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Featured era: 2007
Nora the Piano Cat
“A rescued tabby who sat down at the piano and played.”
- Featured era
- 2007
- Peak era
- 2007-2009
- Company
- Betsy Alexander
- Category
- Viral Videos
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On Video
"Nora The Piano Cat: The Sequel"
Plays from YouTube when you press play. Views, length and date from YouTube, October 2026.
About This Video
- From:
- Nora The Piano Cat
- Added:
- April 18, 2007
- Length:
- 4:09
What Was It?
Nora was a gray tabby rescued as a kitten from the streets of Camden, New Jersey, and adopted by Betsy Alexander and her partner, artists and musicians in Philadelphia. In 2005 they heard music coming from the room where Alexander taught piano students and found Nora at the keys, glancing at them before carrying on.
They posted a video of her playing in 2007, and it quickly went viral. Nora appeared on the Today Show, Late Night with Conan O'Brien and Animal Planet, and The Times described her music as "something halfway between Philip Glass and free jazz".
In 2009 Lithuanian composer Mindaugas Piečaitis built a chamber orchestra piece, "CATcerto", around her footage, and the ASPCA named her Cat of the Year. Nora died at home in February 2024, aged 19.
Things You Probably Forgot
- Nora settling at the piano and plinking out notes
- "CATcerto" with a live chamber orchestra
- Being compared to Philip Glass
- ASPCA Cat of the Year in 2009
The Story
- 2004 Nora was rescued from the streets of Camden, New Jersey.
- 2007 Her first piano video went viral on YouTube.
- 2009 "CATcerto" was first performed, and the ASPCA named Nora Cat of the Year.
- 2024 Nora died at home on February 5, aged 19.
Its Legacy
Her videos are still online, including this sequel to her first hit. Nora remains one of the internet's original musical cats, and an animated series now carries her name.
Memories
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