The Interview yoo’ve all been waiting for … Nora the piano playing cat!

Hi Efurrybuddy,

In a consellation of the werld’s sooper feline stars, there is one that shines particularly brightly ~ and not just because she is furry beautiful and has cattitude; Nora has a pawsome skill for playing the piano. Yet despite Werld wide fame, this cute grey furry little Jersey gerl remains modest and unassuming and has not let the fame go to her head, even though she has been described by some as the reincarnation of Meowzart.

Nora came from humble beginnings as her mother was a stray cat. Nora’s life changed fur ever when she was spotted at a pet shelter in Cherry Hill, New Jersey by a kind and artistic couple (Burnell and Betsy) who fell in love at first sight with Nora and offered her a forever home. Shortly after moving in, Nora was over the moon to discover her noo home was filled with art and musical instruments, including two giant grand pianos. She was fascinated and quicklybegan to take an interest in the pianos ~ the rest is history!

Nora’s fame soon spread and we discovered her on YouTube. We then googled her to locate her blog and and were immediately starstruck. Yoo know what happened next (if yoo read our newspaper clipping post) so without more ado, we’re delighted to bring yoo an exclusive interview with the Sooperstar Diva Cat, Nora! All of the pictures reproduced are wiv the kind permission of Nora’s personal assitants, Burnell and Betsy ©.

Milo:   Hi Nora, first of all thank yoo for inviting us into yoor home and concatulations on being invited to the Winchester Cat Show ”Shelter Aid” concert. And the question efurry one wants the answer to, did yoo actually purrform?

Nora:  Well, Milo and Alfie (or M&A, as I like to call you), I performed an enormous amount during the trial run the day before the actual Shelter Aid concert. In fact, the people who were setting up the cat show just stopped what they were doing and began to applaud because they were so astonished by my virtuosity. However, on the day of Shelter Aid itself, I was rather tired and out of sorts so I just played a bit (only because as a show biz professional, I know that I must perform no matter how I feel). Thank goodness my devoted personal assistant, Betsy Alexander, brought her guitar with her (yes, yes, I know a guitar is not as impressive as a piano) and sang her little Tuna Fish song. 

Alfie:  We are thrilled to hear yoo have a DVD coming owt in 2010 and we have read in the press that it includes the CATcerto by Mindaugas Piecaitis. How did yoo feel when you found owt a CATcerto was being composed espeshully for yoo?

Nora:  As you know, M&A, I was intricately involved in the compositional process. When Mr. Piecaitis contacted me, he needed me to send him as many clips of my performances as possible, and he needed to have footage of me just sitting at the piano and not playing (so the orchestra could have a turn to show off). Needless to say, I was unimaginably magnificently delighted to have a professional orchestra piece composed just for me. All concert pianists dream of playing with an orchestra! I’m so glad I could inspire Mindaugas to write such beautiful music.

Alfie:  Here for our readers is The CATcerto composed by Mindaugas Piecaitis written especially for Nora The Piano Cat ~ and of course, Nora is the guest soloist:

Milo: Apart from the CATcerto, wot is your favourite piece of music?

Nora:  Why is it people ask me this all of the time? There is just so much exquisite music out there that it’s rather difficult to pick a favorite piece. As my fans know, I am especially partial to Johann Sebastian Bach. He was very prolific, you know. In fact, I heard that his children used some of his music to wrap fish. What were they thinking? Sometimes, great genius just isn’t appreciated. Take me for example. Why don’t Betsy and Burnell give me more treats? Or, come to think of it, why don’t they just give me more fish?

Alfie:  Wot made yoo start playing the piano in the first place and how old were yoo?

Nora:  I began playing when I was about one year old. Betsy’s students seemed to be having such a marvelous time and it didn’t look very hard at all. Just press some keys and voila, you make pawsitively beautiful music! I adored that piano the moment I set my eyes on it. And music is such an ephemeral art form, existing only in time as it is played. Just like we cats are completely in the moment when we are hunting or playing or doing anything, in fact. Being a cat is a very Zen experience, don’t you think? We possess the ideal demeanor to be professional musicians. I’m just surprised there aren’t more of us out there.

 

Alfie: I couldn’t agree more Nora. In fact, I’m having a Zen experience right now.   :swoon:

 

 

Milo:   Has being named “Cat of the year” for 2009 by the American Society for the Prevention Of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) involved any speshull duties for yoo?

Nora:  First of all, I must tell you how honored I was to receive this important award. It is my sincere desire to use my fame to educate people regarding how intelligent and sensitive animals are, and how important it is to treat us with respect and kindness (by giving us more treats, for example). 

 

Milo:  WOW! That’s very impawtant Nora ~ I think we can meow on behalf of all cats and say a HUGE thank yoo!

 

Alfie: Nora, all of our cat friends say that they get fed up wiv their hoomans taking photos of them ~ but we’re guessing for yoo it might be even worse. Do the Papparazzi follow yoo around and intrude on your private life?

Nora:  Honestly, M&A, it does get just a teensy tiny bit tiresome having your picture taken wherever you go (which is not very far in my case since I am a studio musician). However, I do view it as my responsibility as an international celebrity to be available to my fans as much as possible, so I pose for pictures whenever I see a camera. The biggest problem with having your picture taken all of the time, is that sometimes people take your photo from an unflattering angle, and then you look fatter than you actually are.

 

Alfie: I can sympathise! I get this problem all the time. I’m a proud member of the Silky and Slender Crew, but sometimes the photos that my Mom takes, make me look like like I should be in the Cuddly but Chubby Club!

 

Milo: Have yoo got any BIG secret in your past that yoo’re willing to tell us abowt in this interview? (Such as any norty things yoo’ve done). Don’t be shy, ‘cos we all do norty things sometimes (scraitch the furniture, accidentally tip the poop tray up, barf on the carpet etc)

Nora:  I don’t really like to talk about it, but I am a member of Catnippers Anonymous. Also, I occasionally bite Betsy’s students, particularly the littlest ones. There is just something about those little tiny piano students and their teeny little fingers that bring out the beast in me. Even when I was just a kitten at the animal shelter, they had to put me in a cage by myself because I kept biting my siblings. I just can’t help it. (Maybe I need bite management classes.) And sometimes I open the clothes hamper and hide in the laundry when I need to get away from it all. Don’t tell anyone, OK?

Milo: It’s OK Nora ~ yoor secret is safe wiv me!  :chuckle:

 

Alfie:  Do yoor assistants, Burnell and Betsy, give yoo treats to eat? Wot are yoor favourites? (We love cheese and ham)

Nora:  My favorite treat is without a doubt, Tuna flakes. I had them for the first time when a camera crew came from Japan and have been lusting after them ever since.

Milo: Do yoo sleep on Burnell and Betsy’s bed at night?

Nora:   Come on Milo and Alfie. Let’s be honest here. I let Burnell and Betsy sleep on MY bed.

Alfie:  Do yoo have any habits that are unique to yoo (other than playing the piano)?

Nora:  I like to sleep on my back with my delicious soft white belly showing and my feet splayed. It isn’t very ladylike, but it is extremely comfortable. I also enjoy playing with my yellow feather and running in circles on top of the piano while gazing at my gorgeous reflection. In fact, I like gazing at my reflection anytime I am at the piano because I am just so fascinating and beautiful.

Milo: Are yoo allowed owtside to roan freely ~ or has fame meant yoo hafta have Bodyguards?

Nora:  None of us ever go outside. It is too dangerous here in the big city. But we have a huge house to roam around in. I only go out to go to the vet (but I wish the vet would come to me instead). Don’t most stars have their own personal physicians? I really do need to talk to Betsy and Burnell about this.

Alfie: And the BIGGY ~ do yoo have a speshull mancat friend?   :sigh:

Nora:  A very handsome mancat named Boris from Moscow sent me his picture and declared his love for me. I also receive a valentine from a sock monkey every year. But I am basically a career girl and a loner and my music takes up a great deal of any non-sleeping time I have, so a long term relationship is out of the question. But I do enjoy being interviewed by cool cats like you two!

Alfie:  Cool cats? Us?  :blush:  Erm …. thank yoo ….  over to yoo Milo!

Milo: That’s all Nora, Thank yoo so much for taking the time owt of yoor busy sooperstar schedule to answer our questions. We’d like yoo to know that we think yoo are the cat’s whiskers and we are possibly yoor greatest fans in the entire Werld.  Smoochies from us both!

Yoo can find Nora’s bloggie HERE. 

 

Repawters: Milo and Alfie Marshall of Sidmouth, Devon, England.