As any cat-owner will tell you, getting a cat to perform any sort of trick can be difficult. It's often been said that they'll do tricks only if they feel like it.

But a mum-and-daughter act at Zippos Circus have managed to pull it off, to nightly acclaim.

Roseline and Nora, who are originally from France, have thrilled audiences by getting their cats to perform tricks.

The 20-strong troupe of felines - all of them are rescue cats - work in teams of six and each has its own speciality. Among the stars are Felix, who performs a high leap, and Junior, who walks a tightrope.

The cats all live in a spacious, heated trailer with an outdoor play area.

"We train our cats with food," said Nora. "Cats are natural acrobats but with the food they do the things we want them to do. They jump and do all sorts of natural things - we don't ask them to do anything they would not do for themselves when they are playing.

"It's great fun to work with the cats," she added. "It can take a while to train the cats. It depends on the cats - some are really good for work but others are not so good. Usually, it takes two or three months to train them.

"We found all our cats in the street, in France. We started with one, two, then three, and they had kittens, and we found other cats on the street." Junior, for example, was found as a kitten, abandoned in a French shopping centre.

"We started our Scottish tour this week and can't wait to see the rest of the country."

One of the other stars of Zippos' 30th-anniversary circus tour goes under the name of Alex the Fireman.

Aged 38, Alex is originally from Romania but has lived in Holland for the last 12 years.

He said: "My new fireman act has been a very long process. I had been searching for something different for my new act. I wanted to create a situation more than just an act, something that relied on day-by-day situations - a ladder, a fire, firemen, emergency panic. I wanted to tailor it more towards the kids ... A ladder can break, someone's head can accidentally catch fire.

"I wanted an act that featured a revolving ladder; I wanted to do an act that was based on the floor but which also had an aerial aspect. I was keen to combine these two disciplines."

Alex added: "I come on at the start of the second act in the Zippos circus. I'm a fireman in an emergency situation, trying to find a fire. My firemen's helmet is on fire, and I climb up my ladder, and it breaks and starts spinning around. I'm suffering from dizziness and trying to put on the fire on the ladder, which doesn't stop moving. It's great fun for me and for the kids in the audience. There's panic and excitement, and I want to have fun with them, as well as lots of silliness."

The circus opened last Tuesday at Queens Park recreational ground, opposite the new Victoria Infirmary, and will be there until Sunday. It will be at Bellahouston Park between June 21 and 26 before starting a Scottish tour. It returns to Glasgow for the final date - Whiteinch's Victoria Park, between August 9 and 14.

The show also features the Timbuktu Tumblers, the horsemanship of the Borissov Family, the husband-and-wife team of foot-juggler Romy Michael and aerial acrobat Michael, and the Mongolian-born contortionist, Odka.

Over the years the circus has greeted dozens of celebrity visitors. The list is impressive: Paul Merton. the late Victoria Wood, Mick Jagger, Robert Carlyle, Emeli Sande, Coldplay's Chris Martin and his ex, Gwyneth Paltrow, Nicole Kidman, Alicia Keys, Russell Howard and the late Paul Newman - to say nothing of Scotland's First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon.

Another newcomer to Zippos' roster of acts is Mr Lorenz, who does two stints each show, combining comedy and juggling.

"I was about 14 when I first walked into a circus ring," said Lorenz, who was born into the famous Carnevale Italian circus family. "As a child I learned everything in the circus. When I was younger I did the trapeze, the horses, acrobatics, juggling and trampolining. I eventually decided to become a comic. As a comic you can do everything. I also like to see audiences laugh.

"I love the atmosphere here," adds Lorenz. "I have many friends here. It's like family. No two days are ever the same. It never gets boring, the circus. Never, ever."

* Zippos Circus: www.scotlandsfavouritecircus.co.uk