In Brief

Cat Circus Reopens in Moscow

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A cat doing a handstand at the Moscow Cat Theater
Cats do handstands, wobble on tightropes, and leap over clowns at the amazing Moscow Cat Theater (Image credit: YouTube screen shot)

Cat fanciers, take note: the world's only cat circus has reopened in Moscow.

The acrocats cross tightropes, scamper atop rocking horses, and even deign to get their paws dirty with a little comedy at the Moscow Cat Theater.

The theater, founded by Yuri Kuklachev and his son Dmitri in 1990, boasts 120 feline stars (and a few human assistants). Some of the marquee acts include Catnappers, Cat Clowns and Cats from the Universe, the Daily Mail reported.

The theater's director, Dmitri Kuklachev, says the cats participate willingly. "The animals feel good and each of them has found its place. That's great because it shows that the atmosphere here is favorable for them," Kuklachev told New Tang Dynasty Television.

The theater had been closed for renovations.

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Tia Ghose
Tia Ghose
Managing Editor

Tia is the managing editor and was previously a senior writer for Live Science. Her work has appeared in Scientific American, Wired.com and other outlets. She holds a master's degree in bioengineering from the University of Washington, a graduate certificate in science writing from UC Santa Cruz and a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Texas at Austin. Tia was part of a team at the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel that published the Empty Cradles series on preterm births, which won multiple awards, including the 2012 Casey Medal for Meritorious Journalism.