The Furry Virtuoso

You hear of dogs that dance, play dead and give you hi-fives, but cats that do tricks don't often make the radar. Maybe it's because our cats are just too independent to do our bidding. Maybe it's because we, as their people, don't have the patience to train them. Or maybe it's because such mundane tricks like "sit," "stay" and "roll over" simply can't satisfy their deeply artistic tendencies.

I mean, how many times can you sit before it just gets boring?

Maybe that's why some cats take on their own independent challenges - like "how long can I ignore you?" "sit on the sleeping person's head" and… play the piano?

Wait? Play the piano? Do cats do that?

Nora does. And she happens to be quite good at it.

Search for her on YouTube and you might find a few of her videos. Plug her name into Amazon and you'll find her CD. Nora is no ordinary Tabby. She's a furry little Beethoven, and her story is famous.

According to her owner, Betsy Alexander, Nora can sense rhythm, adjust volume and even play duets with other piano students. And she's a diva in every sense of the word. In fact, the only time she purrs is when she's seated at Betsy's upright.

And to think… both of my dogs are still mastering "shake."

Can your cat do tricks? Does your dog have an incredible talent? Tell us all about your pet's amazing abilities in the comments below.