A Purrrrfect Valentine

By Laura M. Browning in Arts & Entertainment on Feb 8, 2010 8:00PM

Couldn't get enough of Kitty Half-time on Animal Planet's Puppy Bowl yesterday? (Neither could we.) You're in luck. Embrace your inner cat lady this Saturday (trust us, we're in no position to judge--we have a fluffy white cat in our lap as we type) and head down to Gorilla Tango Theatre for a special "Cupid Cats" performance of the Circus Cats of Chicago. Samantha Martin, inspired by a white odd-eyed beauty named Tuna, has trained a handful of precocious felines to jump through hoops, walk on large rubber balls, and even rock out in a three-piece band called (naturally) The RockCats.

Martin has been working with animals for more than 25 years, starting off as a rat trainer who took her troupe of performing rats to various nightclubs around Chicago (something we really wish we could have seen). Today, Martin's cats take center stage---"there aren't that many jobs for rats," she says--and the Circus Cats now perform around the country. She has two dozen cats (though not all of them are part of the troupe) who are housed in a special facility below her apartment.

Last year, Chicagoist caught up with Samantha Martin to ask about this transformation from "rat lady" to "cat lady." Martin says that although she started off training her family's dogs, she has always felt a special bond with cats. And let her disabuse you of the notion that cats are lazy or aloof: she claims that "Tuna actually gets crabby if I don't spend time training her."

And maybe the Cupid Cats will inspire you to train your own Felix and Fluffy to earn their room and board.

The Cupid Cats are featured in two special performances on Saturday, February 13, at 4 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. at Gorilla Tango Theatre, 1919 N Milwaukee. To purchase tickets call 773-598-4549 or visit Gorilla Tango Theatre. Good for ages 5 and up.