LOS ANGELES — Nora the piano-playing cat is living the Hollywood life in Philadelphia.
Fresh from a Lithuanian concerto written just for her, the YouTube sensation gets fan mail by the bushel and has her own groupies.
The 5-year-old tabby’s latest cyber splash was Lithuanian conductor Mindaugas Piecaitis’ first composition, featuring Nora’s solo video performance in what he called his “CATcerto.”
The performance with the Klaipeda Chamber Orchestra on June 5 has become a Web sensation at , with hits closing in on 1 million.
In all, nearly 20 million people have watched Nora play. She has made the television talk-show circuit and has videos, two books, her own website, a blog, three calendars, mugs, greeting cards, T-shirts and posters under her belt.
Nora is owned by piano teacher Betsy Alexander, 53, and her artist-photographer husband, Burnell Yow. They live in a house with five other cats: Gabby, Max, Rennie, Miro and Clara. “She loves visitors. She is a very gracious performer, and she feels indebted to her public,” Alexander said.
