We are the Amazing Acro-Cats and Rock Cats Rescue Inc.

​​Esteemed animal trainer Samantha Martin began the Amazing Acro-Cats in 2005, after being inspired by one very special cat named Tuna. In fact, Tuna is credited as the co-founder and former star of the Amazing Acro-Cats, and the original cowbell player for Tuna & The Rock Cats. Her proteges, Ahi and Albacore, are now filling her role as the original Tuna.

Tuna and the Amazing Acro-Cat troupe are all clicker trained domestic house cats, former orphans, rescues and strays adopted by Samantha. The Acro-Cats troupe now features over a dozen talented cats that entertains audiences across the U.S. with a one-of-a-kind show that includes cats riding skateboards, jumping through hoops, balancing on balls and other feats of agility. The show finale features the only all-cat band in the world: Tuna and the Rock Cats, with cats playing cowbell, guitar, drums and piano, and the newly added Jazz Cats, playing saxophone, trumpet and clarinet.

Aside from providing our audiences with a captivating, humorous and impressive show, the Amazing Acro-Cats demonstrate the mental and physical health benefits of cat training through the use of positive reinforcement clicker training! Our shows educate the public on the benefits of clicker training for cats, and our training kit and training video encourage our audiences to train their cats at home.

Many house cats are abandoned or rehomed due to behavioral issues stemming from boredom. Clicker 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 and cats in need. 

During our tours, we partner with local rescues and shelters, and donate a portion of our show ticket sales to their organizations.  We also provide lobby space for our partners to set up an information table at our venues, and kennels to showcase their cats and kittens ready for adoption. To boost adoption interest, we assess adoptees and bring some up on stage to perform a live clicker training demonstration.  Cats adopted at our show go home with some basic target training and a training kit. 

Rock Cats Rescue is the nonprofit parent company of The Amazing Acro-Cats. We are a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization that is dedicated to saving cats “one click at a time.”  We support the Amazing Acro-Cat troupe in their mission to educate the public on the benefits of clicker training cats.  We provide The Amazing Acro-Cats “catified” tour bus with incubators and supplies to foster bottle feed kittens requiring 24 hour care, and help to provide donations to rescues and shelters we partner with on the road. We fund the medical and housing needs of our Acro-Cat troupe, as well as all of our retired Acro-Cats and rescues, to ensure they have the best cat life paw-ssible. Our mission also includes an expansion in education and demonstrations to initiate clicker training programs in rescues and shelters across the nation!

Our Mission

Rock Cats Rescue, Inc. aims to save cats one click at a time.

We accomplish our mission through three different means:

  • Educating the public about the physical and emotional benefits of clicker training for cats.

    The Amazing Acro-Cats demonstrate what can be achieved with positive reinforcement training, and encourage our audience to provide the same mental enrichment to their pets at home.


    You can find our current tour schedule here:


    Tour Schedule

  • Rescuing, fostering and adopting out homeless cats.

    We specialize in the care of abandoned “bottle fed” kittens providing around-the-clock care on our tour bus (and home base) which are equipped with essential incubators and supplies. Foster kittens are rehabilitated, and adopted out when they are ready to move into their fur-ever home. We also partner with local rescues in each city we visit, support their organization by donating a portion of our ticket sales, and highlight their adoptees at our show. Rescue cats for adoption are often trained live on stage, and go home with a training kit. 

    Learn more about our rescue and adoption success stories here

    Rescue Info

  • Supporting clicker training programs in animal shelters across the nation to increase adoption and retention rates.

    Our goal is to provide education and clicker training demonstrations to cat rescues across the country. We cannot visit every city on our tour, but we want to expand our mission to support more organizations along the way. Clicker training cats can not only provide essential enrichment programs in shelters, but it will provide an opportunity to strengthen the bond with their human adopters.

    Help us achieve our goals with a recurring monthly donation here

    Donate

Samantha Martin

Chief Executive Human

Samantha Martin started training the family dog at age 9.  At that point she knew she wanted to be an animal trainer. While training all types of animals for film and TV, a special cat named Tuna came into her life and changed the game forever. Samantha maintains her animal talent agency Amazing Animals, providing animals for commercial work in both IL and GA. Samantha serves as director on the Rock Cats Rescue board.

Meet the Troupe

  • ALBACORE TUNA

    THE RISING STAR

    This Houston rescue tries his best to fill our original Tuna’s pawprints. Trained by Tuna herself, he knows all of her signature tricks. As the first cat onstage, he sets the tone of the show. Albacore also makes sure every song has “more cowbell”—an audience favorite.

  • AHI TUNA

    THE PRIMA DONNA

    This blue-eyed belle of the ball also comes from a Houston rescue. Since it takes more than one cat to fill Tuna’s pawprints, Ahi gives her co-Tuna a helping paw when needed. She keeps the crowd excited by hitting the applause sign, and can play a mean xylophone.

  • ASTI

    THE SNEAK

    Asti was an orphaned barn kitten after her mother was killed by a coyote. Not only does she steal the stage with her pawsome catapulting feats, she also frequently steals snacks, no matter how hard we try to hide them! Asti is also our long-standing drummer.

  • ALLEY

    THE ATHLETE

    Found in an alley in Michigan, Alley was sickly and shy, but started thriving under the tutelage of the Acro Cats. Her enthusiastic and amazing leaps landed her as a world record holder in Guinness. Watch Alley weave effortlessly around.

  • MIKI

    THE SLACKER

    One day, a neighbor saw a taped-shut Huggies box being tossed out of a pickup truck. They investigated and found four, five-weekold kittens inside. Of course, we took them in, and adopted out all but one! Miki started to excel at the finale trick just like Wiki, so he was hired! But now he’s slacking on the job, and let’s just say he’s unpredictable.

  • ANNIE

    THE HELPER

    With humble beginnings in the cornfields of Illinois, Annie quickly got over her shyness and took to the limelight. She has recently returned to the show as an active member to help wherever is needed. She is our current stage shopper, chime player and enjoys petting and donation collecting during the meet and greet.

  • BOWIE AKA BUE

    THE REBEL

    Bowie, aka Bue, and his three siblings were bottle-raised by Samantha at two weeks old, while she was recovering from cancer treatments. As one of our younger cats, watch his amewsing attempts at barrel rolling, hoop jumps and high wire spins. Bowie is also our new headlining drummer.

  • JAX

    THE TROUBLEMAKER

    At only a few weeks old, JAX and her two siblings were left in a cooler outside of a truck stop. JAX is a crowd favorite, and we never know what she’s going to do...or not do. She loves sitting on her skull, visiting the audience and darting across the stage to do someone else’s trick.

  • DIXIE

    THE DYNAMO

    A tuxedo rescue from New Orleans, Dixie was born to be an Acro Cat. Full of endless energy, she is one of our faster-paced purrformers, and steals the show with her amazing leaps and balancing feats. You will also see Dixie in a special mid-show competition.

  • NEWT

    THE NUT

    Little Newt came to Meowy Manor as a frail kitten just a few days old. The only survivor of her litter, she showed strength and resilience at her young age. It didn’t take long to see she had a special bond with Samantha. Her interest in training equipment and purrforming was undeniable. She is fearless, energetic and there’s nothing she won’t try.

  • ROUX & ST. CLAUDE

    THE TWINS

    Rescued from a hoarding situation in New Orleans, the twins ended up with our rescue partner Jefferson SPCA. Their matching good looks and charm are purrfect for the stage. They also have a musical side, with St. Claude “clawing” some new guitar “licks” and Roux is a musical prodigy…not only on the piano, but is quite the clarinetist!

  • NOLA

    THE SPOILED PRINCESS

    Bottle-raised by Samantha from only five days old, NOLA is a quiet loner, and one of the less active cats in the show. This part-Siamese diva makes occasional appearances as a fill-in guitar player, and sometimes enjoys the “adults only” meet and greets.

  • CLUCK NORRIS

    THE JOKER

    The chicken that incites fear in all the cats, Cluck Norris plays an active role in the show. From bell ringing to bowling, this chick knows that chickens rule! Cluck also plays cymbals and tambourine in the band, with a sense of rhythm that is imPECKable!

  • RUPERT & KORBEL

    THE RATS

    Rupert and Korbel are rescues from Atlanta, Georgia. Rupert is named after a character on Buffy the Vampire Slayer, while Korbel is named for her champagne-colored coat. Watch them amaze audiences as they fearlessly climb across tightropes during the show!

  • SOOKIE

    THE AIRHEAD

    Sookie was found under a porch and bottle-fed by Samantha at three weeks old. Recently, she retired due to several ailments causing pain in her lower back and hips and began treatment for Spondylosis. She’s enjoying retirement at Meowy Manor running the Amazon Wishlist for Rock Cats Rescue Inc. because she still loves to go shopping!

  • BUGGLES

    THE NERD

    Buggles is the black sheep of black cats, usually avoiding the company of the other cats. She is much more at home with paperwork and computers. Buggles’ introverted catitude didn’t stop her from stealing the show with her many skills and she has always been a fan favorite. In retirement, she is busy running the home office, insuring your online orders go out in a timely manner.

Meet the Team

  • Karma Hurworth

    Karma started following the Acro-Cats in early 2020. During the pandemic, she never missed a live on our social media. When the ad for an assistant came out in spring of 2022, she pounced at it! Karma is now a full-time Cat Caretaker at Meowy Manor; and fills the role of our First Stage Assistant on the road. She has a major in theater, 20 years of experience as a vet tech and spent 8 years volunteering and working at Big Cat Rescue, where she not only learned skills in caring for exotic cats and bobcat rehab, she also helped oversee the care and placement of almost 1,000 domestic foster kittens. Her other passions include yoga and roller derby.

  • Ashley Murnan

    Ashley Murnan is the Tour Manager for The Amazing Acro-Cats, and she also travels with the troupe across the country to purr-form, filling the role of our Second Stage Assistant. In addition, Ashley is our Volunteer Coordinator, on and off the road. She loves helping to bring the Rock Cats Rescue mission to save cats "one click at a time" to audiences around the country.

  • Lisa Dell

    Lisa started working with the Amazing Acro-Cate when they toured in San Antonio, Texas in 2023. As our part-time Tour Assistant, she has worked many aspects of the show; from second stage assistant, setting up and running the merchandise table, assisting with training volunteers, and of course assisting with all kitty caretaker duties on the bus! Lisa is married with three children and has six beyond adored black cats! She is a project and marketing coordinator for an IT company in San Antonio, and works with the Amazing Acro-Cats when they tour her home state of Texas.

  • Erin Hampton

    Erin is the Office Administrator for Rock Cats Rescue, and part-time caretaker to our retired senior residents while the Amazing Acro-Cats are on the road. Most of her time at Meowy Manor is spent in the office under Buggles’ mewticulous supervision. Any orders placed in our online store must get Buggles’ stamp of approval before being packed and shipped. If you get an email, thank mew, mewsletter, or note on your order it’s probably Erin (and Buggles). Erin was born and raised in Georgia and went to college in Tennessee at Austin Peay State University. She currently lives back in Georgia with her German Shepherd, Juno.

  • Catherine Anderson

    Catherine has been working with the Acro-Cats as our Animal Caretaker at Meowy Manor since March of 2022. She also helps us with our Social Meowdia by taking many photos around Meowy Manor and keeping you updated on our troupe off-tour! She currently lives in Atlanta, Georgia. In her spare time, she enjoys running, dabbling in roller derby, volunteering with Homeless Pets Foundation, hiking, and reading.

  • Dre Reznik

    A Brooklyn-based comms specialist, D. Reznik designs Acro-Cats tour graphics, ads, Purbills, and more. Her furbaby, Trouble, meowed his way into her heart at an Amazing Acro-Cats show in Brooklyn, NY 2015! Adopted from their Bushwick Street Cats rescue partner, they have been inseparable ever since.

  • Lisa Polak

    Lisa has been working with the The Amazing Acro-Cats since their beginning! She has filled many roles over the years, and has had the privilege to purr-form and tour with the show since 2006. Lisa was an RCR board member from 2022-2024, and has moved into a creative director role supporting our promotions, merch, prop/costume, and website design. Lisa works in Academic Research in Molecular Biology full-time, and has diverse experience in Animal Behavior and Education. She lives in Brooklyn, NY with her two senior rescue cats, Darwin and Titan.

  • Debbie Baumann

    Debbie started her career as a tour assistant with the Amazing Acro-Cats back in 2017 (along with her feline companion, Captain Patch). She also helped launch Rock Cats Rescue as a 501(c)(3) in 2019 and assisted with structuring the organization as an active board member until 2022. While other obligations pulled her away from life on the road, she happily continues to fill in at shows and maintains a volunteer advisory role in matters regarding animal care. Debbie lives in Asheville, North Carolina, where she works full time at a feline-only veterinary clinic. She shares her home with her purrfect kitties named Lucifer, Minuet, Inara, Harmony, Squirrel, and Baby Bobby.

Board of Directors

  • Angela Callicutt

    Angela has been on the RCR board since its formation in 2019, beginning as Secretary, and accepting the position of Chairperson in 2022. She has been a content creator and social media manager for the Amazing Acro-Cats since 2017. She is the voice of JAX Acro-Cat, and maintains several AAC/RCR social platforms, such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok. She currently lives in Memphis, Tennessee, with her three cats Maven, Sylvia, & Ursa. Angela is also a full-time newsroom editorial supervisor, and a photography enthusiast.

  • Elizabeth Hubbart

    Beth has served on the board of Rock Cats Rescue since its beginning. She first started working with the Amazing Acro-Cats in February 2013, when she was hired as the Office Administrator. She now handles financial and administrative tasks and responsibilities for Rock Cats Rescue, Inc and Amazing Animals, LLC. Beth currently resides in Chicago, Illinois, with companion felines Haiku and Valentina. Her first kitty companion was a streetwise orange tabby tom named Buffy.

  • Katrina Farthing

    Katrina has been volunteering with the Acro-Cats since 2013, became a board member of RCR at the beginning of 2022, and the Associate Producer of tours in the fall of 2022. Katrina is from Austin, Texas, and is a former vet tech with two nonprofit high-volume spay/neuter/wellness clinics. She now utilizes her degree to work with people with developmental disabilities. She has fostered hundreds of cats and kittens for local rescues since 2008. Katrina lives with more cats than she's willing to admit, her rescue dogs, a cockatiel, and bees.

  • Lacy Roy

    Lacy fell in love with the Acro-Cats the moment she saw their chaotic madness in-person for the first time in 2015. From there, she began volunteering at all their local tours. Even famous feline stars need their poops scooped, and she was happy to do it. Then one day, she went from being a groupie to a board member. As an all-around helper, Lacy is smitten with being part of the Acro-Cats movement. While she misses having cats, her current darling is half of the size of one! A teeny pup full of endless joy.

  • Scott Zirbes

    Scott joined the RCR family in 2021. Initially started by driving the Acro-Cat Tour Bus to the annual shows in NOLA and has since gotten more involved by becoming responsible for the bus maintenance and repairs, and by also putting his IT career skills to use by helping with the IT Admin needs of the organization, and joined the board in 2024. He lives in Orlando and always been an animal lover, having had cats previously but currently is dad to an awesome Shih Tzu pup, Milo.

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