PORTLAND — High-flying stunts, tightrope walkers and a full band. No, this isn’t Cirque du Soleil – it’s the Amazing Acro-Cats.

Stopping in Portland for three weeks during their east coast tour, the cat circus troupe wowed a sold-out crowd at The Hill Arts on Sunday with agility and cleverness. Joined by a couple of rats and a chicken named Cluck Norris, a dozen “purr-formers” jumped through hoops, balanced on balls, skateboarded and even played in their band, the Rock Cats.

Besides entertaining audiences, the Georgia-based group’s ultimate goal is to get cats adopted and to demonstrate that cats can be companions, too.

“We show people that not only can cats be trained, but they should be trained because they are so smart, people really underestimate them,” said founder and chief trainer Samantha Martin.

All of the shows benefit Rock Cats Rescue, the Acro-Cat’s nonprofit parent company, which takes in rescue cats from all over the U.S., trains them and offers some troupe members up for adoption. All of the cats in the performance are former orphans, rescues or strays.

In addition, Rock Cats Rescue partners with local shelters wherever the Acro-Cats travel. In Portland, they collected donations for Friends of Feral Felines and Community Cat Advocates.

Martin, who has trained animals for television, film and advertising appearances, started the Acro-Cats in 2005 in Chicago. Since then, she has helped almost 370 cats find permanent homes.

“I realized how many cats were just ending up in shelters because people left them behind, because they had no relationship with their cat, and I realized that this is something that I can help change,” Martin said.

Martin uses a reward-based training system to motivate the animals to do all kinds of tasks. That means they respond to a clicker, and when they do the right thing, they get “paid” in salmon, chicken, turkey and other treats.

The Acro-Cats permanent members – who all live with Martin – have gained notoriety of their own on social media. There’s Jax, the brooding tuxedo cat who sits on a giant skull and catches treats. There’s Annie, who pushes a shopping cart. And there’s Ahi and Albacore Tuna – white cats named in honor of Martin’s original feline partner, Tuna – who steal the show with their bell-ringing and light up an “applause” sign.

The grand finale is a performance by the Rock Cats, featuring the Tunas on the cowbell and xylophone, and plenty more feline (and chicken) musicians banging on percussion, clawing on guitar strings, pawing at the piano and licking treats out of horns.

They’re not the easiest performers to work with – certain cats are known to get bored of tasks or sneak into the crowd, as a couple did on Sunday. But for Martin and her team, that’s just part of the charm.

“They’re cats, and they do cat things,” Martin said.

The Acro-Cats will perform at the Hill Arts Center through Sept. 1. Details and ticket information are available here.