Jackson GalaxyBesprekingen

Picked up this book at the beginning of Jess and I's new adventure with Sam and Zoey - our two new cats!
The book offers lots of insight into how to welcome cats into your home and helpful tips scattered throughout. (Sam and Zoey skipped right over the gradual introduction suggested and met each other almost too quickly.)
The biggest takeaway for me is to encourage cats to express their "wild side," ie. play hunting, eating after play, and using lots of vertical space in the home.

Jackson Galaxy, the exotically-bearded fellow of the “my cat from hell” video series, fills this book with useful tips about how to start your relationship with a small fierce predator in the right way.
Key among his tips is the creation of a cat base camp. A brilliant idea and one that worked well when I hosted a disturbed shelter cat for a while- she arrived traumatized and left calmly and all because of following Galaxy’s advice.
He is a true cat lover. I do wonder if toxoplasmosis has entered his brain as it does with rats, making them want to be with the cats that eat them. If I were to follow his advice to the letter, my house would be a web of cat walkways and litter boxes, cozy nests and places to run. This is an fine and good but people often need space, too, areas where the chance of spring- propelled felines flinging themselves overhead is minimized.
Despite that, this book is filled with calming advice and information and well worth a read if you are planning to adopt a cat.
And do plan to adopt a cat. And do PLAN to adopt a cat.

All sorts of suggestions and inspiration for the cat owning DIYer, ideas for creating walkways and play areas and highways around your living space to keep your cat(s) happy and engaged and not fighting with each other and you.
People in this book are perhaps a bit mad. One created a highway across their ceiling (after donating one part of their home totally to their cats), complete with a nest nailed to the ceiling. A huge creation, and I’m sure the cats felt they were in heaven. I wonder what the landlord here would think if I tried it...
And of course I can’t help but think of Winnie the Pooh and Piglet walking through the hundred acre woods looking down to avoid encouraging the jagulars to jump down on them.
I recently had a cat visit who, as she got more comfortable, started flinging herself across rooms, claws outstretched (so as to grab the landing spot). Twenty five pounds or heavier, she made a terrifying projectile. One can only hope the cats in these cat-ified homes know enough not to land on their owners unexpectedly.

A bit of cat wisdom and lots of talk about addictions. Would rather preferred more of the former and less of the latter.

I read this after losing my girl Reno after 20 years. I related to Jackson's experience of loving his cat so deeply and wanting the best for them. I don't want to give away anything, but if you love cats I recommend this book.

I can't believe I've become a crazy cat lady, but here we are.

If you have cats, you need to read this book.

Skip it and read the Pam Johnson-Bennett Think like a cat book, unless you just really need lots of full color cat habitat pictures.

While I didn't read every page, I read significant portions and looked at every single picture. It was not the most professionally laid-out, and not always the best photographs, but certainly a wealth of information. I learned new things about my cat's behaviour; in fact, this book convinced me that we do not have enough room in our apartment for a second cat- with their needs for their own space and smells. We'll just have to spoil the one we have!

The projects suggested look absolutely delightful for our furry friends but I will not be embarking on a single one. One of the issues was skill: although there was a range of projects for skill, most required a skill in carpentry and/or contracting that I do not possess. These projects can also require the space of a workshop or other large space for the cutting and assembly of materials, a space not present in small apartments or flats. Many of the projects were not aesthetically pleasing, and I do believe the creators had for more artistic skill than I do! I love my cat but I do not wish to make my home ugly or uninviting to humans for the sake of the animals - we need to live in harmony. In fact, a lot of the projects were cheap but looked so and made me worry for my cat's safety as materials such as cardboard or glue degrade (more permanent structures would be preferable for safety and environmental reasons).

While I will not be making any of these projects, the book did accomplish its goal: through the projects I learned of a cat's bahaviour and/or preference and gained inspiration for improvements of my own. I do not currently have the money or space for these projects, but I am keeping the book for guidance at a later time when we can have a home closer to our dreams.

While I didn't read every page, I read significant portions and looked at every single picture. It was not the most professionally laid-out, and not always the best photographs, but certainly a wealth of information. I learned new things about my cat's behaviour; in fact, this book convinced me that we do not have enough room in our apartment for a second cat- with their needs for their own space and smells. We'll just have to spoil the one we have!

The projects suggested look absolutely delightful for our furry friends but I will not be embarking on a single one. One of the issues was skill: although there was a range of projects for skill, most required a skill in carpentry and/or contracting that I do not possess. These projects can also require the space of a workshop or other large space for the cutting and assembly of materials, a space not present in small apartments or flats. Many of the projects were not aesthetically pleasing, and I do believe the creators had for more artistic skill than I do! I love my cat but I do not wish to make my home ugly or uninviting to humans for the sake of the animals - we need to live in harmony. In fact, a lot of the projects were cheap but looked so and made me worry for my cat's safety as materials such as cardboard or glue degrade (more permanent structures would be preferable for safety and environmental reasons).

While I will not be making any of these projects, the book did accomplish its goal: through the projects I learned of a cat's bahaviour and/or preference and gained inspiration for improvements of my own. I do not currently have the money or space for these projects, but I am keeping the book for guidance at a later time when we can have a home closer to our dreams.

As with other books written with a co-author, the writing is not excellent. But the story is clear and well-told. Like many others, I am a fan of My Cat from Hell, the Animal Planet television show starring Jackson Galaxy. I knew from the first episode that this was The Guy. He gets cats completely. And he essentially learned by intuition. Yes, he read a lot of books while working with cats in a Boulder humane society, but he didn't swallow everything he read. He tested it against his own intuition, which became stronger the more he observed cats.

But I'm jumping a little ahead here. The story is primarily a biography of Galaxy as he wends his way from a somewhat heady existence as a drug-abusing musician to a sober cat behaviorist. He lays it all bare here, and I'd be surprised of there are many who can't relate to some of his addiction stories. In between the confessions about his personal life he talks about how he learned Cat, and especially about his relationship with a kitten that he fostered, then adopted - Benny. Clearly Benny was the original Cat from Hell. Galaxy says he learned it all from him, or almost all. He had to learn to set his ego aside and watch and listen, and not go in with preconceived notions. This approach has served him well over the years that he has worked as an in-home consultant, working with cats with behavior problems.

He actually works more with the cat guardians, although he actually has trained some cats using a clicker. Many guardians do not know what cats need, or what their particular cat needs. Some Guardians need to learn how to hold a cat and when it's okay to do so.

Ultimately, this is a success story. We don't learn about when Animal Planet contacted Galaxy (or if it was the other way around) but we do learn how he got to be the behaviorist he is, without benefit of degrees. And we learn how he learned to be vulnerable, perhaps the biggest step of all in his ability to reach out to cats. In some parts this is a highly moving book, certainly it is a remarkable story. ANd it has many cat tips besides! Such a bonus! I am keeping it in my permanent collection, for reference.

I'm an experienced cat owner, but I recently adopted a semi-feral fellow and I found this a good reminder of the basics. I don't do everything in the book, but a lot of his advice seems good to me and is stuff I've done with my cats for years. Setting a rhythm and schedule of play and feeding has really helped my new guy settle in and come out of his shell.

I don't agree with all the advice (I free feed my cat and keep her out of the bedroom with no problems), but most of it is very useful and seemingly sound advice.

Catify To Satisfy
by Jackson Galaxy & Kate Benjamin
2015
Jeremy P. Tarcher/ Penguin
5.0/ 5.0

Creative, original ideas designed by cat owners across the USA, to make their home environment a happier one, for you and your cats.
Jackson Galaxy and Kate Benjamin, their love of cats and dedication to their well-being are so amazing and truly make you realize the ease in Catify-ing your home. With simple, easy to follow directions, these ideas may help some cat owners take on the project. Your furry friends will thank you.

Catification:Designing A Happy and Stylish Home For Your Cat (And You!)
by: Jackson Galaxy & Kate Benjamin
2014
Jeremy P. Tarcher/ Penguin
5.0 / 5.0

This book is full of creative and awesome ideas to make your home a happy and inviting environment for your cats, and you. Cool ideas, simple directions with pictures and most are pretty cheap to do. People have come up with and shared some great ideas, and have put a lot of thought into them.

I loved this, but then, I adore cats. Jackson Galaxy has been a huge inspiration, his understanding of cats and his dedication to living a more healthful life are truly amazing. This guy is for real!
Recommended for any cat/pet owner.

Beginning by discussing the history of the domestic cat and how they came to be indoors only only in the last 80 years or so, then describing how to establish a routine that honors the nature of cats and will bring out the best of them, the book also discusses challenges and recommendations for addressing these problems. I really got a lot out of this book and highly recommend it to cat lovers and others living with cats in their families / homes.

------------------

I currently have three adorable, lovely, lively one-year-old littermates in my house / family. I love them with the fierce passion of a mama bear, but it's a huge understatement to say that adding three kittens to my home after sharing my house and life with elderly cats for the previous decade was a big adjustment. I really wanted help dealing with some of the frustrations that have emerged.

Here are some of the highlights from the book that I'm taking to heart:
* The natural rhythm of a happy, healthy cat ("the raw cat") can be summed up with: HCKEGS (Hunt, Catch, Kill, Eat, Groom, Sleep). Galaxy spends quite a bit of the book referring back to this basic understanding of what cats need. You should work to institute this rhythm in your house to keep everyone happy.
* Cats need interactive play the same way dogs need to be walked. It's a non-negotiable. (Knowing this makes it easier for me to play with them even when I'm not in the mood.)
* Cats are only slightly removed from their wild ancestors; they experience the world as a hunter. Interactive play should give them the experience if hunting, catching, and killing prey. (Meaning, for example, destroying feather toys is part of their necessary play.)
* Galaxy describes an "energetic balloon" - the idea that cats fill with energy with energy over the course of a day that needs to be let out (through the hunt/interactive play) or it will find ways to pop that are more destructive.
* Petting can be over-stimulation to some cats (especially those with longer hair) - it feeds the energy balloon and they can lash out in response.
* Indoor cats spend 21.6% of their day when you are not home looking out the window, 6.1% sleeping, and 50% grooming. (Mind blown!)
* Punishment doesn't work with cats. They don't associate the "no" with what you want them to stop - they associate it with you. Give them a "yes" instead. (Like a cat tree in the kitchen, or a sturdy upright scratching post next to the couch they like to scratch).
* Cats do respond to positive reinforcement. Reward them for behavior you like.

Notes on Territory:
* A lot of problems seen in housecat behavior comes from territorial stress. A cat needs to feel secure in their territory.
* Cats are social creatures; the only thing they do alone is hunt. Cats can share territories fine, they just need enough options to share.
* Territory includes all sorts of vertical spaces - cat trees, furniture, shelves, counters. You can't keep 'em off because it's part of their territory. But you can provide other options. (Made me realize we need a cat tree in our dining room / kitchen.)
* Adding vertical spaces (shelves, etc.) can really help provide more territory space, and a lot of cats like being up high. (Mine certainly do.) This is also a good way to offer them space you want them to use (a place away from stove, etc.)
* The heart of cat territory is where there are the most scent markers - cat and human - so is going to be where you spend most of your time (couch, bed, etc.) Scent markers are soft bedding items full of scent, litterboxes, places they scratch or mark. (Made me realize the kitchen / dining room is the heart of their territory, and not the corner of the living room where we had the cat tree.)
* Interactive play in spaces you want the cats to use will help it feel more central to their territory.
* Scratching is normal and necessary behavior - it stretches their muscles, shed nail sheaths, and mark their scents. If they are scratching where you don't want them to, provide alternatives that are okay (like an upright scratching post next to the couch).

My Kitties:
* My cats have some "annoying" behaviors - destructive chewing, tripping us, always wanting food. Galaxy says that these types of behaviors come about because they get something they want - attention, food, etc. He recommends playing to zap the energetic balloon, catification (adding more vertical spaces, etc.), cat-proofing, providing acceptable chewing options, ignoring the bad behavior, and rewarding silence or good behavior.
* At least two of our cats have allergy issues, which leads to overgrooming in one cat. Stress can be a factor in overgrooming, so reducing stress and working out the energetic balloon can help, although for our cats, it may be medical.

This book as helped me understand my cat so much better. In fact, so much better that I recently adopted another cat and introduced it into the family "cat mojo style", so far the two of them get along fine.

I love Galaxy’s show “My Cat from Hell”, and have been really impressed with his results (although I do wonder if there are failures that just don’t make it to the screen) so I was delighted to find this book at the library. It covers all the things he stresses on TV like introducing a new cat to an existing cat household, making sure cats have safe places and high up places where they can scan the savannah- er, living room-, making sure a problem cat doesn’t actually have a health problem, etc. You could probably learn it all by watching the TV but it’s so much handier to have it at your fingertips anytime. It’s also kind of a fun read. We’ve used some of his ideas of Catification and the cats seem to enjoy it. Four stars as some of the information is repeated in different chapters.

Jackson Galaxy, star of Animal Planet's My Cat From Hell, is an unlikely cat behaviorist; he looks like a biker gang member, and begins his story as a down-and-out rock musician with a drug problem. But during that period, he got a job at an animal shelter, to keep money coming in while leaving his mind free to write songs, and he unexpectedly connected, with the animals and with the work.

Galaxy tells his story, starting in Boulder, Colorado at what was undoubtedly an extremely low point in his life, with energy, unflinching honesty, and even humor. A big part of that story is a little grey-and-white shorthair cat named Benny, who comes into his life with a broken pelvis and labeled "unbondable" by his surrendering owner. Benny is his first experience in fostering, a formative experience in learning to understand and communicate with cats on their terms, and, of course, his first experience with what many people in animal rescue call "foster failure," i.e., the foster parent winds up adopting the foster pet. (Galaxy himself doesn't use that term in telling his story.)

In a relatively short book, there's a lot here about cat behavior, understanding your cat, and making life better for both of you. There's also a lot about simply learning to be a human being, about embracing life rather than shutting oneself off to avoid pain, learning to take responsibility for one's own choices, and at the same time letting go, not just recognizing but accepting that you can't control the world or the choices of others in it, and that's okay.

Galaxy reads his own book, and does so in a clear, expressive, compelling voice.

Recommended.

I bought this book.

I have only seen a couple of episodes of Jackson Galaxy's show and it's been a long time, but I was curious to know more about him. I found the tips on cat-raising in the sidebars to be good, and if I ever get another cat or two, I'll definitely use them. I had to put a cat to sleep recently, so I felt his pain when he had to have Benny put down.

It was a nice biography til the last two chapter even if a bit over the top. Then I read the last two chapters and cried my eyes out.
Like the advices on cat behaviour

I was hoping for more about cats - and there were cats, but it was mostly about the author's journey through addiction and into recovery. Along the way, he learns to accept cats for where they are and that helps him to accept himself. There were interesting parts, but I would have liked more about the cat personalities the author worked with.½

What a world of difference between cat people. I was really primed for this, after _A Cat Named Bob_, and came away stunned. The titles could give one a clue - "A Cat" vs "Daddy", although I would argue any cat given the choice would choose James Bowen for his/her "daddy". While Bowen focuses on Bob, Jackson Galaxy is all about Jackson Galaxy. I must confess, I stopped reading at the half-way mark; the man is so full of himself and frankly, unbelievable.½

Cat Daddy: What the World’s Most Incorrigible Cat Taught Me About Life, Love, and Coming Clean by Jackson Galaxy
285 pages

★★★ ½

Jackson Galaxy is the cat behaviorist on the popular Animal Planet show – My Cat From Hell!. But it wasn’t an easy ride there. The man was addicted to drugs and alcohol, taking anything he could get his hands on and ODing more than once, he’d also gain an addiction to food that would nearly cost him his life. But through it all he’d find his gift with animals, more so with cats. He’d learn he could “talk” to them and over time learned how to “train” cats, doing everything he could to hopefully make sure cats stayed in loving homes and not toss to the streets.

I really enjoyed this book. It doesn’t delve into his time on the show. It’s about his earlier life - his start working in animal shelters, his struggle to get clean, his life with his cats and his business. He is very raw and honest. He doesn’t hold back. He throws out his feelings and it’s fairly obvious he doesn’t care if you agree or not. Since I have worked with animals in many environments (rescues, kennels, training facilities, Humane societies, vets, my own pet-sitting and dog walking business), I felt a connection to his thoughts, especially in his time working in an animal shelter. Up until this point my exposure of Jackson Galaxy was his wildly popular show; I had no idea the troubles he had before. I love how open and honest he was about his addictions and his struggles to overcome them (and as anyone who has ever been addicted to anything ever knows – they will forever struggle to overcome). He also puts tips and hints throughout the book on how to handle certain cat situations. He’s the kind of guy I’d want to be friends with. Thumbs up.

I LOVE Jackson Galaxy!

Seriously though, I am an avid fan of his show 'My Cat From Hell' and I fancy the man to death. Needless to say I was excited to read his book.

Far from being a book solely looking at cat behaviour it is a memoir of Jackson's early career working in an animal shelter and chronicals his life also as a struggling musician and a drug addict.

On the downside, the book mainly focuses on Jackson and there was precious little details on his beloved cats. The reader is introduced to Benny, a cat dumped at the shelter that Jackson subsequently takes home. I desperately wanted to know more about Benny but as other reviewers have commented Benny seemed more of a side show to the story of Jackson.

Don't get me wrong I loved reading about Jackson I just wanted more cat stuff. I wanted more information on Velouria, Benny, and all the other cats Jackson briefly mentions. The book could have been double the length to accommodate this and I would have devoured every page. The helpful hints about cat behaviour were sparse but interesting.

I just wanted Jackson's passion for his cats to come through in the description of Benny and Velouria, all their little quirks, habits - in what way exactly they saved Jackson and ultimately added to his life. I'm sure there was a lot of detail inbetween all the life events in Jackson's life about his cats but I didnt really get to read about that and that was kind of disappointing as I expected this book to be more cat focused.

All in all love the man and it was an enjoyable read!