Early Entertainment

Historically, cats have only briefly appeared in circuses and other entertainment. In 1549, in Brussels, a "cat organ" was played for a visiting king, Phillip II.

This cruel instrument prodded or pulled the tails of cats that were trapped in tiny cages in order to elicit mews and squeaks. In the early 19th century, in Italy, a troupe of cats were trained by  Pietro Capelli and toured Europe.

These cats balanced on high wires, performed trapeze acts, and juggled with their hind legs. Yuri Kouklachev of the Moscow State Circus continued the tradition in the 20th century.

He said it took three years to teach a cat to do a "handstand" on its forelegs, and he found it easier to train his cats at night when they were more alert.

However, the oncept of performing animals is declining in popularity, and it is unlikely that cats will be trained for circus acts in the future. There are now more acceptable occupations for well-trained felines.