Jackson Galaxy
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or 10 years, Jackson Galaxy has been saving the relationships between cats and their guardians on Animal Planet’s hit show My Cat From Hell. Both its star and executive producer, America’s favorite “Cat Daddy” is also a two-time New York Times bestselling author who has spent most of his adult life trying to teach people what a cat needs to live happy and healthy. He also spends a lot of his time trying to reduce the number of cats in shelters and on the streets. On the show, Galaxy works with people who are at their wit’s end, struggling to coexist with a cat that is making them crazy and driving a wedge between relationships. Outside the show, The Jackson Galaxy Project, founded in 2015, helps give shelters and rescue workers the tools to train cats in their care to find their “mojo” and be ready for life as a confident cat in their 16 petcompanionmag.com
forever homes. Cat mojo is the crux of Jackson’s work, the moniker for his unique philosophy that cats need to be encouraged to follow their instincts and behave as cats so they can live confidently. Cat guardians need to create an environment where a cat can unapologetically “hunt, catch, kill and eat,” as nature intended. Viewers of My Cat From Hell find that many of the behavioral “problems” cats exhibit are nothing more than frustration, fear, and sometimes boredom. Frequently, the only problem is that they’re trying to live in an environment that quashes their normal cat instincts. Jackson prefers the term “guardian” over “owner.” With his respect for all living beings, it goes against his grain to imply that a cat is owned. “It’s a relationship, it’s not ownership. And, just as with all relationships, every cat comes with its own baggage,” he emphasizes. “We all do.” Like humans, a cat’s experiences, past
ANDREW MARTTILA
hurts, and learned fears contribute to its behavior and unique needs. And, Jackson explains, it’s our job as cat guardians to tap into those needs and create a space for our cats that is safe and cat-friendly. Watching Jackson work, it’s easy to think he has some kind of sixth sense, almost a supernatural ability to “read” cats and know what they need. But if there’s one thing Jackson Galaxy wants you to know, it’s that giving your cat back his mojo is something you can do—on your own. “There is no magic to what I do. It’s not supernatural, it’s not a gift, and there’s no secret behind it,” he explains. “Anyone can do it.” In fact, that’s the point of his show—to show cat guardians that by creating an environment that makes cats feel safe, challenged and confident, you can change their behavior. “But it takes patience and commitment—the best solution is never the overnight fix. You have to put in the time and the work.”
