THE ACRO-CATS

At the Regent Theatre, Arlington, Sept. 2-4.

Tickets $19-$21, 781-646-4849, www.regenttheatre.com

Let’s dispense with the feline misconceptions and dated stereotypes right now.

Cats are not aloof, lazy, distant, or uninterested in humans. They’re simply misunderstood. This information comes from an authority on the topic, namely a woman who travels the country in a bus full of 16 cats. She also trains them to perform in a circus called the Acro-Cats. The show comes to the Regent Theatre in Arlington for five performances Sept. 2-4.

“I think cats are smarter than dogs,’’ says Samantha Martin, “chief executive human’’ and trainer of the Acro-Cats. “They’re capable of doing more. They can climb, they can claw, and they can balance. They’re so smart that they’ve convinced humans that they can’t be trained.’’

Martin has outsmarted these brilliant creatures and trained them to perform tricks such as walking while balancing on a ball, riding a skateboard, pushing a shopping cart, jumping through sparkly hoops, and spinning a pinwheel. The pinwheel may not sound like a thrill, but there are still plenty of exciting moments. One of the cats holds a title in the Guinness Book of World Records for its 6-foot horizontal jump.

These cats can out-charm or out-perform nearly any Internet star. Before you tsk-tsk and ask, “What about the multi- talented Keyboard Cat?’’ please be aware that many of the Acro-Cats are in a band. The band, called the Rock Cats, is also part of the show. Martin confesses that the band isn’t very good, so think of it as freeform jazz, or, blame the chicken and the hedgehog that are also members of the band. The chicken and hedgehog were clearly diversity hires.

The Acro-Cats predate the Internet’s current obsession with cats and the phenomenal success of cat cafes. Martin started the troupe in 2005 while training cats to work in film and television. When she saw that people were interested in seeing the cats live, she took them on the road in 2009 and now spends several months a year driving her 1960s bus around the country.

“The show was terrible in the beginning,’’ she says. “But people still showed up to cheer on the cats regardless of what they did, or didn’t do.’’

To this day the best part of the show is often when the cats don’t do their tricks but wander into the audience.

Martin’s mission is broader than simply bringing the world joy via her adorable little superstars. All the performers are rescue or shelter cats, and over the past eight years of the show she has helped find homes for 206 cats (performers are not up for adoption). Martin also takes breaks during the performance to talk about the importance of spending quality time with cats at home.

“We encourage people to train their own cats,’’ she says. “It’s actually a great way to bond with your cats.

She trains using a method called clicker training. The click tells the cat she’s performing the task well, and she’s then rewarded with a treat. The Acro-Cats get treats such as tuna and chicken that is cooked to their liking.

While she’s touring the country dispelling the myth that cats can’t be trained, Martin is also trying to eliminate the stereotype of the crazy cat lady.

“I always refer to myself as a cat woman, because it sounds more appealing than a cat lady,’’ she says. “Gone are the days of socially inept cat ladies who are hidden from the world. They can be fully functioning. They’re not entirely crazy, just crazy about cats.’’

THE ACRO-CATS

At the Regent Theatre, Arlington, Sept. 2-4. Tickets $19-$21, 781-646-4849, www.regenttheatre.com

Christopher Muther can be reached at muther@globe.com. Follow him on Twitter @Chris_Muther