Herr George Techow of Hamburg, Germany toured the Keith Circuit and circuses such as Hagenbeck-Wallace, with a collection of trained house cats who could walk on their front feet, jump through hoops of fire, and jump over each other on a tightrope. One was even dressed as a little clown. He gave a lot of interviews early in the 20th century chiefly because the public was interested in his secrets, it being so difficult to train a cat.
For more on vaudeville history, consult No Applause, Just Throw Money: The Book That Made Vaudeville Famous, available at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and wherever nutty books are sold.
(Travalanche) 