connection with. animals yeah so so you wanted to be. really dialed in out of the gate oh yeah. I knew what I wanted to do right from. the get-go my parents they had a. different plan for me what did they. think they wanted I mean they wanted the. traditional I mean they sent me to. college to get my mrss my they didn't. care what I majored in long as I came. home with a husband that that had a good. degree in a future that's they wanted uh.

they did not anticipate the me being an. entrepr you know entrepreneur and I'm. going to start a business with rats and. that's kind of how it all started right. after college I moved to Chicago and I. was like I'm going to start a business. with rats and what made you did you see. something did you were you at a um live. event did you were you at a um. christening or a were you at like um you. know a performance of Phantom of the. Opera or like what said made you think.

okay I'm going to start TR doing a live. performance at animals cuz that's a real. the only people that's ever done that is. Noah probably Noah's Arc and God. probably yeah yeah did you see yeah did. you see a performance did you see. something that was like yeah Yes. actually I watched a a documentary on. modic cesso who was the rat trainer for. the original Ben and Willard movies okay. bring him up mod how do you spell it mo.

deesso mo deesso yeah he was one of the. original Hollywood animal trainers he he. was my my mentor he was my I mean I saw. this documentary that he did on the on. the Discovery Channel back when they. showed animal you know when they showed. stuff like real things on Discovery. Channel and he it was like behind the. scenes training of the rats for this. movie and I was like yes this is what I. want to do with my life I want to train. animals for film and television and and. I ended up getting to meet him animal.

trainer mod deesa who trained such. notable animal stars as Ben the rat and. Annie's dog Sandy died July second in. New Hall California he was 83 um he. trained over 600 rats for the two rodent. horror hits winning a py award for. directing Ben the rat in Willard and. another sequel for Ben wow so he could. really conduct a rat oh he could train. any animal he was just amazing I I was. so thrilled. uh cuz I ended up getting stranded in.

California I was working on a rat. documentary and part of it was filmed in. Los Angeles in the summer and I got. stuck there because of a heat embargo so. I couldn't get my rats back to Chicago. so you're there you're working on a rat. documentary yes called it was called rat. okay rat yeah um Mark Lewis it was Mark. Lewis kind of gave me my big break as. far as working on uh documentaries and. getting my first really big break and as. far as training rats so it was it was so.

serendipitous how every how everything. happened really my whole you know the. whole life story from you know the the. rats to the you know to the cats but but. I was out I was working on the. documentary for the the other part of. the documentary we'd film the first part. in U in New York and then we finished it. in Los Angeles there's a heat you know. during the summer you cannot fly animals. in cargo so my rats were and I were. stuck in California oh so I looked up. modic cesso and I drove out to his Ranch.

no mhm and I introduced myself and they. welcomed me into their home I stayed. with them for about 3 weeks or so I. cleaned every inch of his of his place. his training room I organized his. training room I I I just worked every. day they'd have to drag me in for meals. and and then he he worked with me every. day with training I learned so much from. him and and you know when I left he. cried when I left he I was like the. daughter that he'd always wanted and and. in a way he was like the father that I. wished I'd had because my parents they. liked animals but they weren't like true.

animal lovers yeah they didn't love them. like you did yeah I mean I loved them. right from the beginning I mean just it. was draw I was drawn to them just it was. my life calling so you leave out of. there the documentary gets finished and. now you're a rat trainer yeah I'm a rat. trainer and and then I ended up being a. chicken trainer after that because Mark. Lewis uh did a a film called the natural. history of of chickens he hired me again. for for that to train the chickens and I. didn't know anything about chickens when. I took that job oh yeah who could yeah.

it was I mean and back then the internet. there was just some Yahoo groups and and. so I I mean and he was a tough guy to. work for too I mean he if you did if you. did if things did not go right I mean he. would just be yell yell at you like two. inches from your face I mean just he was. intense oh he was so intense and I mean. I saw there were nights when I worked on. the rat film it I cried every night but. it was you know he was so good I me he. really knew what he wanted saying damn. it get these rats to do or whatever yeah. it was just he was very hardcore just.

and you know very few people survived. working for a m a mark Lewis film uh but. his his his film was one you know one. Awards so um when he when he asked me. back to do the chicken I I didn't get. yelled out the entire shoot I mean I. nobody could have a conversation with me. during the chicken training part portion. because I was learning about chickens. there were so many things that could go. wrong with this chicken training thing. I'm sure it's even just the term chicken. training yeah. sounds like it's not going to work out.

oh yeah I had to get CH I had to have a. white silky hen uh go broody which means. they lay would they lay on eggs right so. and then once the chicken once I found a. chicken that actually laid eggs because. this broodiness has been bred out of. them over the years because most people. want them for food or just egg lay day. yeah they don't want them to to lay on. them so I had all these white silky. chickens found one that laid eggs and. sat on them so then I had to take the. eggs and put replace them with golf.

balls keep the eggs safe then transport. that chicken to uh somewhere in the. South it was I was somewhere in the out. in the country with these chick working. on these chicken with these chickens so. I had to get them on the flight get them. to the location and then put the eggs in. an incubator and on the exact day that. he needed to shoot these chickens. hatching they had to hatch so it it. there was so many things that could have. gone wrong yeah we were playing God at.

that point in the way yeah I mean it was. so so stressful I had to train a a. rooster to Crow on Comm on Q uh so and I. had no I mean I was really you know I I. was I was self-taught this is pre-. internet this is before you could look. up all the things and just find answers. I mean I was and what do you do you. don't T do you tickle them or whatever. what do you do to get a rooster to do it. well you would find uh you you You' find. out what make them would make them Crow. natural so they actually they kind of.

trained me so I'd have a rooster in the. downstairs with a baby monitor so I'd be. upstairs and anytime I heard that. rooster crow I'd go running downstairs. and then I'd wave an American. flag and click and treat and give the. you know because I I knew about clicker. training at that point so I would click. and treat and give the rooster you know. a reward for for crowing so I also but I. also knew that I needed to put it on a. queue so that it couldn't just I we. couldn't be waiting around for it to C I. needed to signal for it to Crow so.

that's what the flag was for the flag. would be like I'm waving the flag it's. still crowing I'm waving the flag I'm. clicking and treating and and not really. knowing what I'm doing just hoping it's. going to work create a pattern yeah yes. yes and I you know and people would be. trying to talk to me and I'd be like. what what if I taught the chicken to. follow a ribbon and and and we could put. that ribbon on the camera and then the. chicken would follow that camera. everywhere because we need those camera. like right right in the camera shots and. nobody could talk to me about anything. because I was so hyperfocused on making.

these chickens perfect for this for this. film and I mean it it was turned out. beautifully I mean I couldn't believe. how how all my hard work paid off yeah. so was but I I mean I it's pretty. remarkable yeah I mean it really. considering I didn't really know. anything about chickens when I took the. job yeah yeah and it seems like an. insane job to take and do oh yeah yes. and then to pull it off yes and to pull. it off and not screamed at once that.

entire shoot oh yeah that was oh that. was amazing wow so you got the rooster. crowin you got you you're working with. the chickens so how do you then turn it. over into Acro rats you started with. well I started with the rats rats were. first so I had after I met modic cesso I. had an idea that when I moved to Chicago. I had at this point I've had rats since. I was 16 so I I you've been a rat owner. You' been yeah I knew how smart they.

were I knew how uh just just one of the. most trainable smart animals ever and. they're also misunderstood so always. been drawn to those kind of social. rejects of the animal world the the the. ratss The Underdogs exactly The. Underdogs and so I so I started putting. you know I was like I bet you I could. put a little show together I'm going to. teach these rats to do tricks and and. I'm going to you know put a little show. together that'll get some attention to. these rats and then maybe I'll get that.

film that big you know break that I. wanted so I was working at a pet shop at. the time and in where in Chicago yeah in. Chicago okay as New Town aquarium and. then the owner was a monster oh really. oh yeah he was he was just the worst. human ever why was he even in the game. why was he even in the the money the. money and and in the pet money it's well. there was other things he was doing they. he was getting fish you know in from. other countries and there were more. there was more more in with the fish.

than renaming them not selling appr no. they there there were um you know the. fish that he were he was getting shipped. in there's white styrofoam on the bottom. right oh those other things getting. things he was shipping in under so. probably a front yeah so it was a front. but he also was if he his his idea was. like if I if I get a hundred of these I. get a huge discount uh if I get a 100 of. these anolis if I get 100 of these. burmes pipes. and if they all die and I sell just one.

I'll still make a profit and so he. didn't care about the animals so I came. in and I of course cared about the. animals I'm working overtime I'm taking. the animals home and separating all the. snakes and feeding them so they don't. eat each other and I you know I'm so I. I'm going to the library and researching. on how to take care of these animals so. I was in charge of the rodents and the. reptile section and I was Arch nemesises. aren't they well yeah yeah there's they. they are not friends so the you know the. road students were downstairs and then. the reptiles were upstairs and I so I'm.

learning about them you know having to. go to the library and creating these. cage cards so that I when people came in. I could I could educate them on like. okay you interested in buying this. particular lizard well this is what you. needs what you need to take care of it. and it's going to need a he you know. heating light and a rock and all these. various things and so so I did all my. research and and I was really I mean I I. did love the job but I just he was just. a monster and at that point I had my. little rat show trained up perfect so.

you got the rats you they performing now. yeah they're performing in nightclubs. and things like that okay now so that. sounds like yeah I would love to see. that and it's something that's important. um the rats are performing in nightclubs. with you as the trainer they're not okay. yeah so with you as the trainer the rats. are performing in nightclubs and you. guys are um how many rats are in the. show oh there's probably oh maybe six. six six or seven rats and you they climb. up ladders they jump through hoops.

they'd even bowl and I the best trick. was they would run they they drive up. into in an ambulance and then they would. go up a fire Tru into a burning little. kid's house with you know fake flames of. course and there'd be a doll in the in. the house so the the rats would go up. the ladder rescue the doll come back. down and put it into the ambulance no. way yeah so it was there were so much. fun to teach and work work with and. people were just amazed that these rats. are doing these these amazing tricks the.

so they're the amazing Acro rats and I. had little business cards made up that. said uh the rat company trained Acro. rats for All Occasions film television. live shows and I told everybody at work. that someday somebody's going to walk in. that door and they're going to need a. rat for a movie and I'm going to be. ready for them right wow right so so. that was a lot of your ambition so you'd. seen mod deesso have this um you'd seen. that documentary and then it had an. effect on you and then next you you end. up out there you end up get to getting.

to work with him so now you're really. feeling like you're on the right path. yeah okay so you have the you have the. rat show going in Chicago yeah yes and. you're performing where you're. performing after hours in the pet shop. yeah no I'm not in the pet pet store but. I'm work I'm like after hours in. nightclubs I was uh taking the rats and. you know they'd hire me to to bring the. rats in or actually you know I don't. even know if I got really hired or so. maybe it was just kind of a pass the Hat. kind of thing because you know any. opportunity I had to train these rats.

yeah but how do you even approach that. because in the beginning if you say hey. I'm gonna come in later I'm gonna bring. in a couple rats I think people are. going to be like I don't know you know. or people like how do you have that. initial conversation with some of the uh. performance venues and stuff well it was. Chicago Chicago was very you know kind. of open-minded they you know they they. liked anything you know interesting and. different and I had uh my roommate had. connections with certain nightclubs at. that point so so you know she hooked me.

up with some of the nightclub people and. then word spread that you know there's. rat lady but who comes to the show is it. just people that are at the nightclub. that it's already staged performance at. the nightclub and it's like now we're. going to have the acrat yeah now the. acrat are going to perform we're going. to do a couple shows and you know it was. just it was just fun it it was basically. I'm just trying to get attention to. these rats hoping that I'm going to get. this break at some point so that I can. get to the next level okay and so how. does that start to happen how does. do you get a break that's well The Big.

Break came in and when I was in the pet. when I was working at the pet store okay. waiting with my little business card you. know the rat company I named my company. the rat company yeah yeah trained rats. for All Occasions film television live. shows waiting for that moment that big. break and these two guys walk into the. pet store and they're like we need a rat. we need a couple rats for film and I'm. like I got I got your rats I'll they can. even answer a Toy Telephone I'll do it. for free just for the movie credit so I. got the job because my price was great.

and I and because the my boss was kind. of a dream squasher uh and and with the. movie industry they don't give you a lot. of notice they call me on a Friday they. say okay your your day is on Monday. that's show biz yeah yep so I asked for. the day off and they said nope sorry and. so then I quit my job I quit my. full-time job for a one-day non-paying. film shoot with rats and and it was was. my big break yeah it was I mean.

everything happened after that WGN. showed up okay so hold on so let's so. you get the break you go to the set you. do the shoot with the rats and how did. they pull it off oh I mean they they the. rats did perfectly I went out to the. yeah I mean I I went out there the day. day before with. approx rehearsed them so I kind of knew. what they you know what so they you kept. talk them on the way in like look guys. this is it like do you feel like you. have that you know that um you can. create that Ambiance with them that you. guys are yeah we're just I mean there's.

like it's really hard to Phil Jacks kind. of with them you know it's there's this. like it's like a almost like. a an an electric field so especially. when you're working on a on a set with. an animal and you can't be right next to. them so you you've done your training. you've done your prep with the rat and. or any animal right and now you're off. camera and you have to send in the rat. or whatever animal it is to do what.

you've trained them to do and you are. not you can't be next to them so there. there's this like Electric Feel Like a. communication going where you know like. just like you know you've got this. you've got this you've got this do this. do this you know and and and it when it. when it comes together and it's such a. magical moment when and they just pull. it off and I mean the whole crew. applauds I I mean it they just everybody. was just amazed that that this just that. this happened right and then a film crew.

showed up you know news crew because. they heard that there was going to be a. rat lady you know on on the movie Set so. they coined me the rat Lady of Chicago. oh God beautiful yeah so then CNN picked. it up and broadcast this you know all. over the country and next thing you know. I'm flying to Italy to be on this show. the Mino deato show on Christmas Eve. with my trained rats and it just. snowballed from there I mean so you flew. over there for Christmas Eve mhm to be. on an Italian television show yes and.

how many rats do you have with you I had. about six rats with me oh yeah and then. and what did do you remember any of the. names you remember any of the oh. probably the Jasper and Ramsay and. Cicero and I named a lot of I name. started name them after streets in. Chicago so I had to Cicero to Harlem and. um yeah Jasper and Ramsey came later on. but yeah so there a lot of them were. were Chicago Street so gunshot would be. one of them gunot gunshots a cute name. wow so you have these rats and you guys.

are over there you remember that was it. Christmas Eve what was it yeah it was. Christmas Eve and it's show called The. meor the model show and they didn't give. me an earpiece for translation so the. guy is. like and I'm. like no way you just like don't know. what you're. saying you're just sitting there and the. guy is speaking what it it's you know. he's I'm in Italy so he's speaking. Italian yeah I speaking Italian I don't. know any Italian I'm I'm like I don't. know what you're saying when he realized.

that I didn't. know I didn't know what he I didn't have. my earpiece so then he translate luckily. he knew he both knew he knew Italian and. English so then he would repeat the. question in English and then I would. answer and then he would translate it. back so so it was saved but it was a. there was a deer in the headlights. moment of like oh no cuz you're also a. very attractive woman and was there ever. any of these guys trying to like hit on. you was there like a lot of love. interest going on surprisingly I did. really well and you know it is in spite.

of being the rat lady and having rats. crawling all over me much better than. the cat thing or the cat thing was a. real game killer but the but the as the. rat lady I mean I did get you know I did. have a lot I mean I had stalkers really. yeah they it was crazy a guy show up in. a limo outside my house a rich stalker. yeah yeah he was he was very young and. yeah apparently he had money and he been. you know like just kind of an adoring.

fan and wanted to take me for a limo. ride and I'm like well I don't really. know you but you got to go huh well I I. sat and had a drink with him in the limo. I'm like I got to like let you drive off. with me in this limo but I'll sit down. here with you for for a bit because I. mean I mean after the the whole you know. WGN Chicago very own rat lady and then. CNN and then the flying out to Italy. then then things just like snowballed I. was like on all the big talk shows and. haraldo and Paulie sure he had that uh.

series back then yeah um yeah oh. Paulie's world was it yeah was a. two-part episode where I trapped him. where I lock him in the room overnight. with all the rats really Paulie yeah and. did was Paulie flirting with you he. likes the ladies you know if he was I. wasn't picking up on it because I really. wasn't even familiar with him I didn't. even know who this guy was I'm like why. is he was he what's this weasel thing he. keeps talking about yeah cuz the weasel. and the Rats that's really yeah just. it's the same marsupial I think they.

they're weasels well Ro yeah Ro yeah Ro. I don't think weasels are rodents. they're they're weasels are more the the. like the. freret uh group and you rats and are. rodent so um yeah I don't think the. weasels and rats are really related but. they might be enemies per se yeah I. could see that so things really start. going the rat game is good you're out. there and you're and like what's the.

show how long is the show with the rats. oh it show was like maybe 10 12 15. minutes or so my God so you're crushing. it and are people paying you good money. to come and perform no not really I I. mean it it was it was it was just I mean. it was decent money then I mean it also. was a nightclub I got free drink so yeah. so and then whatever tips I might get. they might pay me a nominal fee cuz I. also at that point I had uh you know. other animals I had you know snake SN so. they would hire me sometimes to walk. around with a snake at at a club and.

such so you know was the kind of you. know was back in the the 90s so uh you. you got paid a nominal amount and then. free drink so that's that it was like. fun and you're getting to you know meet. all these interesting people and kind of. get paid a little bit to do it and and. you and have fun and just kind of build. a name and you know get known like I. mean I became I was like the rat Lady of. Chicago it was and it all stemmed from. this whole idea that I had and then the.

guys walking in that pet store what are. the chances of that happening I'm there. I take I get get the movie job I quit my. job without hesitation and Bam it just. snowballs into all of these. things yeah I mean yeah look I if. anybody knows the rat world I I know it. and love it you know I know it and love. it I'm a rat and I'm a rat at heart I at. the heart of a large rat probably and.

that's normal I think so if you're. selling something online it's well it. can be hectic I remember when we first. started our online store it was it was. um we were peac mealing it we were. trying to figure it out all ourselves. and ah it was it was a nightmare but. things changed with Shopify that's right. A lot of times success. with selling online comes by having a.

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checkout that all birds Alo and skims. uses sign up for your $1 per month trial. period at. shopify.com. theoo all. lowercase just go to shopify.com. tho to upgrade your selling today. shopify.com Theo. and how do you get.

into cuz now I mean what you've been. most known for now would be the um Acro. cats yeah now and I'm yeah known for the. for the acro cats so and but how did you. get to that how did you get from I mean. from rats to cats I mean one could say. it' be easy to see how you would get. there well cats are cats are notoriously. difficult to to work with I had. experimented putting a cat in one of my. shows early on oh with the rats with the. rats I had I had it like uh it was.

supposed to pull a sled and the Rats had. little Santa hats on it and the cat was. you know going to you know wear like. antlers and pull the sled it worked in. in worked perfectly in rehearsal at home. everything was great and then I tried it. uh you know in a live atmosphere and the. cat was like forget this just Zips. across the stage and the rats are. like popping out of the sleigh you know. they're all fine lost yeah they're just. like what's going on you know yeah. things have changed somebody called an. audible they're doing lines from mcbath.

up there and [ __ ] cat abandons the sled. the rats crawl back in the sled and just. sit there waiting for the you know. what's next the cat was crazy yeah so so. I was like ah so I didn't work with cats. for for a long time but years later I I. I had I had been working as a wildlife. educator because at one point I. discovered I couldn't make a living on. just rat so I kind of expanded and I was. I was uh working pretty steadily. teaching uh kids you know schools and. librar is all about wildlife and so at.

that point you kind of giving up on the. rat you oh no still the rat still still. doing the rats I'm still know I'm still. getting all the rat work and I you know. I was getting any like uh music videos. any horror movies anything that came. into town that needed a trained rat any. Rat work any Rat work I'm getting the. rat work I am the one to come to for the. rat that's yeah God that's so good and. then um what about so you're getting the. rat work you're also realizing the but. this but you also but you start to. realize that it's not enough income yeah. yes yeah and where are the rats living.

the rats living with you oh always all. the animals always live with me all the. time like it's never been a separation. of of me and the animals and would y'all. sleep in separate rooms or what's that. like um the I had a rat room at one. point I was a landlord's worst nightmare. really I mean I mean I just those rats. were I mean I had a whole room full of. them just dedicated to the rats and and. would they get out sometimes I mean they. chewed they chewed a hole in the screen. uh the of the apartment I was in I like.

I said move every like three to six. month Redemption that's I'm on the. sidewalk and I'm I'm looking up you know. at my second floor apartment and I see. Rats on the ledge and I was like what's. going why are the rats out on the ledge. and I go upstairs and I'm like oh they. chewed a hole through the screen and. they were climbing across the ledge and. then hopping in the window to the rest. of my house so I'm like oh well so you. know I had to do some patchwor and and. such but yeah I me like now do you think. that they didn't want to be part of the. show anymore or they like no they were. just being rats I mean I they they had a.

whole room I wanted them to have freedom. oh and and and have you know cuz there. were ropes and ladders and all sorts of. toys in there for them so but they're. also rats they're going to do what rats. do with their rodents they're going to. chew oh yeah rats to do rat [ __ ] yeah. yeah and and yeah so there and there was. a lot of them because you know also. especially for Halloween you know that. was a big hiring time for me with with. the rats and to be the you know the got. have the rat lady. you a haunted house and such so um but.

yeah the the you know the rats and all. the animals I raised all my animals from. babies and they were you part of you. know part of my daily life I took them. everywhere with me and you know I'm. their mom and you have to especially if. you're working with any animal in any. kind of public setting you you know you. need to acclimate them to that early on. and that's that's a you know it's a lot. of work and dedication to be carting. around you know I'd be walking down the. street I'd be pushing a stroll or. carrying a carrier you know people be.

like they'd have this look on their face. like oh I can't wait to see what's in. the carrier and then I just see their. face drop when they'd see that it was. rats they were like the color drains out. of their face and they can't handle it. yeah yeah they're like oh but because. rats are just misunderstood but they're. such wonderful pets and I turned so many. people into rat lovers I'd convince. parents to get your child a rat not a. hamster they're just misunderstood it's. just the name but they're the best they. won't ever bite your child they're they. they'll come they you can teach them. names you can teach them tricks they.

they are affectionate they're the best. pet that you can you can buy for a child. but you know it was it was so I turned a. lot of people into rap covers well we. used to one of my first jobs was selling. hamsters when I was growing up we used. to sell them outside of raves and. concerts and I grew up in a hamster. breeding area and so you'd see a lot of. rodena small rodena small ground game. the roborovski were the ones that were. sold then I don't if you're familiar. with that strand of them um but that was. the like kind of the popular strand of.

Hamp that was going on in our area bring. it up to roborovski if you can there Ben. if you don't. mind yeah this is the dwarf hamsters. these are a lot of what we were pedling. back in the day oh yeah no I had I had. hamsters growing up too beautiful and a. lot of that market went to Russia. eventually or they started getting these. Russian imported hamsters and that for a. while uh that killed a lot of the like. they start getting more like the redey. the small white redey hamsters still.

cute but not what a lot of kids were. looking for really and that really I. think a lot had to do with like a lot of. that Stephen King kind of when he you. know when that kind of stuff took off. but um so you really were like a mother. to a lot of these rats oh yeah I mean I. I you know hand raised them all and do. you ever get any issues with the actual. mother of the rats was there ever any. moments where you had to be like let. them know that they was a shared. territory or that you were just there to. help I mean it's it's it's I didn't like.

take the rats away from their mother. prematurely but as soon as they were. weaned I mean the mom rat isn't really. like these are my children I want to. take care of them oh not yeah no they're. like go I'm tired tired of you all so. and you know once once they're weaned. you know then I would start to you know. I'd carry them around in my pocket or. you know you know on my shoulder maybe. in my hair you know just I carry them. around everywhere that's beautiful that. they were you know they were like you. know part of you know part of me and. they they were very comfortable you know.

to be held and to be on me they you be. on you know my shoulder they'd go to. someone else's shoulder back to my. shoulder you very personal they've got. such great personalities they're just. misunderstood so you say I've heard you. say that misunderstood yeah and look. baby girl I think it's beautiful uh that. you love these animals so much I think. it's just important to find something to. love you know and yeah what's so. misunderstood about him you feel like. well they just have a bad reputation how.

did they get it though well I mean they. started it yeah they did but I mean well. the the whole the pl the the pl didn't. help the play yeah that didn't help and. then of course they always play villains. in the movies so the right you know the. Willard the Ben and the Willard movies. chuckecheese they tried to bring them. back and give them a little bit that was. kind of some good PR I feel like well. yeah but it's still like you know just. that we're rat you know help some yeah. that did definitely did help help some.

and and people have are definitely I. mean there's now there's rat fancier. there's there's a lot of people there's. a lot of rat ladies out there now oh I'm. a damn rat king I mean our our uh tour. is Return of the Rat tour yeah oh that's. our standup comedy tour is the return of. the Rat tour and so um I I certainly get. that some people don't understand the. value of a rat yeah yeah they just it's. just you know the name rat so sometimes. I tell people it was a um African. durable or Honduran hamster Honduran.

longtailed hamster and that changes. their attitude and then they're like oh. okay it's kind of cute and then like two. months later be like it's actually a. rrap but they're then they're in love. they're already in love yeah so or one. of these Jamaican Branch kittens or. whatever and you trick them or whatever. and it's yeah it's just some like yeah. it's just your buddy it's your buddy uh. Marvin or whatever or whatever ship them. if I had if I had to transport them cuz. I would I was flying out you know being. FL to plac you know Los Angeles to do. things and so I'd have to bring you know.

get the rat take the the rats on the. flight and I I'd have the health. certificate say you know hondur and. longtailed hamster because if you got. the wrong person and they saw rats they. don't want Rats on their plane so I just. put it on the you know they certificate. and and they'd be like they look a lot. like rats and I'm like yeah don't they. yeah they a little bit yeah yeah it's. very it's a very exotic hamster that. does look a bit like rats yeah and what. was your life like personally at the. time um like what was your were you. married were you single never married.

never married no no when you know what. you want to do when you're seven years. old you and it was it was my life dream. you can't like I mean marriage is a job. I mean it's I mean it's all it's all fun. and romance in the beginning and and but. if you if you have a if you actually. sign the paper and you have a. partnership with somebody now your. actions affect them and I wanted to be. able to hop on a flight and take a job. anywhere you know because I knew what I.

wanted to do at such a young age and. then you know my life decisions would be. affecting another person if I if I got. married and that's too much so yeah and. I I wanted my freedom I wanted freedom. to pursue my passion my dream what I. wanted to do since I was seven is to so. it it was just not my parents they were. married for 54 years wonderful marriage. like literally like honey I'm home there. was no arguing in the house it was it. was just like out of it was like out of.

the out of a movie it was like. Pleasantville I always tell people I. came from Pleasantville but it seemed a. little you know boring and stifling and. I wanted to Adventure and excitement and. go places and do things and train you. know train animals for film and. television and and you know I loved. horror movies so obviously rats were the. way to go and uh so yeah it just so I. never yeah did not go to take the. marriage um route yeah did not was there. love at some point in was just did you. ever did you ever date a man and they. just couldn't accept the Animalia that.

was in your life um I mean I I've you. know I've had I've had great romances I. mean I've had boyfriends throughout the. years and and you know wonderful love. affairs and and Rel you know. relationships that you a lot of times it. would it would kind I'd kind of have to. break up with them in the spring because. it was baby season so when baby season. came around and I'm and I'm bottle. feeding you know animals it's really. hard to maintain the the the Romantic.

relationship yeah it's hard to. breastfeed a man if you're bottle feed. just like I'm bottle feeding you know. and I'm like it's sorry I mean I got to. bottle feed these you know animals like. like around the clock but that's an. excuse I think you hear a lot from women. they're like oh I have to wash my hair I. have to bottle feed these animals I have. to bottle feed these. animals I think that's something that. sometimes you would hear a lot like I've. definitely heard that from Girls before. I have to bottle feed these animals um. we have to redo the stairs at my dad's. house whatever I'm like another excuse.

yeah just oh yeah definitely I'm getting. my teeth remodeled or whatever I'm like. you're lying to me I think show you the. baby animals I'm bottle feeding and. never there something that actually. wanted to participate and and you know. so I mean I've had boyfriends and. relationships uh throughout the years. it's uh but I just I just never wanted. to you know I've even had the marriage. proposals like they they wanted yeah. wanted to marry me because I I'm yeah.

I'm a real I'm actually really great. girlfriend and you know I'm I'm loyal. and driven and creative and you know but. I still have a fun side and and I'm. smart and you know I'm just like there's. a lot of a lot of things but I'm not I. don't want to do dishes and and I don't. want to do that whole housewife stuff. right you don't want to be a housewife I. don't want to be a housewife and and so. many you know you want to be taring wife. kind of just yeah I just want to have.

yeah I don't want to but so many that's. the end game is it's just like it's got. to lead somewhere so it's not going to. lead to marriage and you doing my. laundry right I want to be able to have. my own freedom I want to do I want to. live my life the way I want to live it. no I certainly understand that I mean I. understand that 100% I didn't for years. I didn't when people were married I was. like what do you even mean you're. married that seems crazy to me but like. it took me a long time to even consider.

being married one day for so long I was. just so again not against it but I just. wanted to live I wanted to be free yeah. and see who I was or who I wasn't. without also affecting somebody else you. know too heavily yeah um but then even. in relationships I I haven't done a the. best job of uh being a relationship man. um I want to get into the cats you know. I'm glad that you talked about the rats. because um. you know rats are near and dear to my. heart in the sense of being that.

Underdog being that animal that doesn't. get looked at twice sometimes you know. um or people would rather look at it. almost uh. disapprovingly before they even give it. a chance to look at it um even. just uh with a look of um possibility. right rats don't really get that very. much um now how do you get to the cats. how do you start catting around and just. so we know so we're talking a regular. siiz cat how tall is it again just uh if.

we had one one of them in here you'd be. able to see how tall is a cat can you. pull look that. up how tall is a regular cat it's. a I mean it would be. about yeah the oh 9.1 to 9.8 in wow okay. so yeah about 10 inch cat yeah yeah so a. 10 inches in. height okay mhm how do you get into cats. how do we get to Acro cats how do we get.

to cuz I'll tell you what happened for. me was um my ex-girlfriend loved cats. and she had two cats and and I didn't I. was always I've always been skeptical of. cats to be honest with you I've been. skeptical of a lot of stuff and cats was. one of those things and um yeah my. stepdad would always even say stuff like. he would call the cat's name sometimes. like even the neighborhood or he'd call. them like homosexuals or whatever just.

say you know just stuff you say to cats. or whatever and so I was always like oh. man I don't know if cats are okay or not. and um and then my ex-girlfriend had two. cats she loved them and she has been to. your show before Oh and she loved it and. so she was telling me about it one time. and it just blew my mind I was like. there's. somebody just carting cats around and. just do and they're the cats are doing.

shows and Performing and putting on. shows and it just I mean it just shook. me to my the core of my curiosity you. know where didd she see the show I want. to say she saw it in Portland Oregon. okay yeah yeah yeah we've not been able. to make it back out this was years ago. Far West yeah we've uh postco it's you. know we've had been a lot of struggles. getting us getting things back but we. have not been able to get all the way. back out to Oregon yet but we always did. love going to the West Coast yeah when. before everything fell apart. um what fell apart oh the the uh there.

was a series of uh of things well I I. got diagnosed with cancer oh you did I'm. very sorry to hear that and then uh but. I was cured I went through treatment was. cured oh I'm happy to hear that so I I. had so I took one year off to to get my. health back and then the next year I was. immediately back out on tour did a 9mon. tour with the croats with the cats and. uh right you know at the end of that. tour a driver that we had had for four. or five years scammed me and and tried.

to basically steal the bus uh so it just. wiped us out. financially and be just as we were. trying to explore the options of trying. to bring Justice to what has happened Co. hits so you know we it was just Bam Bam. Bam man yeah so and then because the bus. set for 2 years. without being able to tour when we. finally got it back and then we had to.

undo all the damage that this guy had. done because he was he was supposed to. be converting another bus first because. he said this bus is no good it's. dangerous to drive we we'll get we'll. get find a Shell of a a bus and then. I'll transfer everything over to the you. know that's usable he was all it was all. alive all Al lie in the meantime he was. just. retrofitting the my bus it was actually. perfectly fine there's issues with it. but it was not a death trap like he said. it was and he stripped the wp off of it. cuz it was a g you know covered with.

cats it was gorgeous WP stripped the. wrap off of it he tore out the interior. to took out all the cat you know. catification the kitten City area he. just demolished and he was putting a. bedroom in the back he put I mean he. just I guess he was going to flip it and. and I don't know how I don't know how. his end game was going to work cuz I. still had the title I mean I just paid. the thing off and we we'd raised it it's. not like it's not like I bought we we. got it through a Kickstarter so the F. donated money to get this bus it's not. like can go out buy another bus and what.

why did he do this so much did you was. he just a driver he he was he was uh. kind of a pathological liar uh and he. was young which made it which made. prosecution really difficult because he. he small town there the sheriff family. has the sheriff in the pocket what do. you mean Ricky did that yeah it seems. like he said she said kind of thing and. I mean that sheriff just questioned me. like I was was the the the bad one and. and pretty much he because he doesn't.

have assets no lawyer is going to take. Cas yeah the L there it's like Ian it's. not about the money it's about Justice. he committed a felony you know hece of. [ __ ] just I mean he just decimated me to. my core I mean I'll never I mean I had I. had dreams of doing so much more as far. as like good work I mean I could be one. of I could have been one of those people. out in crisis situations like Katrina. rescuing animals because we were in a. really good place at that point before.

the before before the scam happened and. you know that setback and then we've. just had to put more so much money into. the bus to get it back to its original. shape and then everything's dry rot. having to sit for so long while covid. was going on because couldn't travel and. it's it's we're still sinking right now. it's sitting in a shop in Iowa and they. were supposed to be fixing this light. out and they're like they decided well. we're not going to be ble to get to it. it's you know we thought it was going to. be this that this would fix it but it.

didn't and now um we're we have other. jobs that are more important than you so. we basically get the bus back and it's. not fixed and it's all Iowa is the only. place that can fix this issue so once. again it it just just hit hit hit again. hit hard with no with nothing with not. being repaired having to spend you know. this money bad luck and Bad actors yeah. that just are not being helpful and it's.

especially you know as as a female too. it's a struggle to get you know respect. as a as a woman to get things done as a. woman I I resort to having a guy make. that call because I can't get anything. done yeah so that's unfortunate I'm. sorry that that happens yeah it was so. it was definitely rough times and we're. just finally kind of getting you know. getting things rolling again and uh it's. just hard to find help postco nobody. wants to work nobody wants to travel.

it's hard to find a you know girls that. whose boyfriends will let them go on the. road it's bizarre and there's that. double standard guys can tour girls. can't yeah yeah and we need more women. out there entertaining everybody it's. important um so how do we get from rats. to cats take me some some of that. Journey so so I was uh you the rats I. had to I had to uh I realized I couldn't. make a living on just rats so I became. the rat company and friend and then I. ended up changing the name to amazing.

animals and I was doing the wildlife. shows so I was doing doing those was. that a traveling show as well no no it. was well it was kind of traveling like. we were going to schools school and. stuff like that but it wasn't like the. tour wasn't touring yet so I I fell in. love with touring like way like way. later on and that's kind of when the the. cats came into play so I was uh doing. the wildlife shows and libraries and. schools educating kids but my really you. know my heart and soul was I wanted. still want wanted to train animals for. film and television so I I realized you.

wanted the show animals you wanted yeah. yeah yeah I just was like always what I. wanted to do is I see my you know and. and see my cats in a commercial or see. my animals in a commercial so there's. you know there's you know there's a not. so much rat work out there is not a. whole lot so I thought well maybe I. should you know there's a lot of dog. trainers out there the rats you know. have kind of met their limit you know. let's revisit the cat I know we had that. one experience where there was I was. like there's got to be a way to work. these cats so you still want to do. animals for film and television and you.

decide you're going to give cats another. shot yeah let's give cats another shot. because I've always loved always loved. cats but I know they're they are. difficult to work with it is a it is. their they're. um you they're small so they there's a. lot of predators out there so they're a. little bit like what could get me what. could get me so you know I I had no idea. you know I had no idea like I I need to. figure out how to make this work and I. so I thought what if I did what I did.

all those years ago with the like with. like with the rats and try that with the. cats put a little show together and. start taking it around to like lowkey no. pressure not charging money just passing. the hat art started in art galleries so. I basically like I I'm going to let the. cats teach me how to teach them so okay. and so do you set up something kind of. at home do you audition some cats like. how do you so I had this cat tuna that.

had come into my life that was brilliant. I mean she was very focused wanted to. learn I had learned clicker training a. lot more about clicker training at this. point so I was uh it actually started. with tuna tuna was the inspiration. behind the whole thing I was taking her. to pet Expos just kind of showing off. what she could do you know and I'd have. a ring of bell and tap a tip jar at a at. a rescue table and then I donate you. know donate whatever she got into the. rescue and so I was just taking her. everywhere I was I was taking her to the. film festivals and having her play a.

guitar ring a bell and do some things. trying to get her some work there and I. thought well let's you know try putting. a show together and so I I found an art. gallery that was you know looking for. some kind of entertainment and I the. band I had put together already at that. point and that was pretty solid the band. what do you mean the the Rock Cats so we. had the we had a guitar drums uh and. piano and these are cats performing yeah. so the band actually came first and what.

cats were in it tuna's in it tuna tuna. played the cowbell but that came later. so she was the she was the donation. collector for the band so okay so she's. really yeah she's she's out there. earning the Bucks yeah she's the one you. know like hey better put some money in. this tip jar kind of yeah yeah you got. to have that and then the band had a had. a curtain said the rockats they had. their own table they had their. instruments had their scent on it so so. they the cat the band the cat band. seemed to work now the rest of the ACT I. mean I I I went to Home Depot I got a.

couple ladders and big rope and then you. know some I tied weights to the ladders. to keep them from folding in and I found. some some stools at Ikea my my initial. setup was very crude just uh whatever. could you know a lot of like dog agility. props small dog agility props so uh so. then I find an art gallery I'd set. everything up and the cats I mean it was. just the cats would come out they they. look around and stretch groom a little. bit and and you know was kind of just an.

utter fail I mean there was lot of a lot. of fails right they wouldn't they. wouldn't perform was it stage fright or. was it anger do they hate they didn't. this is all this is new to them this is. new to me yeah they don't even know that. they're a show cat yet yeah so so I'm. I'm like trying to figure out okay what. what do you need to make make you. comfortable so I so I started bringing. my own floor like a roll out floor so I. brought floor that had their scent on it. and I realized that they're always doing. this like okay I go okay they don't like.

they don't like knowing what's be not. what you know what is behind them they. need to know what's behind them so then. I put up a backdrop behind them so now. they have a solid back wall behind them. they have a floor that they they're. familiar with the scent and I've been. working them at home and now I'm. bringing them into this new environment. tuna's pretty solid she'll do her trick. she'll ring her Bell she'll do the. various thing the other cat she's your. go-to yeah know she's the to go to now. the other cats are a little bit you know. hesitant they're a little slow and and.

but they're doing it but they're do. they're doing it but they're doing it at. their own pace so um so then I would. just have to come up with funny things. to say while that while we're waiting. for the cats to maybe do something or. maybe not do something and so you had to. be the performer at that point oh yeah I. mean I've consistently had to be the. performer because those cats are mixing. it up every show I never know what's. going to happen or not happen and. because it's I have a well cuz they're. damn well the cat well also because I. have a personal relationship with the.

cats they're not just kennel with where. they just come out during training and. then they back to the kennels I mean I. watch television with these cats I sleep. with these cats you know like I spend I. take them on road trips you know we're. so cats would sometimes sleep in your. bed oh yeah yeah of course I mean. especially if it's a little cold you. know pile on more cats I mean yeah it's. just oh unlimited cat yeah exactly they. purr it's so comforting I me just I love. I love them so they're my babies I've. raised some of them from two days old. you know bottle feed you so you know.

saved hundreds of of kittens with bottle. feeding because that's like one of my. turned out to be one of my superpowers. is be able to to save save little babies. and so like little by little the cats. taught me what they needed to feel. comfortable on you know on stage and the. they started to you know the Applause. there it's there something called like a. secondary reinforcer so there's a. primary reinforcer which is the food. click equals treat they hear the click.

they get a treat right so then the. Applause actually starts to and laughter. also becomes a secondary reinforcer so. they're like oh if we hear Applause or. laughter we're ALS that means we're. doing good we're going to get a treat. and the so of course they'll take. advantage of and do things just to get. that laughter which ends up which ends. up kind of paying off in the show. because people just find it hysterical. as cat comes out doesn't sometimes they. just leave the stage and sit out in the.

crowd the whole time come back sit on a. it's like a Kodak Black or something. yeah they they decide what they want to. do when they want to do it if they want. to do it and I just kind of follow. helplessly along and come up with some. witty Banner to cover their their. slowness and their fail moments and you. know it's kind of like my story as well. and how each of these cats came into my. life their story how they came in you. know how they came to be what their. special skills are what just you know. just I see so a lot of it is not as much.

there's there's there's certainly some. training of the actual cats yes but. there's also you training yourself just. to understand that these are cats and I. need. to um try and just make it as. comfortable environment for them to be. here and then I need to train myself how. to react if they don't react or or how. to react to whatever they're doing. yeah and and they're all interesting so. they it's almost like improv oh it is.

improv it's total improv yes and they. come out we have carriers that they're. in and they when they come out of their. carrier the doors are of their carriers. are open the carriers are their are a. safe place for them it's it's like a. like a a a portable like a green room. yeah yeah so you know like they know. that that's that's a safe place all of. my cats are whistle trained to go to a. carrier which is great for emergency. situations if you need to call your cats. quickly and get them out of the house. because of there's a there's a fire or. some disaster the fact that you can blow. a whistle and the cats come running they.

go in their carriers they're used to. traveling so if they're not feeling it. or they're having an uncomfortable. moment and they're not liking the the. person in the front row that has big. hair which I'm always picking up on I'm. always watching the cats I'm watching. the audience I'm watching like just. constantly reading and communicating. with these cats while doing the show and. and making mental notes about okay the. you know Wiki does not like people with. big hair in in the front row they do not. like Wheels rolling by that's you know.

that's baby's crying everything stops. when the baby's cry so it's yeah it's. there's a lot of challenges but if they. don't feel like coming if they have a. moment they're like I need to I'm going. I'm going to go back to the carrier they. can do that so they're they that is. their safe that's their safe you know. it's like a portable base camp for them. so when I when I take them out for like. outings or camping you know I have a. harness on them and then I also have a. backpack so wait camping is that part of. the show is that no that's just for fun. that's okay you guys will go camping you.

cat oh yeah because when I when I'm. raising new kittens and to to you know. either to yeah to to adopt out or to be. in the show you know I I want to. bombproof them so that they're uh. comfortable in any atmosphere because. you know the way the world is today the. disaster could be around any corner and. these cats need to be able to uh be. comfortable being transferred to to. other areas and you know loud noises so. I was you I have clicker and so clicker. and anytime they're they're freaked out. by something especially there's a window.

of time with kittens where they they. adapt really quickly like they may hear. thunder and be like right and then I. click and treat during that moment and I. turn that bad experience into a good. experience now next time it thunders. they're like oh well that's nothing that. and everything my treat yeah so even. fireworks and such I mean I click and. treat during my cats are not bothered by. fire works because they all been I've. all I've can you know whenever fireworks.

have been around I had the clicker and. the treats out and click and treat and. click and treat so anything that that. they found distressing and I and I've. learned more and more over the years. since I've been doing this because since. I put it together in like. 2005 and I you know over the years I've. gotten better at reading the cats. knowing what they need I don't need the. the floor anymore for them we still have. the back we still have a like a solid. back wall but they're they're. they're just you know they've just. gotten better I mean are cats. trustworthy that's what I would I mean.

are cats trustworthy oh no my goodness I. mean we have the treats and I knew it we. have cups of treats and and various cats. have F their favorite treats some cats. have allergies so we have to have turkey. for the cats that have allergies we have. to have the Primo treats for cats like. usty who's who's a seasoned Pro and is. you know is literally we negotiate when. when it comes to her poll climb and jump. to my back trick like there's a. negotiation that happens every time.

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do.com theoz. do.com. Theo yeah who's in the show what are. some of the big like tuna was obviously. is tuna still in the show well the. original tuna passed away to cancer oh. so I and how did you guys do that did. you guys did you guys have a ceremony or. anything like that well I mean it by. then because I've I've you know I've. been tried on traveling i' were on the. road happened um it it happened during. you know like right after uh right right.

after tour so I had like one last round. of shows with her and then I knew that. it was going to be time so it was after. our show every year we go to New Orleans. for Christmas so that was kind of her. last time and so I got to you know so we. had January and February off so I got to. spend time with her and and you know and. the fan you know I had to let the fans. know that that this was going on and. because these people have supported us. through years through all all the. disasters all the crisises you know the. fans have been helping us through and so.

they know the cats it's not like the. days of Lassie were bringing another. Lassie I couldn't just be like bringing. another tuna but I did I W you know I. brought the I let the fans know that. tuna's passing and we I I had five white. cats that came in to audition to take. her place and tuna helped train you know. the training process kind of helped you. know pick you know the prot and of. course nobody could top tuna was just. brilliant there's so now we have two.

Tunas that took the place of original. tuna and one of them's AI tuna and one's. albore tuna oh okay so you still have. some Tunas but it's different now yes. and the original tuna helped choose. these ones yes so there's there's. pictures of of you know the original. tuna next to AI tuna and Al you know. ring they're both ringing bells and so. so it kind of you know made everybody. part of the process and everyone you. know everyone grieved together for the. you know the loss and embraced the the.

new tuna so you know I I keep people you. know in invol it's a family people love. I mean my ex-girlfriend is a cat lover. she loved her cats you know she loved. him she was a good cat mom and she loved. them and she I was amazed it was one. thing that even just showed me how good. she was at loving people was just you. know how much she could love a cat and. and really you know think about a cat um. did you guys bury tune in anywhere. special or how did that go down oh we. cremated her so she I have like a whole.

little uh glass area with the various. you know pinky was the first to go she. was my guitar she was guit she was my. best guitar player ever um and then then. tuna then you know when we lost you know. the pandemic was really tough on the. cats because they're used to that's so. much stimulus they they they love. working I mean if the cats aren't. working their their health just like. with people if you if a person quit no.

you know no purpose if they lose their. purpose in life then they kind of their. health and mental health is affected so. you know we lost a couple cats during. that Co time and I just lost two. 17-year-old cats that had been from the. beginning they were my from the very. beginning when I first started training. cats they were there with me and then to. you lose lose them within four months of. each other and who were their names and. it was Oz and. newie and and Oz is that Middle Eastern.

uh well is Oz well I was watching um Oz. that series Oz with the Oswald State. Penitentiary I was bottle feeding ity. and Oz and it would take one episode per. kitten per feeding so I chewed through. that entire series and so that's how Oz. got his name from you know from o and he. had a little bit of a every once in a. while he would just go get crazy and. beat up an orange cat for you know just. just out of nowhere and I and and I I.

like Behavior yeah I think it's because. is you know he was listening to all that. violence in the background I should have. chosen some more friendly programming. for him to listen to because he. definitely had a temper right I was just. like a we're you're the sweetest cat we. have what's going on like why are you. acting out like this he's got a dark. side yeah he had a very dark side but. everybody loved Oz I mean he was I mean. he didn't do much he was not the. brightest one everybody loved him so. much we came up with tricks that he. could do that were kind of fake tricks.

in the show and you know like he'd. jumped through a tissue paper hoop but. you know it was only this far and he'd. basically tear open the tissue paper and. walk through to the other side and it. was just so endearing people loved that. so magical God Dam I love seeing cats do. something if it's good oh yeah me knew. he was number one in the end when. towards the end she she was brilliant. she could do a lot was one of my best. film cats too but she would at the end. she was like I'm going to raise my I'm. going to do the one thing who's number.

one raise my paw and then I'm going to. play the piano and that's it that's all. I'm going to do and I was like all right. a lot of seniors get like that they got. one you know they do their last trick or. they'll you know y so you know and then. they'll just want to have a little bit. of dessert and go to bed early or. whatever oh yeah she was such a cranky. cat she just lay on my chest and growl. and purr at the same time I mean just. that was so tough losing her cuz she was. my baby and like o loved everybody but. knew he loved me and you know so that it. was really rough to you know when you.

have to make that decision to let him go. and so now I have you you know the. youngest cat right now is two two years. and but we we're auditioning because we. just had to retire two of our other. seniors wow so we're auditioning cat new. cats for the show so we have two. potentials we actually brought two of. the two two that were that we think are. are good acrat potential yeah uh one's. named Crush because uh she was the only. Survivor in a salvage lot in a car that.

was about to be. crushed so we got to her in the time. yeah it really is a you know great name. and she's she is just uh so I mean one. one training session she's already. hopping on the skateboard like I'm ready. to ready to ready to do this and and and. can you tell cats that want to be in the. show and cats that. don't that's a is that something well. it's it's hard to know females generally. work better like all the females have.

had a better work ethic than the males. the males are a little bit more like why. don't we just you know hang out and. watch TV and yeah like you know do I. really like Alba cortuna is you know. he's like he plays the cowbell and he'll. like hit it once and I'm like come on. like how about how about three and he's. like one two three so I mean they do. they do understand. work anymore I think it's a problem that. we've had across uh the animal kingdom.

and the human Kingdom oh yeah is that a. lot of the work ethic is. disappearing um how did the touring. start so I had just come back from a. thing called a festival of cultures. where I was doing a wildlife program. that was touring so we were touring with. five other groups Polynesian Paradise. Africa um the uh European where they did. fighting and are these all animal shows. or this different variety shows so they. were they were it was an educational.

tour so they basically were educating. people about the uh their this culture. got it so the uh and some of it was more. fun you know like Europe Europe they did. sword fighting and uh Native America was. that was a little bit more educational. and then I represented wildlife of the. world so I my little segment would be. bringing out various animals and doing. my little Wildlife presentation to you. know teach people like you know these. various animals from these parts of the. of the world and that's when I fell in.

love with touring I mean that's when I. was D and traveling in an ambulance at. that you know initially and then and you. guys got an old ambulance and turned it. into the acro cats well I turned that. was for the the wildlife of the world. and then I got a small RV after that so. that last year I had the band together. and I set it up on the kitchen table in. this RV that we had and so people would. be walking by the RV and be like hey you. want to see something cool you know I. open up the RV doors the band would play. you know the cat band would play and.

they're like what so so usually it's. something per it's sext something really. you know like you know I don't know I'm. not sure so so. short that's when I knew that maybe I. could do something with these cats so. when I got back and I knew that Wildlife. they they weren't going to be including. us in the next round of Tours and at. this point I would fallen in love with. with touring and traveling and see about. it oh just seeing things just you get to. see you know I because we try to stay in. places for you know we don't tour like a.

band does where you're oneoff oneof. oneoff that's how what fun is that so. but if we stay in a place for like three. weeks you get to know people I mean I. have I we go to New Orleans for like. almost a month every December so I have. friends there I mean I get to enjoy I. get to enjoy that City you know I get. San Diego beautiful weather right by the. oceans the sea lies all the things that. you can see in these other cities that. are awesome we're going to the east. coast this year so you know Portland. Maine absolutely love it right there but.

we're performing so close to the ocean. and you get to meet you know you get to. meet people and get to know people and. you just see you know I love roadside. attractions I mean I'm a sucker for like. biggest ball of dwine next exit pull off. now yes I'm totally seeing that yeah we. had a carnival worker in and he his um. great grandfather uh had three legs and. he was in one of the original like dime. show like one of the side shows like.

back in um like Vaudeville days almost. right there Frank lentini that's him and. he had three legs and we had his great. grandson in it was a yeah I saw his. segment I watched because I was like. pretty cool yeah yeah he seemed. interesting because I've always I always. was loved I always loved carnivals when. I was that whole lifestyle since I was. young when I read that the book The. boxar Children and I stare at those. freight trains and I just wanted so bad. to hop on one and just go because I mean. my parents I was their girl I was their. daughter they kept me on a pretty short.

leash yeah so I I was not allowed to. roam the country the neighborhood get. you wanted to get off leash fully I want. to get off leash fully exactly and just. see things and and experience life and. you know the the all the all the oh Nos. and all the oh yay so because it's. there's been a lot of I mean I've. learned so much on the road like they. gave me no instructions when I bought my. first RV they just handed the keys drove. off the lot and I popped all the tires. within the first 6 months because it was.

it was stored outside and the tires the. tire yeah they had no instruction at all. so then Good Sam dumped me so I didn't. have that kind of you know roadside. assistance anymore and so this is when. you're on the you so you start the tour. you start the tour you started in an RV. so yeah we started we got we had an RV. and and is it Acro cats that's the name. of the time yeah the yeah there was the. amazing Acro cats and we did our first. uh you we did our first like real show. was like in 2006 at a at a little uh.

place called The reversible eye and that. was actually one of the more successful. shows at that point I was like okay I'm. finally doing I've got enough put. together that I can pull off a show. where was this um it was in Chicago okay. and you have all the cats you want how. many cats are in the show at this point. I think there was like maybe six six. seven cats in the show okay was there. ever a cat you wanted to get you just. couldn't get the contract wrer or the. deal wrer with him or whatever like it. it's uh well there two 2009 is kind of. when things really shifted shifted from.

you know cuz my initial goal was to get. the cat's. attention uh for film and television. work like that you still try yeah you. still like I was yeah I'm still trying. to get them film and television work. right. but Jesus and and it was working I. started you know I mean my cat Bowie is. on u a Blue Buffalo tasteful commercial. he rocks it oh really oh yeah he's it's. he's he he Nails every shot he's damn. perfect looks in the camera he's he's. he's fantastic I mean he's a poster.

child he's he's on the stores of the you. know when I go down the pets in the pet. store I'm like there he is on all the. food packages and you know like that's. my boy you know he like yeah he's he's. killing he's so great and he swaggers. he's got such a Swagger so so but. initially that's you know what I started. it to do that but then 2009 is when. things shifted because I I wanted to add. an another cat to the show okay and at. this point why why do you is the show. faltering or you just not well a lot of.

the cats like you know they start out. strong they're doing eight tricks and. the second you know they're going you. middle of the first year you know. between the year one and two they're. like yeah so we're only going to do. these tricks these two tricks I'm just. gonna I just want to do these two tricks. they get an ego so yeah so they're so. they renegotiate their contracted I'm. like I'm only going to do these two. tricks I'm like well who's going to do. these tricks that's not my problem care. I don't care not my problem so so then. I'm like well I need to add another cat. to the show we need someone you know and.

I and I'm like well I really want it to. be a rescue cat but I don't want to just. pick one and be what if it's not like. the right one and I can't just return it. because well this one's dumb you know I. can't do that so I thought well why. don't I Foster a litter and then I'll. train them all pick the best one and. then find the rest of them home so that. was my plan and then I found uh a a. rescue that you know were Des for. Fosters so uh so they snatched me up. immediately because there was a a dire.

need for for Fosters and and they sent. me into the trenches I mean I had no no. knowledge no just no I had no idea what. I was getting into so they sent me to a. u res a shelter that's basically an. intake facility not open to the public. people dump off animals there they take. send me the kitten room and they say uh. so whoever you don't whoever you don't. don't pick from this room today we're is. going to be euthanized 12 kittens in. that room and this is a g Japanese game.

show no this not no it's it's a it was a. yeah I was just joking I know but no it. could be a Japanese game show probably. probably is a Japanese game show. actually with with Squid game out there. and whatnot I could see. that you walk into a room I walk into a. room they're like weever we don't pick. we're going to euthanize I'm like what. you know so I was like I'll take them. all give them all do so like so you left. out of there that day with how many cats. 12 kittens I take them home they have.

resp I didn't mean to make that sound. they they all have respiratory issues I. didn't know all my cats get sick and I'm. medicating like you know 20 some cats. right I get everybody healthy I train. everybody up and that was a really like. you know that there's a pet. overpopulation problem you know that. there's a problem but until you're. thrown into a situation like that where. you're actually told these kittens are. going to die today because no there's no. home for them you see people dumping off. their cats on a regular basis just.

leaving them behind you know they're not. part of the family they're just left. behind like garbage well cats act like. they want to leave all the time too some. of it is their fault I'm not going to. say that it should happen but some of. the cats are like well that's that's. because the person has not invested the. time in the cat and that could very well. be true and that is part of what that's. where the where where the change. happened so I got these cat these 12. kittens I ended up finding homes for all.

of them and and I realized that and I. went in I got more I bet nobody wanted. to talk to you because if you even talk. to somebody they're like this lady's. going to try to give me a cat oh no. we're very picky about adops yeah oh. wow I mean they have to fill out an. application all you know all the things. so I mean I this was just really you. know eyee opening for me and I also. realized that that part of the not only. were just kittens being dumped off but. people were leaving their adult cats. behind and that's because they they felt.

like their cat didn't care they didn't. have a relationship with their cat and. that's where I thought well I can make a. difference here I so part of you know my. part of my show is like an educational. to inspire people to you know like hey. not only can cats do tricks you can. teach your cat look at the relationship. I my cats act like dogs they follow me. around the house I mean I the little. kittens that I just started training. they follow me around like puppies. they're like what whatever we going to. work what going to work let's do. something let's do something and and I. realized that I can make a difference. here I can help save lives so not only.

have I saved you know actual lives but. I've fostered and found homes for. 340 cats and kittens since 20 since that. 2009 and I you know through my show I. fost Foster a bunch take them on the. road with me teach them tricks put them. in the show and then find homes for them. right after the show people can't even. adopt them well we because we stay in a. place for for a while to fill out they. fill out the application we check the. references and if they you know get. approved they get they get the training.

kit all the kittens are are trained to. go to a a carrier at the sound of a. whistle they're all they're all. comfortable traveling in a car which is. a big thing and they're all trained to. do a parlor trick so like a high five a. sit pretty a spin maybe even playing the. piano and who's going to leave a cat. behind that high fives you when you come. in from work that day and they give you. a high five after your bad day you're. not going to leave that cat behind no so. so my admission is like no cat gets left. behind when disaster strikes or you move.

you're you're that cat's part of your. family and because I've given the cat a. good start by training them to do the. basics and they all they're all clicker. trained Marines almost yeah no cat. left yes you know this cat is going to. be a permanent part of your life I've. already pre-trained it all it already. knows yeah already knows that you know. all you have to do is give him the queue. and he's going to sit pretty for you and. here's here's the whistle to call them. to for for meal time so that's part of. the so part of the show also is that not.

only you are the cats performing but. there's this underbelly there's this. positive underbelly of um you shelling. out cats to people and getting cats into. the homes yeah yes well good homes good. homes we don't just like hand them out. on the corner yeah cuz I mean yeah I. mean yeah that's the thing about a cat. people are always like dude you want a. cat and he be like just o just if you. leave your door open like a cat cat will. come in that's that was always the thing. about cats like you don't like one of my. friends was was like dude I think I'm.

going to buy this cat I'm like dude you. don't buy a cat you. just just be somewhere and just get a. cat yeah they choose you they'll appear. in your life like they will like just. you they're like little Whispers from. God or whatever yeah just I mean we've. had so many instances of you know like. we on Milwaukee Avenue in Chicago one. day a bus pulls up door opens a cat. comes out a little kitten comes out. steps out of the bus and walks up to our.

front door it just like hey I heard this. is a place to go just got out of jail I. need to be I need to be here so and I'm. like what just happened here this bus. door just open this kitten came out and. they sitting at my front door I mean I. witnessed it happen you know it just a. lot of cats have that fast pass or. whatever I know um with the tour what's. what was one of the tougher times you. had you ever have a time where just the. show barely got off the ground or it. just didn't something just happened well.

I mean there's been so many especially. with the bus we had this Texas Fiasco. where we finally got back on the road. and we had a fan clutch issue the the uh. bus broke down the some a couple guys. tried to fix it they made it worse we. were stuck in a in a bar off in the. middle of nowhere for like three days we. had to cancel our show in Dallas and I. I've probably canceled maybe a half. dozen shows in my lifetime M I am one of. those The Show Must Go On if there's a.

way to get there I will get there and do. the show I mean even when I was going. through cancer treatment had a broken. foot at the same time I was still doing. the show you know the show must go on. people are excited about these cats you. know they're like can't wait to see the. cats again like we have repeat people. people that see the show every time we. come to town oh cat people are. absolutely insane they have their. favorite cats they have all my my cats. have their own merch and so you know. people I don't want to let down the. people that are so excited about the. cats and and you know but we were there.

we were grounded we were not able to get. you know to to that that destination so. we finally you know we end up getting. towed to a proper repair place and it. doesn't get fixed in time so we're. having to rent. U-Hauls and live in the theater during. the show during the show run so then we. get to and this was like March a couple. years years ago in Texas and when they. had that freak snowstorm in Texas so so. we the show was canceled then it wasn't.

then it was cancelled then it wasn't. because of the snowstorm so we're living. in the venue you know with everything. set up ready to go in case we can do the. show and then the bus that was supposed. to be ready for Houston the broke down. 20 minutes out of the shop so we did not. you know we didn't have the bus yet. again so we had to get another U-Haul. get transfer all the the the cats and. get you know get a rental car get all. the cats to the next venue and luckily. the venues were all were amazing so they. let us move in and sleep in the venue.

we're sleeping on couches you know we. got some air mattresses and also and. when you go on tour how many people are. on the tour bus with you or in the RV uh. well there's uh myself and then I. usually have two at least two assistants. at one point we had a driver that. traveled with us but postco drivers are. really hard to come by you just you know. there's a shortage of drivers and they. um they generally want an an obscene. amount of money and they want a hotel. room.

that's crazy expensive like we can't. afford that I I want to keep the ticket. prices somewhat reasonable I mean we've. had to raise the prices pretty you know. intensely as it is but we always try to. keep a level of seats that are. affordable because you know between the. fuel. and so expensive and I've learned how to. drive the bus since because I'm like I. cannot be at the mercy of drivers. anymore like did you have to get a. commercial driver's license or no well. it's it's a because it's a private owned. code so I I own it and and I've just.

because I've been driving big vehicles I. started out with the ambulance and then. it was a 23ft RV then a 27t RV then it. was a 35ft bus and now it's a 45t bus. and so I've just you're driving an. actual tour bus yeah I'm driving an. actual tour bus wow and full of cats. full of cats and assistants yeah so and. then we hire someone to drive the longer. like if it's a long drive because it's. It's just tough on me to do to drive so. we'll hire someone to do the long drive. and then I'll I'll drive like the short.

drives like when we go to the east coast. I'll drive to from Boston to Portland. and then we're going to stay in Portland. for almost a month oh good and so so we. get to you know settle in a campground. and go back and forth with to the venue. and fun and yeah so I mean I just I love. that part of it where you get to see you. know you know I get to see people I. haven't seen you know a couple years you. know or you we go like some places we go. every year we go to Texas every year New. Orleans every year have you ever had. issues with performers like have you. ever had an issue like a performer.

didn't make it to the show or like. what's that kind of like oh I had last. the last time we were in Portland my. assistant That was supposed to fly in. her daughter got Co so she got Co and. then the assistant that was with me she. got Co so I had to do the entire show. myself um and even our merch person who. usually random merch also got Co so. luckily I had a mega fan and the sound.

guy who had been helping us with the. show forever um he you know they they. chipped in and you know they helped me. you know I'd box the cats they'd help. you know reset the stage take the cats. in I would run in I would like have like. kind of half makeup on i' set the merch. thing up and I'd you know would start. the selling of the merch and I'd. instruct whoever volunteer was there. okay this is what you need to do and. then I would go back back out and get. dressed for the show and then I'd run. back out on stage and I'd do the opening. announcements right and then I'd sell.

the cat ears cuz we walk around with the. tray cat ears get your cat ears cat ears. get your cat ears so then I sell the cat. ears do the opening announcement and. then you know move take the cers back. and then I had a friend that was kind of. with me who uh she didn't she was just. there as like more of a friend she. didn't really know how the show went she. hadn't done any rehearsal so so. basically she was kind of at least. another body on stage oh yeah yeah it. was just pretty much me up there you.

know you know like okay let this cat out. now let this cat out now and grabbing. the props when I need them and and. explaining to the audience like it's. just me up here and and you know I've. never done this part before so I'm like. I'm looking at this long script I'm. going I'm not going to say all that I'm. just going to wing it so this is a. situation so I don't know what's going. to happen but we're just going to you. know enjoy the cats and and and I had. and I learned I mean I learned a lot. after that. experience uh I I changed a lot of our.

you know the way we sell merch I I was. like this is insane I so I like we're. going to make part of the self- serve. and and you know just only the you know. important things do people have to you. know dig for to give to the so you know. I just I learned how learned where some. of the where improvements needed to be. made yeah sometimes it's certain things. Force you in a certain moment and then. that's where you learn the most which is. kind of wild and the show but The Show. Must The Show Must Go On I am one of. those like. literally The Show Must Go On you don't.

just decide oh you know I'm not I'm not. feeling it today or I mean I've done a. like I've had full on sick where I could. had to talk in a whisper you know like. I'm doing I've got tea on stage. Whispering into the microphone because I. can barely because I barely have a voice. but I'm still doing the best I can and. then immediately going and sleeping and. and resting aot yeah oh yeah managing. yourself and getting all that kind of. stuff done is is a lot um then having to.

drive the bus too you know D I can't. even imagine and still train the cats. and raise the babies the kittens um you. know that we have portable incubators so. you know there's bottle a lot of times. we have bottle babies with us and have. you ever gotten uh stopped by the police. and they're like what's going on here uh. very very rarely I it's you know I think. that's it like animals bring out the. best in people for the most part so we. we run into so many great people out on.

the road that have been so helpful and. come to our rescue well like has there. ever been a perform like a a cat that. had it all like a cat that kind of had. it all and then just for some reason. things just kind of fell apart like kind. of like the Cris Brown of like cats kind. of well they uh I think we've only had. one cat that we were after like a year. of trying I was like this cat is just. not is not going to to be acat material. so we retire you know we uh we moved him. to another cuz I also we still train you.

know cats and other animals for film and. television so I'm like well this guy. he's got he's got model qualities he's a. Siamese he's he's got the Siamese. coloring so he could get he could get. you know commercial work and so he he. was transferred to another. department that's fair then but a lot of. the cats if when they get to that you. know they decide like okay I'm not going. to do this I'm not going to do that or. when they get older. and you and some if they get joint pain. oh yeah and so then I I scale back on.

the tricks that I have them do because I. certainly don't want them to experience. pain of course not was there ever a. trick that you tried to get cat to do. and finally you decided to be like we. can't make this trick work uh there it's. there's been some that I've tried. because there's there's yeah there's. some Russian cat circuses out there that. that are they're different. kind of I mean they're they're they're. sharp like I mean my cats come out and. stretch and groom and just start it's.

like hiring family they're not. professional but you know I've seen some. pretty impressive things with these. Russian cat circuses where they really. high up in the air or they do this army. crawl on the on and at one point I was. like I really want to teach this army. crawl but then I looked at it and I was. like how can that possibly be. comfortable for the cat it just it what. it just doesn't seem like it's it's you. you know I I ended up abandoning. attempting that trick because I I I. looked at it and I thought I does it.

doesn't seem right it doesn't how can. that it's not natural it's not a natural. skill at all like balancing on a ball on. a barrel climbing a rope jumping down to. my back I mean those are all cat agility. type things they've got great balance uh. you know none of the props are super. high up where you know OE the one that. jumps to my back I mean that's an8 foot. high pole yeah I mean and she cheats she. crawls Down 2 three feet and then jumps. to my back I didn't even know until I. saw a video clip that she's been.

cheating the whole time she's not even. doing the true jump like Leah Thomas or. whatever yeah um I'm like have you seen. these Russian cats jumping 20 ft up in. the air down to a pillow well Russ yeah. it it look it's the same as like when. those Russian hamsters came in it kind. of changed the game of um hamster sales. in our area I remember that the Russians. are very severe about um the. dictatorship over animals oh yeah it's a. different energy um has there ever been.

a time where like like you come back at. halftime and the cats are all like just. bummed out or they're smoking or. whatever or they're just like cat they. get into the catnip they get they get. over to that merch table and roll around. the catnip I'm just like oh no they it's. like oh and they'll go into the audience. and if somebody's bought a catnip toy. they'll dig it right out of the the. purse they just take it just take it oh. yeah I mean and they they'll drink their. beer I mean like Jax loves beer so I. mean everybody like hold on to your. drinks do not give this cat beer she.

loves beer don't let her drink the beer. yeah might be a single mother too who. knows just yeah just because the cats. are always they're opportunists you know. they're they're going to do you know. they're going to be like I'm just going. to go the catnip out there see you you. know and I'm I'm left like what am I. supposed to do here like with because. albore just like he the supposed to be. the star he's supposed to have this. moment where we do a solo in the middle. of the show of course and it's his. highlight and he's just he's like.

they're they got popcorn out there and. PBR I'm just going to go and I'm like. what do you mean you're going to go and. he's like yeah I'm just going to go and. I'm like yeah but this is your moment. he's like yeah I'm just going to go and. I'm standing there the music is starting. I've got I don't have my solo cat he's. just he's just gone to the bar to get a. PBR and and some popcorn and I'm like. send out Dixie so so Dixie comes out and. does all the tricks just because she had. been doing them you know she was just.

just Bam Bam Bam did the tricks better. than he did honestly so she saved the. day so she saved the day you know and he. comes racing up on stage to try to take. over because hey now I don't want this. other cat doing my job you know and he's. he's just failing because Dixie is just. leaping you know higher and faster and. long doing like he's like three beats. behind everything so and that and at. that point that's when that that portion. of the show turned into a competition so. I had to to change that portion and. because of that incident so I'm all.

constantly having to change and evolve. based on like we had a cat that got sick. um you know and then something was off. like the first show we did I was like. something's wrong with Bowie so I you. know I'd whispered to my you know like. skip skip this skip this trick skip that. trick so then Bowie went to the vet and. I had to like rearrange the show and. bring out you know this cat to cover for. for this trick for Bowie and you know AE. are going to be drumming you know for.

both shows and you know Aussie's the one. that's like the what the you know the. one that's always like what do she's. like always what do you got when I get. you know she has to climb up the pole. yeah let me see what you got here yeah. the 8 foot pole and leap to my shoulder. where she walks three feet down and then. leaps to it she's like she literally is. like what do you got if I don't have. tuna or salmon and a good piece like be. like not doing it then I have to go back. and get something better and go how. about now and then she'll do it yeah did. you ever have a like um any issues where.

the show couldn't go on or um like just. issues with some of your performers that. made it tough like what has been some of. that uh well we we had an incident where. the star the original tuna disappeared. to like three hours before the show the. driver had left a little window open and. tuna was nowhere to be found I mean I. had posters up in 10 minutes I mean I'm. walking up and down the street calling.

you know whistling all the things you. know like and you know tuna is like. nowhere to be found now it's two hours. before show time now it's an hour before. Showtime you know I'm like what am I. going to do she's the star of my show. like she's like this is like tuna you. can't I mean she like any of the other. cats I can cover for but I mean I I have. to have tuna yeah and and then I noticed. that there's this white cat right next. door to the venue we're performing at. and he's behind this rod iron fence and.

and I was like tuna you know and the cat. just looks at me like I don't know who. you're talking I don't I don't know any. tuna and I was like and then I asked the. guy go is this your cat he goes no and. I'm like tuna and still like nothing. right so then I went and I got the bell. and I put the Bell right inside the. fence and rang it and which of course. tuna couldn't resist that was like oh. that's my trick it just just you know.

can't help it like there's one cat that. if I hit a piano note she comes running. so I hit that Bell and the cat that kept. saying no I'm not tuna came right over. rang the bell and I was like I you've. been here this whole time you've seen me. running up and down the street panicking. and you're just sitting here acting like. you're this guy's pet when we have a. show in like an hour now and you've just. been watching me panic and you been here. this whole time and she's he like yeah. care didn't care like yeah whatever like. I'll do you know actors are so hard to.

deal with oh yeah the cat I mean it's. that's most of what I've heard you know. yeah I mean that's a lot of what I heard. um do the do the cats do like a halftime. at the show or anything like or is there. like a little break you guys all go back. in the locker room or anything like that. or it's just one full the show is a well. it's like it's like an hour and a half. show and then we do a meet and greet so. okay uh so it's expand over the years. now it's a nine we now have a nine-piece. band it started out as a three-piece. band and then we you know we added.

cowbell and then we added Chimes and we. added a chicken on symbol in tambourine. and then we added a horn section so now. we have trumpet saxophone and clar oh. it's beautiful so we have this nine. piece band of course you got to have. yeah well people are more demanding now. too people want to see it all it's and. it's so much fun I mean I just love the. whole band playing together and then we. do the meet and greet so people get to. come up and depending on the size of the. venue if it's you know up to 150 people. can come up and get it do the meet and.

greet where they see the cats up close. they can take photos with the band and. they and also that that way they they. can see that because the cats could. leave literally if they're not. comfortable or they're freaked out they. could just go I mean it's a big theater. there's a curtain dude yeah they could. go in their carrier they could hide they. could they could go back to outer space. also the fact that they're sitting there. posing for a picture and just com. comfortable with the Stampede of people. coming up to get photos with them shows. people also that like that this is this.

is a whole new level of cat and and if. she can do it and because my cats do. fail I mean they come out in the groom. and yeah have you ever had a cat's fight. on stage uh after the show we've had. there's been some some issues where. we've there's some animosity that I have. to keep certain cats separate for sure. it's like strippers but yeah been. there's been some some moments where I. have to keep you know certain ones away. and do you ever had cat jump into the. crowd and go after somebody or anything.

yeah after it was luckily it was after. the show so there was a little little. incident afterwards and we got them. separated and but you know it's you know. like if we see like the one cat like. everybody knows who doesn't get along. with with somebody so now we have. spotters in the audience that it's like. you know most of the cats are allowed to. go out and wander and do their thing but. if this cat cat leaves that's it's. because he's you know yeah he wants to. start something so bring you know make. sure this cat comes back but the others.

they they're free to wander and and they. and you know like I said it kind of. keeps it fun because I never know what. they're going to do I'm constantly. having to to shift things around when. you and just make it work work on the. Fly are people allowed to bring cats to. the show would prefer that they don't I. mean we've had somebody occasionally. sneak one in you know that but uh they. you know and sometimes times the service. dogs that have to be admitted we you. know they they have to be at least four. rows back so that they don't upset the. cat upset the show yeah yeah but yeah.

that's fair yeah is there after the show. you ever celebrated give the cats a. little bit of champagne or anything to. kind of enjoy the evening kind of oh I. mean well you know the catnip parties. for sure they get their you know catnip. parties and they get the leftover snacks. CU I mean we cook fresh chicken salmon. tuna turkey chicken liver like they eat. better than we do like I'm I'm eating. Les out of a can yeah that's like name. McCormick and schmi they're at or. whatever and and they're they're dying. on fresh sushi like sushi gray tuna.

that's lightly seared on both sides rare. in the middle that's how they like it. right and and and I'm like eating. Pringles I'm like oh man this smells so. good yeah it's baffling to me um is. there a lot of competition in the market. I've seen like there's like meow good. death I'm trying to think of some of the. are like uh scratchbox 20 I've seen. there's like some different band like. cat bands that I've seen online but is. there a lot of competition in the market. I mean you mentioned there's some.

Russian shows yeah that I'm really like. the only touring act that of this nature. that's just and you know full on I mean. there's there's po Gregory papovich. who's who's based out of Vegas and he. does tour around like I think one once a. year or so he hits in various places so. he's he's kind of the only cat you know. the like regularly touring show and then. there is some also it's a cats dogs.

birds and some other things okay so it's. multi-animal yeah multi multi animals uh. so he's pretty well known for his cats. and he started it in Branson then got. that Vegas job so you know he's he's. he's definitely well known for the for. the cats and then there's the uh I think. there's some Russian two two women that. do that do like a the uh a cat act you. know I think maybe they have like five. cats or or such and they do a lot of the.

uh they do some of the venues that I. can't because my cats uh are they're. they're going to want you know if I'm in. a if I'm in a hall where there's other. things like booths and people always. want me to come to these Expos and. whatnot I'm like you guys have like. booths and serving food and my cats yeah. my cats are like going to be like I'm. just going to there's hot dogs over. there I'm just going to go get a hot dog. and why I I don't see you so you know. but there's uh but there's definitely a. couple their cats are are a lot more.

like precise because the the. relationship they have more of a. professional relationshipi type of. energy yeah it's just you know they they. go their carry they go to their carrier. they come out they work they go to their. carrier they're not hanging out and. watching television at night with the. with with the animals right it's a very. it's almost like being like Russian. almost very Russian people you know in. Russia some of the children even have. dolls that are made out of stone and you. would see kids with like a three or four. pound doll like that's crazy but it also. at the same it's like it teaches you.

that there's a weight of taking care of. someone um so it's it's just I mean I. had to make a choice at one point either. I can have a slick show or I can enjoy. the enjoy being with the animals right. and I and I I'm happy with the choice. that I made because people seem to. really love the fact that those cats. sometimes do it and sometimes don't and. it it actually is more encouraging. because we sell training kits after the. show so people can train their cats oh.

people can do it yes so they they're. inspired to go home and train their own. cats and and it has made made such a. difference hone yeah that people I'll. get know letters from people and videos. or look you know look what I trained my. cat to do and and you seeing your show. changed my life and this relationship. that I have with this cat is is has. completely changed and the behavioral. problems have stopped because I started. paying attention and training my cat so. there's so many benefits there's health. benefits yeah because a lot of people.

just cats are [ __ ] crazy yeah don't. they they're just they have all this. energy and if you're keeping them inside. because you need to because it's. dangerous out there that you need to. give them something to do with their. brain and their body some people say. they're even from outer space do you. ever feel anything like that no I mean I. I mean I think that that they're just. very independent. intelligent I mean smarter than dogs in. a way because you know dogs are just. like all do whatever where cats are. Grudge holders and very like no you know.

stubborn and you know you really have to. work within you know within the cat you. have to make it fun for the cat for sure. you have to find out what the cat likes. to do I mean I spent a lot of time just. hanging out with the cats watching them. especially like the group of kittens we. have you know they're all running around. I'm seeing who's climbing who's who's. who's you know who's perching who's. who's using their paw like what what. what is this cat what you know what can. this cat do what what should I focus on. so I you know just by hanging out with. the cats and watching what they do.

that's how I'm inspired by to come up. with with a a trick to coordinate what. you know what they can do wow um if if. you had to pick like a Mount Rushmore of. like your best performing cats and you. had to put four of them on it obviously. tuna the original tuna is on there who. else is on there uh boy the I mean auste. is very solid but. slow slowly I mean just hysterically. solid slow Bowie is is pretty is pretty.

good uh albore tuna is solid but know. it's kind of riding the the coat Tales. of you know like the original tuna like. doesn't really feel like he has to prove. himself you know he's like I'll do the. minimum and where tuna had a really. original tuna had a really great work. ethic that's what's nice yeah having. that is very nice and oh and then I have. um n is my young and she is a m just. crazy I mean I uh was she I was. quarantined with I had Co for the first.

time ever I was in New Orleans so it was. her and I and I had all I had this time. so I actually was able to do shaping so. a lot of times when because I'm training. fast and shaping is what shaping is when. you just sit with clicker and treats and. you wait for the cat to do something and. then the cat has to figure out what it. is you want to do without any clue from. you I so you let them learn it let them. learn it teach themselves that's really. the best way yeah so then they're like. oh I heard their click so okay what you. know like you just see the light come on.

in their eyes once they you know that. that light bulb moment where they get it. they're like oh I think I get it I. thought you know because at first. they're just like what is it that you. want you know like I just don't get it. and then they hear the click and they're. like okay something to do with the Paw. something to do with this paw something. to do with this keyboard oh I think it's. the keyboard I oh okay and you know you. just sit and you just wait then they're. playing damn stair aten and yeah EA lamb. yeah it's and then when you see that.

light come on and and they're just they. get it I mean so they basically they. learn to learn and then they get. creative too and they'll they'll come up. with their own tricks or you know you'll. start training them to do one thing and. they'll be like no I want to do this. instead and I I love that about them the. the creativity of that that cats have. that the fact and and the fact that. they're negotiators too cuz I mean once. I'm on stage I'm I'm like in front of an. audience I can't I can't like reset and. be like okay we're going to redo this.

here and I'm not going to move on with. the show until you get this right I have. to just go with the flow and they know. that I you know they I'm I'm a little. stuck so they'll be like I'm not going. to do this but I'll do this instead oh I. see you know and I'm like okay that's. only the most cat thing I've heard all. day MH yeah I'll do this inste yeah I'll. do this instead yeah but I do this. instead we had a guy we had a h corner. on he said that cats would eat people if. they passed away have you ever heard. that oh I totally believe it I mean they. said yeah this guy said a cat could even.

eat your face within like 30 something. hours or something if they wanted to oh. I mean I respect that about cats a dog. will die right along beside you a cat's. going to be like has she taking her last. breath maybe I'll start early you. know you know but I respect that I I I. respect that cats are Grudge holders too. like they you do something that that. they don't like you know like they like. write it in their little book and like. I'm going to remember this that you just. did this and so yeah that's and I I. really do respect that about cats.

because they are not as forgiving which. is why you know you have to really you. know make it you know can never be. forced it's got to be fun you know for. the cat and and like if the cat if. they're going to perform they really are. they mean it yeah yeah cuz you're not. going to get anything for free out of a. cat yeah exactly and you know but if. it's if it's a high. you know reward like if it's a salmon I. mean it's like okay I'm going to drum a. little bit more for the salmon than I. will for the chicken you know with the.

youngsters the kittens are like chicken. that's great we'll do everything they. don't know yeah they don't know but the. seasoned ones they're like yeah let's. see what you got here that chicken that. salmon looks a little dry you got. anything better wow just yeah so and. I've had the cats that same cat go up. that pole four times in a show and just. wait up there and I have to stop the. show of you know well cuz I'm at this. part of the show and then 's back up on. that pole because she left instead of. going back to her carrier went back up. the pole because she liked the.

particular cooking that day the cooking. was good that day so she's like I want. more I'm so now the show's changed a. little we're going to keep we're going. to do maybe some different things that. we might not have done yeah and I got to. back go back over there get do assume. the position where I'm like leaning over. she does the jump to my back and then. sometimes leaves again yeah and then. ends up back on that pole and people are. like pointing and I'm like again so so a. lot of just watching you work with cats. it's like just the the reality is that. it's almost impossible what we're going.

to do our best yeah yeah I'm just. standing there like with my you know my. arm flung out at this cat grooming and. because it especially because I mean I. had probably one of the worst. experiences I ever did early on in my. career I I got a a weekl long gig in. Branson and because papovich abandoned. Branson for this for for the gig in uh. Vegas so they had no cat acting they had. Billboards people were traveling miles. to see that you know his his cats and so.

they hired this guy to put together. another act to take the place of this so. he he hired a dog act um a bird act and. then a cat act and it was he had so a. Russian some a couple Russian people. coming in with cats but he had one week. where he didn't they weren't available. so he he brought me in on the advice of. somebody who had never seen my show wow. and then you know people are expecting. this you know these this a big. opportunity cuz you're coming in Branson. yeah full theater I mean tuna ran off.

stage the very first rehearsal I oh it. was just I mean the you know the the the. guy he was like listen you know you're. act as just I'm not you're supposed to. be the headliner but you can't be so I'm. going to have to bury you in the middle. and and then in the meantime you know. the dog people hated us because we. weren't organized the bird people hated. us cuz the cats wanted to eat the birds. so and I'm just mortified because the. cats aren't doing anything and that and. the cats are super sensitive so they're. feeling the hate from the audience right. you know because they people are.

expecting awesome cats and they're. getting Samantha's not so amazing Agro. cats and you know and I I mean I just. wanted to Slither out of town in the. middle of the night and I had even. collect my fee and go back home the show. early well no I was I fulfilled my week. and during that time period the guy that. that hired me he gave me all sorts of. tips and got help got got me organized. and showed me how to play off you know. like when you know when a cat did. something you just commit to it like. look at that the cat's doing nothing but.

isn't that great you know and and just. really exaggerate the moves you know you. know not do no teapot arms you had to. just you know bring that excitement even. though the cat isn't doing anything you. just play it off as that's what it's. supposed to do look at this amazing cat. look at that yeah go you know so we just. did the best we could and then you know. it was a very long Qui drive home of of. like do I should I even continue this. hot mess because I was an epic fail epic.

fail until you know I thought that was. the worst until I bombed Uncle. Bear oh yeah I saw that oh that was the. worst oh and as soon as and newie soon. as I opened up the carrier newie was. like didn't come out to skateboard and I. was like oh and she's like what' you. think was going to happen I was like you. jerks you know this is our big. opportunity for us we're star our. Kickstarter campaign and you guys are. going to do this now really and they're. like oh yeah they they they got me good. on that I was just like but luckily he.

was a good sport about it I saw he came. out and kind of walked on the ball like. that I thought had cat ears on he kept. those cat ears he put them on. occasionally oh that's cool he was. really great that was awesome yeah I. mean but I only like four tricks out of. 10 happened do you think you really have. any control over the cats do you think. it's I mean. a little bit but it's really and I think. what went wrong there is that there were. two they because they pick up on nervous.

energy so if I'm nervous they're nervous. and then I had all these extra. assistants were like we want to be on. the show so we had too many people. involved too much energy and they felt. it and they felt all that nervous energy. so they were like oh we can't we're not. going to we just can't do this so just. like we we really can't do uh when. people want to hire us for an event and. it's a mixed bag of people like some are. cat lovers some aren't like my cats feel. that energy they they're like we're we. don't feel the love so that's why we do.

the we we rent out a theater you know. we're we're not really For Hire right. it's more we want cat lovers to come. yeah so it's a self-produced show so I. rent out the theater we do the. advertising we do marketing we do you. know do everything from the beginning to. end and you know it's hard to find. venues that'll even let you know that'll. let us for sure I mean well it's hard to. find humans that will believe in what. you're doing I mean I think it's a lot. of people think it's absolutely insane. to drive around in a um van with 11 cats.

or something they think it's insane yeah. it's something that you see of like a. hoarder or somebody that's a um some. freelance um nozar and type of human you. know but I think when you see that you. love it so much and that your goal or a. lot of your goal is have been to get. these cats in like big time programming. and get them fun opportunities if they. want if they want it and also to kind of. Meet the cats where they are it's like. if they're not if some of them don't.

have it they don't have it you don't. have to tell them that really you just. work with what they are willing to work. with yeah exactly work within their. parameters and and then and you know. inspiring people to to train their own. cats and and I know I've had I've saved. like I've saved some of my own cats. lives just because because of the. training routine like you know like I. would have practice every time anytime I. cooked the because the band is set up in. the kitchen anybody you know the band. comes running and they take their place. on their instruments and they start.

playing because they want they want. treats you know they know what song will. they play it's all free form Jazz it's. like their own music so it's it's you. know not all of not not a lot of them. are big hits I would say but uh it's our. own I used to live in Alphabet City in. New York for a little bit and you would. hear a lot of some of that at certain. nights or whatever um but yeah with the. one cat like my guitar player she was. solid my best guitar player ever she. didn't show up for band practice like. she always showed up for band practice. and I found I went looking for her and. she was like sitting in front of the. fireplace and and I even offered her.

free freebie like here how about take. this and she was like not interested I. was like something's wrong with pinky so. I took her to the vet and she had a. fever and I might not have noticed. anything was wrong for for several days. to the point of where it was too late. but because I had a routine established. and because I have a routine established. with these cats you know even blowing. the whistle for feeding time you can. tell within five minutes if something's. wrong with somebody just they might have. a limp they might be favoring one side. of their mouth when they chew you know. like something's wrong you know I I can.

I can tell just because I've you know. established a routine and it doesn't you. know you don't have to put together a. huge act like I have you can just one. simple trick you know even just the. whistle to the carrier will give you all. the information you need to know whether. or not your cat needs to go to the vet. and now you can take your cat to the vet. because it's already oriented to a. carrier because when we do fostering and. we adopt them out they're all they're. already all used to traveling do you. feel like they are the performers or. that you are the.

performer I I think that I'm it's it's. it's a combination we're both we're we. play off each other like so so whatever. you know whatever is happening with them. and you know we we you know causes my. you know so it's it's it's both we so. we're both performers but I definitely. The Improv thing it's I mean I have to. be like just be on and also but not. nervous either so so I had to be like.

okay it's going to be fine just you know. I always tell people especially new. people that are you know get a little. stage fright that um and I also suffer. from stage fright which really sucks to. suffer from stage fright nor yeah so I'm. like oh it's very normal you know I had. to kind of shove myself out there. because there's the part of me that. there's there's the there's the ner the. bottle rais you know the the shy girl. because I mean I was the the shy Outcast. growing up so there still that shy. little outcast in in in me that's taking.

that's a nurturer but then there's you. know Samantha the show person right and. I don't even know where she is she's. probably drinking at the bar I don't. know but I'm like where is she is she. going to show up I have to go out there. I don't even know what if she's going to. show up you know and then I get out. there and then. bam the cats start and and and then. there's that part of my personality that. can they can pull it off and I'm like oh. thank God you showed up I didn't know. where you were she's like I was at the. bar you know you know I'd show up will.

you have a cocktail before you go on. stage usually I yeah oh I'll have a. little bit of I'll have a glass of wine. before I you got to have fun yeah yeah. well it's just mainly to just you know. so I'm relaxed and and then the cat you. know so the cats are relaxed oh yeah. there's videos of cats even drinking. wine but do cats care if you use. profanity or drinker around them oh they. they they I. mean they use profanity and you know in. their own little world they they drink.

and smoke and do all the things I mean. ae's always seems as high as a kite on. weed you know like a puff of smoke comes. out of her carrier you know we all kind. of see it because you know just like. albacore with the popcorn and the PBR of. course he was not really holding a PBR. and chugging it and popcorn and his. other I mean they don't have opposable. thumbs they can't really do that but you. know I painted a pict picture and we all. saw that like we all saw him walking. down the aisle with popcorn and and a. PBR cuz he got terrible Taste of beard.

you know we all knew that he would chug. that PBR you know before coming up on. stage to try to take back what Dixie. stole and you know and you know. everybody that's on the road because. we're we're we're in this 45 foot by 8. by 5 foot space with these cats and. we're days on end you know just just us. it's kind of like you know Tom hanen. Cast Away with Will Wilson you know they. you know we have whole backstories and. you know where the cats we we know what.

you know what school they went to what. they majored in what their what their. job was you know they all worked at the. mall at one point no I think it's. fascinating it's important it's. important to build a world of what for. whatever your world is that you live in. you know it's important. to add characteristics to things and. make them bring them more alive you know. I think that's really interesting and. personalize them because you know we do. a calendar every year with their likes. and dislikes their fun facts and and is.

there ever any sex between the animals. or do you ever engage you ever see any. stuff like that I mean the all of our. all of the cats are spay and neutered. because it would be really irresponsible. especially once I got involved in in. rescue to uh don't they don't did they. decapitate the wi or like do they no. it's the testicles so oh they take the. they yeah the the testicles it's a less. invasive surgery than the spay the spay. they actually have to cut you know like. open and uh and yeah it's but it's it's.

so important there's so many you know. and we lost so much ground with Co you. know as far as the TNR programs I. because I work I have a lot of friends. that are involved with TNR which is. really you know t uh trap new to return. so you know if you they you want to have. an interesting guest on this guy. Sterling the trap king he uh he does TNR. and I mean they they go out there they. set these traps cuz there's cats that. are not going to be indoor cats they've. been living outside they're Street cats. but they're also reproducing and then.

now you're have hundreds of cats. smashing dude if you leave the windows. open you can hear it it's just on and on. until something has to be done so guys. like you know Sterling comes in they. come in with traps they get permission. from the from the complex or the owner. and they come in they set the traps up. and they can't just leave they can't. just set the Trap and leave they they. have to because otherwise when the when. the cat gets trapped you know if the sun. you know inclement. weather they got they got to Mill around.

and wait to see to to catch this cat and. then they have to get it over to the. place that's going to do the surgery oh. at 6:00 in the morning I mean it's a. huge dedication trap new to return I I. got to look into that yeah yeah um have. you ever had Peta come out and say. anything about your show have you ever. had any issues like that or no any we. had one person come in Cal California. one picker was that and then they they. left two hours before the show even. started and anytime somebody has.

attacked me on social media we I have. like a thousand people that come back. with have you ever seen her show if you. saw her show you would see that these. cats are her family they're her that. they're loved that they're not abused. they're not being forced that they they. literally are doing what they want to. what they want to do they're they're. free to leave I mean they are their. carriers are open there's a whole. theater for them to explore some of them. do sometimes people will start laughing. I'm like what's going on they've gone up. to the second level and they're doing.

stuff off with the props up there and. just just exploring you know there I'm. like there's a show yeah there's a show. going on guys there's a show going on. they like yeah but there's a piano up. here you know there's a piano up here. and I'm like yeah I saw the piano. earlier but we're doing a show right now. and on and I mean I so I'll have these. conversations with the cats and most of. the time I they don't the audience. doesn't hear but every once in a while. they'll hear my part of it where I'll. just have just I'll just be like I'm. just you know like I. am this stops now because it was like.

albore we had been practicing his. opening thing he comes out he turns on a. light that starts the show we rehearsed. it we did it every day for weeks he. knows what to do Showtime comes along. and he's like ah I just and I so I'd. have to turn it on for him and then the. day came he comes out he's just like I. and I'm like oh no you. don't enough you know how to do this you. have been doing this trick for weeks on. end you know what to do and he's like.

what are you doing you know of course. they don't hear that part you know he's. like what are you doing I go he's like. you're embarrassing me oh I'm. embarrassing you you're the one. embarrassing me I'm the one looking like. a crazy person talking to herself up. here when you know how very well how to. turn on this light and and he's like. okay all right fine just stop I'll do. I'll do it so he went and he turned on. the light and that we never we didn't. have a problem he he consistently you. know we had that little moment of like. okay we're going to talk about this. right now you're going to you you know. how to do this you're going to do it I'm.

not going to keep doing it for you and. and every once in a while he goes back. into he he now he has this whole weird. little routine where he comes out he. does a little dolphin thing CU when he. comes up you'll see he likes to Dolphin. so he's like oh I need a little extra. you know let me just dolphin a couple. times and he goes out and he almost hits. it and he thinks he's gotten it and I'm. like you didn't get it and he's like oh. I totally did I go no he didn't it's. like still it's not. on and he and he's like are you sure I'm. like yeah I'm really sure and he'll go. back out there and and you know and.

he'll finally you know he'll get it but. it has to be just right if it's too hard. to turn on he won't do it right and if. it's too easy he'll just breathe on it. or he'll use his chin and I'm like you. cheater you cheater you just you know. but people still love it like I said it. it it yeah well yeah it's somebody being. it's just seeing somebody being being. around cats is INS you know because. there's a level of insanity to it for. some people cuz they can't imagine it. but the fact that you love it I think is. what makes it so important and the fact.

also that you guys are um helping. getting cats in homes you know I didn't. even believe in cats I remember at first. somebody told me about a cat or. something I was like the [ __ ] are you. talking about when I was a kid you know. I was. like yeah you know what are you even. [ __ ] talking about the cats are so. amaz I just I mean I just love them so. much and it's so to I mean I mean. because I'll have the worst show I'll. feel like I just had the worst show ever. and people come up and like this is the.

best show I've ever seen and and the joy. that people have you know they're like I. haven't smiled I have had you know I was. going through cancer and I haven't. smiled in three years and this is the. first time I've smiled and and know I. get letters from you know like my you. know divorced couples it's like I I. brought my daughter to see your show and. the Very week you we got your training. kit the next week went over to the house. and I I paid for I paid my admission. price and my daughter had set up a whole. little cat circus in the basement and. still hate Stanley but I love those cats.

just so yeah yeah it's enjoy it's look I. it's fascinating I think it's. fascinating I think it's fascinating to. get to sit here with you Samantha Martin. and to learn about Acro cats you guys. are going on tour right we'll put the. links to where they can find you guys'. tour where is it uh oh um website oh. rockats rescue. or rockats rescue.org. you can find the tour for Samantha and. the amazing Acro cats and we're going to. get a couple cats up here yeah yeah. we've got some cats and some kittens.

some Foster kittens too the ones that. two two that are possib possibly going. to be joining the team and right now we. have 10 Foster kittens which is a lot. yes U the portal is open yeah so I um I. mean I have them all stationing I have. all these little like uh stools and and. things so they're all trained to go and. you it's called I call it the lion. pyramid of kittens so you know the I. have they'll all just come racing in and. then assemble you know on their various.

platform and then we'll have a a sign. that says adopt us that that you know we. put behind them and and it's and it's. just it's just chaos initially and then. eventually they all find their place and. they sit and they sit pretty and they do. their thing so it is you know like I. said and it's just I I I love training. and watching them learn see that light. come on and and just it it it's such a. it's a completely different cat than the. cat that's never paid attention to or. just you know bowl of food is left out.

247 and you know when cats are capable. of so much more I just you know just. spend 10 minutes a day with your cat. it's all it takes you know this is your. family member and 10 minutes a day isn't. too much to ask just to you know and it. really it's definitely fair some people. think cats are they don't know they. don't know know what they are even if. they have them but you're saying that. there's a lot more to cats that people. aren't seeing and investigating and that. they can spend a little bit more time. and do that yeah exactly and then less.

of them be left behind when you know. well I got to move and the place isn't. allow well you find a place cats will. stay though too cats will I'm not moving. and they'll stay so sometimes people do. leave their cats sometimes cats leave. the people too yeah well that that is. you know but if a person developed that. relationship then that that cat is going. to want to go wherever wherever you go. like that like my is that true yeah oh. absolutely if you if you just invest a. little bit of time in your cat yeah then. they're definitely going to want to stay.

with you I mean they you know that when. you know when tour time comes around and. it I mean they definitely I don't want. to be left behind I want to be left. behind something's happening something's. happening they they really I mean they. they yeah they want to go they love the. attention they love you know they I mean. they have the back third of the bus is. all decked out for the cats so they have. add in some pictures yeah I mean some. cats are performers some cats are um who. knows you know I think there's a lot to.

know about cats and I don't know a lot. of it but I'm grateful to just sit here. and and hear about it today and to know. what's going on that there's cats out. there there's something about knowing. there's cats out there traveling the. globe performing at night that kind of. keeps me going um let's get a couple. cats up here and see let's see what we. can see so there's a lot of there's a. lot of work that take that goes into you. know training training an animal yeah. that's fascinating especially cats. because you have to acclimate them so. many different.

things yeah most people think a cat is. just. crazy but it's it can be more than that. what. wow dude that's. great tuna. tuna oh my God. do like the F how about the bells a. little tight you can do it. tuna. tun oh wow that's.

sexy all. right try the small one it's really tuna. tuna there whoa gosh she's. bad then he really gets a good hype on. this one all right. tuna there we go. o oh that's a party cat.

wow it's clean that cat's clean. huh what do y'all clean it with oh oh. wow oh that one oh good job tuna it. could work at AutoZone dude that's. unbelievable oh yeah we did a we did a. car commercial really early on okay it. was hysterical with the cats uh tuna. tuna tuna he's like you were laid on. that tree I'm out of here we can bring. out the kittens where the chicken yeah.

the chicken's. here wow this is neat I didn't know that. uh that an animal could do something. like. that Twi jump over the oh she could be a. night manager at a motel Twi POS future. Acro cat ready and oh you cheated you. got to you got to clear it you got to. clear. it that was nice for you not to beat up.

the. kitten let's try it again get a running. start get a running. start get running start get running. start you're kind of cheating. there so the goal is for you we would. click once he clears it without stepping. on it oh I see so wants to the click. reinforces the exact movement that you. want so he's cheating or he's just. taking it easy he well he doesn't he. hasn't quite gotten it yet he's still in. the training like I just started working.

on this two days ago yeah Crusher I I'll. have to send the the clip of the. skateboarding that we've been working on. because it was one day of one day of. training with the skateboard yeah these. cats are really chilling out year now. yeah damn it's like a dang strip club in. here. [Music]. wow this the most cats we've ever had at.

once. time. anywhere that's the. best down here that samtha he's trying. to take. a that's. good wow they're. beautiful they're all uh available for. adoption well except we are Crush TX. crush and twixs are kind of uh on the. they maybe they may be hired if they. don't go on tour they're available for.

adoption well they'll go be on tour. regardless so when we go out on tour. they we bring them all out and oh you. know we'll kind of it'll be kind of like. a te like a test time to see who's who. loves it like some some cats are just. born to be on stage like this is we want. I want this job I want to do this other. cats are like I don't want this J so. they I want to be a house pet but I'll. still do some tricks so those are the. ones that we we adopt out and just. because we had retired two of our cats.

recently uh is why we're you know hiring. yeah the stage isn't for everybody yeah. it's definitely not for for everyone but. but it's for the acro cats though it is. for the acro cats I think uh you start. out with like some you know simple this. is like oh this is easy we hear the. click we get this treat and then they're. letting you sit. pretty so oh I'm just glad you're not. giving them. um opioids or anything like that I know.

people ask are you drug your cats or you. declaw your cats I'm like they're Acro. cats they need to be able to climb well. the Japanese are drugging those dogs. that are on Instagram but that's a. different conversation the acro cat. Samantha Martin thank you so much for. spending time with me and just for. letting me learn about these cats and. yeah they really are beautiful today and. I look forward to seeing a show sometime. yeah yeah we're trying to book in. Nashville if we can get the theater to. call us back well yeah we'll see if we. can help um but this is really awesome.

and I appreciate you guys coming and. spending time with us today yeah thanks. for having us now I'm just floating on. the breeze and I feel I'm falling like. these leaves I must be. Cornerstone oh but when I reach that. ground I'll share this piece of my I. found I can feel it in my. bones but it's going to take.