The Amazing Acro-Cats helps felines in need—and also makes them stars

There have been plenty of performers who have graced the stage in Philly over the years, but none quite as cute—or furry—as the Amazing Acro-Cats.

This traveling troupe of trained domestic house cats (all former orphans, rescues, and strays) perform 90-minute shows around the country under the guidance of Samantha Martin, who created the experience and trained the cats herself.

“The Amazing Acro-Cats are part of our nonprofit, Rock Cats Rescue, whose mission is to save cats ‘one click at a time.’ Our show delights audiences, both cat lovers and those dragged along by cat lovers, because most people don’t realize cats can be trained, or they believe cats are indifferent or aloof,” explains Martin.

The Acro-Cats act was created by Martin back in 2005 after she was inspired by a specific cat named Tuna. In fact, as the official website states, Tuna is credited as the co-founder and was the former star of the show, as well as the original cowbell player for Tuna & The Rock Cats (the finale of the program.) Her proteges, Ahi and Albacore, are now filling her role as the original Tuna.

The experience is not only a way to showcase the abilities of the cats and gain funds for the Rescue, it’s also meant to show humans the benefits of clicker training for cats. Martin explains that many housecats are abandoned or rehomed due to behavioral issues stemming from boredom. Training sessions not only keep cats happy and engaged, they also deepen the bond between cats and their “owners.” Clicker training is even demonstrated live in the show to highlight foster kittens in need. 

“[People] see our show, see how brilliant cats are, see how clicker training works, [and] they are inspired to go home and train their own cats. Maybe even inspired to adopt a cat. We hope people leave the show and go home and invest in creating a deeper emotional bond with their cats. It is so beneficial for the cat’s mental and physical well being, and will bring a lot of joy to the human.”

The City of Brotherly Love will be the last stop on this year’s tour for the Amazing Acro-Cats, who previously performed in Baltimore, Arlington and Portland, Maine. Each performance features cats riding skateboards, jumping through hoops, ringing bells, balancing on balls, and performing other feats of agility and entertainment.

“We are thrilled to be coming back to Philadelphia for the first time in 7 years. Our Philly fans have been clamoring for our return and we can’t wait to purrform for them again,” Martin continued. “The show has grown since 2017, and every single show is different because we never know what the cats are going to do which makes the show exciting.”

The finale of the experience, as mentioned before, will feature the only all-cat band in the world, Tuna and the Rock Cats. As a release notes, the Rock Cats play guitar, drums, and piano, and they’ve been joined by the Jazz Cats on saxophone, trumpet, and clarinet.

And while in the city, the Amazing Acro-Cats will be working with a local organization, Green Street Rescue. Green Street will have a table at each show to share information, so people can learn how to help cats in the Philadelphia community. A portion of the ticket sales proceeds will be donated to the nonprofit as well.

“Not only do we train and travel with our own cats that were all former rescues and strays, we foster and train orphan kittens in hopes to find them “furrever” homes. Since 2009, we have fostered and found homes for 365 cats and kittens,” Martin finishes.

 

The felines in the Acro-Cats can also be seen on Netflix’s show ‘Cat People’, ‘The Late Show with Stephen Colbert’, Animal Planet’s ‘Puppy Bowl’, CBS News’ ‘Sunday Morning’, and PBS Nova’s ‘Cat Tales’.

Martin and the Amazing Acro-Cats will be at the Suzanne Roberts Theatre from Wednesday, Sept. 4 to Saturday, Sept. 7. Shows are at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, with a matinee on Saturday at 2 p.m.  Tickets range in price from $25 to $75.

For more information on the Amazing Acro-Cats and Rock Cats Rescue, visit rockcatsrescue.org, or follow them on social media @acrocats or @tunathecat @bugglesdacat @JAXacrocat on X.