Nora The Piano CatThe Cougar Town episode that has one of the characters watching my video on their computer will air on Wednesday, September 29th on ABC – 9:30/8:30 Central. I’ll only be onscreen for a few seconds, so don’t blink. And no trips to the litterbox, either. 🙂
Well, I’m sure you’ve all heard of Moxie & Company. How about Laura Becker? She’s my Licensing & Opportunities agent. Anyway, just this last week was the International Licensing Expo in Las Vegas. I didn’t go, but B & B stopped in and visited for a while. I heard that everybody was there: Disney, Hasbro, Marvel Comics, Star Trek, etc. And right in the middle was me, Nora The Piano Cat. Moxie & Company also represents Nancy Drew and Ziggy, among others. B & B even got to meet Ziggy’s creator, Tom Wilson. That must have been cool!
I am really honored to be receiving the Westchester Cat Shows ‘Cat of the Year’ award today, Saturday, November 21st. I hear it’s a pretty big deal, and I will be getting the very first ‘Scarlett Ribbon’ which was designed to honor the first ever Cat of the Year, Scarlett who saved her 5 kittens from a burning building. Wow, I may be talented, but Scarlett, she was a hero. There’s a book about her, too. I think I’ll have to read that one.
My personal assistant, Betsy, is attending the show (in White Plains, NY) to accept the award on my behalf. I may not be there in person, but I will be appearing via a live video feed from my very own piano. It’s all part of something called “Shelter Aid” to raise money for shelters and rescue groups. As you know, I was rescued from the street and adopted from a shelter by Betsy and Burnell.
So, I hope you tune in to see me by going to
http://www.ustream.tv/channel/shelter-aid-starring-nora-the-piano-cat on Saturday at 1 PM EST. Then please do consider going tohttp://www.westchester-feline.org/ and making a tax deductable contribution to help support the marvelous efforts of countless caring humans in their goal to find loving homes for all my feline and canine friends.
http://www.ustream.tv/channel/shelter-aid-starring-nora-the-piano-cat on Saturday at 1 PM EST. Then please do consider going tohttp://www.westchester-feline.org/ and making a tax deductable contribution to help support the marvelous efforts of countless caring humans in their goal to find loving homes for all my feline and canine friends.
Thanks,
Nora
PetLifeRadio interview with Betsy and me.
Arden Moore is a freelance editor and writer, specializing in health, pets, travel, golf, home repairs, science, and business topics for web sites, books, magazines, and trade publications. She’s also an animal behavior consultant. Betsy and Burnell met her at this years ASPCA Awards luncheon in New York City.
Perhaps you saw the YouTube video of Arden chatting with Betsy at that event.
Well, she also interviewed her at home and that is now up and available to listen to or to download at PetLifeRadio. Listen carefully and you may hear me playing a few notes in the background.
Arden is also editor of Catnip magazine, which is published monthly in affiliation with Tufts University School of Veterinary Medicine and circulated nationally.
Her books include:
Happy Cat, Happy You: Quick Tips for Building a Bond with Your Feline Friend
The Cat Behavior Answer Book: Practical Insights & Proven Solutions for Your Feline Questions
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE from the WESTCHESTER CAT SHOW
FURTHER INFO & PHOTOS CONTACT: Leslie Masson, l.masson@verizon.net or (914) 739-5408
NORA the PIANO CAT to star at Westchester Cat Show ‘Shelter Aid’ Concert. But will she will purrform?
White Plains, NY — You can sit a cat at a piano, but can you make her purrform? On Saturday, Nov. 21st, for the first time in her brief yet illustrious musical career, Nora, the piano-playing cat, will star in a benefit concert, being dubbed “Shelter Aid”, live from the Westchester Cat Show in White Plains, New York. The concert promises to be the highlight of the festivities as Nora is honored as the 2009 Westchester Cat Show “Cat of the Year” for her unique feline musical talent. Nora will perform live via webcam from her piano at home in Philadelphia, PA, and she’ll be joined by her accompanist and owner Betsy Alexander, who’ll be accepting Nora’s award on stage at the Westchester Cat Show. As we all know, cats will be cats, and if Nora happens not to be musically inclined at the moment, we may just get to see her sitting at her grand piano watching us and enjoying Betsy’s performance. But with any luck, Nora will find the right key!
Nora’s fans and all cat lovers are invited to attend the Cat Show on Saturday, November 21 and see the Cat of the Year presentation ceremony and Nora’s concert live at 1:00PM. As 2009 Cat of the Year, Nora will receive the first “Scarlett Ribbon”, designed specially to honor the memory of the Cat Show’s first Cat of the Year, Scarlett, who in 1998 courageously saved her five kittens from a burning building. Scarlett’s owner, Karen Wellen, will present the “Scarlett Ribbon”.
If you can’t attend the show, Cat of the Year ceremonies and the “Shelter Aid” benefit concert will be broadcast on www.ustream.tv live at 1:00PM EST (search Shelter Aid). Replays will be available later. Viewers who watch and enjoy are encouraged to go to www.westchester-feline.org to make a donation of any amount to support metro New York area shelters and animal welfare groups selected by the non-profit Westchester Feline Club, producers of the annual Cat Show, and by Nora herself. These organizations are always stretched to the limits, but in our current difficult economic climate they are in desperate need of additional support. The Westchester Cat Show has a tradition of generosity for 34 years that you can help continue, just by watching Nora’s concert on the web, or, even better, attending the show, Saturday and Sunday, November 21-22, at the County Center in White Plains, New York. Proceeds from the Westchester Cat Show go back to help local animal assistance organizations.
The Westchester Cat Show is one of the most prestigious shows in the Northeast, showcasing 230 championship cats and kittens, representing the majority of the 55 breeds recognized by The International Cat Association. The competition is tough, with all entrants measuring up to strict breed standards. In the special Household Pet Competition however, it’s all about personality and looks, which makes this a fan favorite.
Back by popular demand this year at the Westchester Cat Show is the Meow Wear Feline Fashion Revue, a light-hearted and fun presentation by Meow Wear designer, Carla Reiss and the Westchester Cat Show feline supermodels in over-the-top costumes, both Saturday and Sunday at 2pm.
Another exciting happening for all to enjoy at the show this year is a Pet Book Autograph Party, featuring over 20 authors, at the special Cat Writer’s Association Book Store, on Saturday, from 3pm-5pm. Favorite cat books, autographed and in some cases pawtographed, will make great holiday gifts for loved ones, or yourself!
Other returning features of the Westchester Cat Show include the Meow Marketplace for holiday shopping, Ask The Vet booth, and Carole Wilbourn, the ‘Cat Whisperer’. For children, Shelter Cat Birthday Parties and Face Painting will entertain. There will be cats and kittens available for adoption from shelters and for sale by breeders. Behavior training, pet bereavement and acupuncture lecturers will educate show goers.
The Westchester Cat Show, Saturday and Sunday, November 21-22, 10am-5pm
Westchester County Center, 198 Central Ave., White Plains, NY
Tickets sold at the door: Adults $12, Seniors $9, Children (6-12) $5.
Public Transit: Westchester BeeLine Bus System to the door; walk from Metro-North White Plains Station.
For driving directions, call (914) 995-4050, or go to www.countycenter.biz.
For all other Cat Show information, call (914) 739-5408 or e-mail: westchestercatshow@verizon.net
Visit the Westchester Cat Show at www.westchester-feline.org.
11/11/2009 #####
I feel tremendously honored and humbled to have been named “Cat of the Year” for 2009 by the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA). My personal assitants, Burnell and Betsy, will be accepting the award on my behalf at an upcoming luncheon at the Pierre Hotel in New York City.
If I have inspired even one person to adopt a shelter cat like myself, than all those hours at the piano have, indeed, been worth it. And while not all cats can play the piano, we all need a loving and safe home.
http://www.aspca.org/pressroom/press-releases/101509-1.html
http://www.nydailynews.com/lifestyle/pets/2009/10/16/2009-10-16_nora.html
Well, well, well. My human’s are breathing a sigh of relief now that the live feed for the Today Show is over. Me? I’m just back to my usual routine: sleeping, eating, making music.
The day for me began quite early, say 4:30 am, when Betsy got up and started to do some final straightening up in preparation for the arrival of the Today Show technical crew.
They arrived with their satellite truck at around 6 am. Then from 7:30 or so, I began to be called upon for what they call “teasers” in the business: just a few seconds on camera to let the folks watching at now what was coming up in the next hour. For the teasers, Burnell held me and Betsy petted my head. I don’t like to be held all that much, but I will tolerate being held by Burnell. I feel pretty safe in his arms – something about the way he cradles my feet and holds me very close to him. Anyway, we had three of those teasers, and in between I was back in the green room (actually it was the bedroom upstairs, and it isn’t even green).
Finally the big moment arrived and we were live via satellite with Matt Lauer. I know there was concern that I might not be in the mood to play a few notes once the cameras were rolling and the world, as they say, was watching. But, much to the deliight of Betsy, I did feel like playing a brief riff. I played more after the cameras stopped. All in all, it went quite well I thought. Hope you enjoyed it.
For those of you who missed it, you can watch the video at http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/26184891/vp/32474096#32474096
Click the thumbnails to view larger images.
That’s right! On Wednesday, August 19th, 2009, a television crew from the Today Show will be setting up a live feed from my home and my piano. I will be exposed to the world in real time. Now, here’s the thing: I play only when the mood and muse strikes. I don’t play on command, although coaxing sometimes helps get me in the mood. So, the question is will I play when THEY are ready to broadcast? I honestly can’t guarantee it. You’ll simply have to tune in and keep your paws crossed. But play on camera or not, I’m sure we’ll have a good time – and Rennie will love climbing into all their equipment cases.
Entertainment Weekly – on the newsstand August 7th.
Badische Zeitung – Article on CATcerto by German writer Constance Frey
USA Today – Coming soon.
NBC Xtra – aired on Wednesday, the 5th of August.
This is it, folks. The complete performance of CATcerto by Mindaugas Piecaitis written especially for me, Nora The Piano Cat. And of course, I am the guest soloist. Please check it out and email the YouTube link to all your friends. And there’s even a CATcerto website: http://www.catcerto.com