You might not be able to teach an old dog new tricks, but the Freeborn County Fair has some big cats that have learned a few.

Yaro and Barbara Hoffmann’s &uot;Exotic and Endangered Cats of the World&uot; features 13 big cats: Morgan, a Florida Panther; Cassandra and Atlantis, Royal Bengal Tigers; Tigger, Natasha and Boris, Siberian Tigers; Venus, Athena, Perseus, Sweet Pea and Aphrodite, Spotted Leopards; and Sheba and Zimba, Black Panthers.

“We meet a lot of people who have never seen this many cats,&uot; said Yaro. He explained that as opposed to big cats in a zoo, the show allows people to see cats and humans interact from a very short distance. &uot;I enjoy educating the public in the plight of the great cats,&uot; he added.

The Hoffmanns’ show is the largest mixed-cat act in the show world today. All of their cats were born in a captive breeding program, hand-raised and bottle-fed. They are trained through a &uot;TLC&uot; behavior modification system developed by Barbara, the &uot;mother&uot; to the cats. Her system involves rewarding good behavior with hugs, pats and small pieces of sirloin &045; a method that was initially met with criticism.

&uot;At first her system was ridiculed throughout the industry,&uot; said Yaro. &uot;Now it’s the standard in the industry.&uot;

As an eighth-generation circus performer, Yaro has been performing with big cats for about 20 years. The act was handed down to him. Barbara, on the other hand, did not grow up in the performing business.

&uot;I’m just a fool that married into this,&uot; she joked.

The tricks that the cats perform begin with simple feats, such as finding their own seats and leaping onto platforms, and conclude with more elaborate tricks, like standing on their hind paws and giving a &uot;high five.&uot; Other tricks include audience pleasing &uot;hugs and kisses&uot; from the tigers.

&uot;I really liked it,&uot; said Patricia Jensen, who watched the show. She said that of all the cats in the show, she liked the tigers best.

&uot;They did a really good show,&uot; added Connie Lillibridge.

The exhibit is located at the end of the midway. After the half-hour show, members of the audience are given the opportunity to have pictures taken with Morgan the Florida Panther for $10, but the show itself is free with paid gate admission. Show times are at 1 p.m., 3 p.m. and 5 p.m. daily through Saturday. No performances will be given Sunday.