The story of the Chicago-based all-cat circus troupe The Amazing Acro-Cats is a weird, delightful one. Founder and “chief executive human” Samantha Martin had a lifetime aspiration of working with animals and becoming a trainer. She received an associate degree in animal husbandry and services, and started out training rats for film and television roles and working in education, but those jobs didn’t ignite her passion. So in 2005 she began training her cat, Tuna, to do tricks and put together a small show. Now, more than a decade later, The Amazing Acro-Cats is a full-on touring circus troupe that has been featured on The Late Show With Stephen Colbert. We caught up with Martin and the Acro-Cats to get the full story of their success.