Jackson Galaxy.

 “How is it that you know so much about cats”, is a question I get every now and then.

Well, I grew up with a cat in the house and kept an interest in felines ever since, even though I have lived without feline company for many years. On the telly I watch programmes about cats and I read about cats too.

Since Cato came into our lives, I’ve been doing a lot of research into all things feline. Basically I see adopting cats as a big responsibility and want to give them the best care possible. So I started reading up on food, as it is a basic need and very important, but also on other feline related issues.

Jackson Galaxy’s TV programme “My Cat From Hell” really helped me to understand feline behaviour and the holistic approach. Food, play, and environment: they all work together to keep felines happy and healthy.

The first time I saw his programme on Animal Planet, I was surprised. This big bald fella with sideburns, a fashionable beard and tattoos all over his arms, looked more like a rock star. Well, it turned out to be true. He’s a rock musician by night and a cat ambassador by day. I like to call him that: a cat ambassador, because in most cases the so-called troubled cats are fine. They’re just misunderstood by the humans who adopted them.

Jackson Galaxy goes into a house to educate the humans about the cat’s needs. By doing this he’s helping the humans understand that so-called troubled cats are sending out a message: “please provide me with the right living conditions so I can feel safe and secure and can be myself.”  Once that’s done, the cats often don’t seem to be all that much trouble.

The programme is very educational and a pleasure to watch also because of Jackson Galaxy’s personality, his soft spoken, pleasant voice and his determination to make it work. He’s inspiring. He makes you realise that bringing felines into your life is a big responsibility and that you will have to learn their language, rituals and habits to be able to make it work. Again: that’s why I prefer to call him ambassador instead of cat whisperer or therapist.

When I read that Jackson Galaxy had written a book about himself and how he became involved with cats, I was curious to read it. I bought it at bookdepository.com because they don’t charge any postage and they had it in stock.

It is a book about Jackson Galaxy’s struggle with life just as much as about the cats in his life. It is inspiring to read his story about how working with cats also helped him to turn his life around from chaos to a more stable and healthier lifestyle. He throws in some helpful tips about how to handle specific problems with cats and provides insight into feline behaviour in this book as well.

The book is called “Cat Daddy”.

You can also find Jackson Galaxy on his own website, jacksongalaxy.com, on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.

On YouTube he answers questions and gives helpful information about living with felines.

I would love the chance to meet the man in person and have a drink and a chat with him but until then, his book and the TV programme will do.