Chicago’s Circus Cats a hit with the kids

Parents of young children know that finding quality family entertainment can be a tall order. Most options are corporate productions like “Disney on Ice” or “Dora the Explorer Live.”
Today my wife and I took our kids to see the Circus Cats, which play to sold-out shows at the intimate Gorilla Tango Theater on the northwest side of Chicago. My kids – Christopher, almost 6, and Aerin, 3 – got a big kick out of it.
The show is the only U.S. act featuring trained housecats. They do tricks like raise flags, roll basketballs, ride on skateboards, walk tightropes, jump through hoops and even “play” musical instruments. The troupe includes the Acro-Cats, which do acrobatics, and the Rock Cats, a musical group with a cat that strums a guitar and others that bang drums and paw a synthesizer keyboard.
The hour-long show was very entertaining and kept my two easily-distracted kids interested. Tickets were $12 each and well worth it.
Chicago-based animal trainer Samantha Martin has been working with and training animals for more than 25 years. She operates a USDA-approved, fully licensed and insured, private zoo that houses over 30 different animal species. She has trained animals for movies, TV shows and commercials. She and her animals have appeared on “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno” and Animal Planet.
Check out the Web site for Samantha’s Amazing Animals.
Also watch videos of the Rock Cats here on YouTube.