Cat Juggling is an old art that can trace its origins back to the time of the Great Cat Swarm of 1472. In modern times, however, those who practice the art do so only with cats who can and do sign a waiver.

So, no need to worry. You will not be forced to juggle cats if you are planning on joining Niles West’s brand new Cat Juggling Club.

“Until such time as we are able to locate cats who are willing to sign the waiver, we juggle other things to keep our form up,”  founder of the club Andrew Jeter said.

Along with Jeter, we have last year’s seniors to thank for the establishment of CJC.

“Last year I had a lot of seniors who were interested in resurrecting the fine art of Cat Juggling here at West. They had heard their elders speak of Cat Juggling and thought that they could honor their community by learning the art,” Jeter said.

The club, being brand new, currently only has a handful of members. They meet in the South Courtyard every other Wednesday, weather permitting.

Besides the walls of the room they meet in, there are quite a few things that make CJC like no other club here at West.

According to Jeter, “CJC is a group that seeks to honor the past as a time of rich and memorable hand-eye coordination while engaging a new generation in a kinesthetic and intellectual activity. Besides juggling ‘cats’, members of Cat Juggling Club also live by the motto, ‘Keeping it real.'”

Junior Jesse Sacks is excited to take on his new role as President of CJC this year.

“We’ve only had one meeting this year, but I really enjoy it so far.  Several of the members have lots of experience, so I look forward to collaborating with them and learning new tricks and skills,” Sacks said.