562 replies to this topic

[kitkat1]

From Animal Planet:

From spastic cats that break up relationships to violent felines that put their owners in the hospital, cat behaviorist Jackson Galaxy has seen it all. Follow Jackson as he brings his unique understanding of cats to desperate families on the verge of giving up on their furry companions.

Tune in Saturdays at 9 PM E/P beginning May 7.

Did anyone see this? I tuned in on a whim as I was flipping channels and immedately became fasinated. I don't own a cat, and know little about them, so it was interesting and refreshing to see a feline behaviorist. (Especially with all of the attention focused on dogs)

In the first episode, a woman's fiancee is at his wits end when her two cats drive him up a wall. (The first cat: Mostly scratching and meowing to get into their bedroom at night then being destructive when she wasn't let in. The second: Scratching the fiancee then hiding.) With the first cat I thought "Couldn't you just let her in your bedroom?" The behaviorist echoed my thoughts, but the fiancee said he wanted a "cat free zone". Personally, I thought his attiude toward her cats was awful. He mocked them, and was very dismissive of his parners feelings toward her companions. He flat out refused to even give the cats a chance, saying he was a "dog person". Turns out the reason the second cat scratched was because he didn't have confidence and hated being held on his back. (Jackson pointed out that the fiancee held the cat like a baby) He also slowly drew the cat out, made him more confident by playing with the cat, and setting up perches so he could be up high and become more comfortable. The first cat was kept away from the bedroom by a light air can that would spritz her, given a playtime routine, and light walks (just in front of the apartment) on a leash and harness, which she loved.

I'm curious in seeing how this continues, since I didn't realize you could change a cat's behavior into something positive. There is less to it to Jackson's techniques then Victoria's though, so I hope they keep the show interesting.

Edited by kitkat1, May 8, 2011 @ 1:00 PM.

[Lava VaVoom]

I saw it advertised, but forgot to turn it on. Thanks for the rundown. I love cats and know them and this is right up my alley. Maybe I'll be lucky and catch one of the reruns.

[scarlett45]

I love my feline babies very much but I do have a "cat free zone". My bedroom door is kept closed at all times because I don't need them on my bed or hiding in my closet. Plus my cats do meow and meow and pester you in the morning until you feed them. This way I can sleep peacefully in a cat hair free bed.

I'm excited for this show!!

And yes the guy was a douche.

Edited by scarlett45, May 8, 2011 @ 6:24 PM.

[Nannav]

The whole concept of this show is really offensive to me as a cat lover. Cats are not just creatures to be given up on. When you get a pet, they are a family member.

[kitkat1]

The whole concept of this show is really offensive to me as a cat lover. Cats are not just creatures to be given up on. When you get a pet, they are a family member.

It's Me or the Dog is basically the same show (right down to the format) and I've never been offended as a dog lover. I see your point, but the premise of this show is that Jackson Galaxy wants you to not give up on your cat and wants to aid destressed felines. He also helps you understand cats better. His believe is that if you better understand your cat (Why your cat behaves badly...and that it's because of YOU not the cat) and you change your behavior, your cat changes as well. Happy owner, happy cat. The owner of the cats didn't want to give up her cats and was in tears at the thought of it. She refered to her cats as her children and wanted to see them thrive and be happy. Since there's already two programs out there on how to understand dog behavior and how to help out man's best friend, I'm happy that there is help available to cat owners should a major behavior issue arise with their beloved pet. I think that if owners were ready to just give up on their cat, they wouldn't call Jackson. The cat would just be dumped at a shelter. YMMV though. :)

I really hate the title of the show though. It's very misleading, same with It's Me or the Dog.

Edited by kitkat1, May 9, 2011 @ 4:12 AM.

[cissyboo]

I saw part of this first show, and I thought the solution was easy-get rid of the dumb ass boyfriend. Problem solved ;)

[Shiny Objects]

I saw part of this first show, and I thought the solution was easy-get rid of the dumb ass boyfriend.

Indeed. He seemed like a douchebag. It seems like his girlfriend had the cats before he was around so he just needs to deal with it.

[Rickster]

I have to confess that Jackson was a little too weird looking for me to get into this show.

I had to laugh with the first woman. While she was speaking earnestly into the camera, you could see the arm of an upholstered chair or couch in the background that was shredded down to the bare wood.

Edited by Rickster, May 9, 2011 @ 12:46 PM.

[StLunaChick]

We actually have a cat-free zone in our bedroom because my husband is allergic, and his allergist said any problems would be greatly alleviated if there was little to no fur on the bed. And the Dr. was right because 12 years later, my husband rarely has any problems (of course, I run the cordless stick vac every day). But the fiance here does sound like kind of dick. I will definitely DVR this, though my two cats are (of course) perfect in every way and never misbehave, so I don't need any personal guidance . . .

[chels73]

And yes the guy was a douche.

and

I saw part of this first show, and I thought the solution was easy-get rid of the dumb ass boyfriend. Problem solved ;)

These two quotes pretty much summarize my opinion of the first episode. I managed to catch "It's Me or the Dog" right before the cat show and had the same opinion of the guy in that episode. Coincidence?

My first reaction to Galaxy was This is a cat guy? but I have to say I enjoyed his approach. Cats are creatures of habit and changes can set them off (I should know...I'm going thru it right now). I'm glad that the two women stood their ground on not giving away the cats.

[j3jewell]

Did anyone notice the gleefulness of the ginger boyfriend, when shown the air-spritzer thingy? He almost wet himself, from excitement, wanting to see how it worked! I also noticed in some of the video what looked like treats leading to the bedroom door. That is disgustingly cruel to lure the cat to the door then scare the living snot out of her!

[PaminBB]

oK, I haven't seen this (long time cat companion) but I am having a hard time getting beyond the host's name. Jackson Galaxy? Really? Whatevs...

[kitkat1]

Did anyone notice the gleefulness of the ginger boyfriend, when shown the air-spritzer thingy? He almost wet himself, from excitement, wanting to see how it worked! I also noticed in some of the video what looked like treats leading to the bedroom door. That is disgustingly cruel to lure the cat to the door then scare the living snot out of her!

YES! OMG, that pissed me off. It was so disturbing.

[lmwilker]

My first reaction to this show was "David Cross has a cat show?"

My second reaction is this show is a lot like another show that used to be on called Housecat Housecall. In that one the solution to every problem was a cat tree and/or an extra cat added to the home except for one episode on a houseboat whee the cat was trained to walk on a lease. Every other one was cat tree/extra cat. It was funny to see that cat trees featured in both cases of My Cat From Hell although the host hasn't suggested getting a cat companion for the existing cat yet.

I'm still not totally convinced that Jackson Galaxy isn't David Cross. Jackson Galaxy is exactly the sort of name David Cross would use.

[sweetlilvoice]

I love the idea of this show. Housecat Housecall was a really stupid show-I wanted to see them help animals with real problems not just getting on the counter!

I can't wait to tune in.

[jerseydevil]

Anyone out there think Jackson Galaxy is his real name? And does he really need to keep his cat toys/treats in a retro-fitted guitar case?
Image packaging aside, he really does seem to know what he's talking about, and he had a lot more patience than I would have had with the douche-baggy boyfriend. Then again, had I been his girlfriend, I would have kicked his sorry ass to the curb. Cats are excellent judges of character.

[ratgirlagogo]

I'm still not totally convinced that Jackson Galaxy isn't David Cross. Jackson Galaxy is exactly the sort of name David Cross would use.

Snerk. I'll tell you what's going to get old for me in a hurry - that every client has to point out that Jackson doesn't look like a cat behavior therapist. Dude - we got it the first time. Having said that, I liked him. He seemed to give good advice generally and not be hung up on weird outdated dominance-submission ideas the way Cesar Milan is. And as far as hipster personas go the Must Love Cats guy is a million times more annoying.

I also liked that he was able to see that it was important to work with the boyfriend's demand for a cat-free room. It really did help the guy to commit more to the process, I think, without feeling that the girlfriend and Jackson were ganging up on him.

I'd be interested to know how Jackson got started doing this - if you've ever seen Cats 101 on AP he's one of the talking heads on it, so he must have been consulting for a couple of years at least.

I don't know. Animal Planet seems to have been moving toward an odd EXTREME! kind of programming the last few years. You have the Animal Lovers Are Fucked Up shows like Fatal Attractions and Animal Hoarders, you have the Animals Are Scary and Dangerous shows like River Monsters and I Shouldn't Be Alive, and you have the Seemingly Unlikely Animal Lover/Rescuer shows like this one, Pit Boss, Pit Bulls and Parolees, and Taking On Tyson. This one I actually do find appealing and I think I'll keep watching.

Of course what I'd really like is Puppy Bowl with Kitty Half-Time every month!

[fostersmom]

I saw two episodes last night. The one with the douchey ginger boyfriend (and yes he was all but gleeful about the cat being shot with air) and one with a guy who had a whole room of bugs/snakes and couldn't get over the death of his first cat.

I love my cat, but I'm certainly not going to turn my apartment into a giant hamster habit-trail for him. He doesn't have any window sills to look out of, no kitty trees, no perches on the wall. And he's not a demonic monster who's lashing out at everyone. How about the more obvious? The cats didn't like Ginger because he hated them and they could tell and crying new husband couldn't give the new cat a chance since it wasn't the dead cat. Plus, the sphinx was a pain in the ass because that's what they are (my sister has 2 of them and the one is a maniac cat).

Unless the magical cat tree stops becoming the answer to every problem, I can't see this show making my DVR.

[sadiegirl]

I want to watch this show. I think I can learn to be more patient with my cat, because I think a calm demeanor goes a long way with a cat. But...the beard and the guitar case for storage of cat toys just irk me. They are both 'trying too hard' in my opinion. Everything that's in that case can be put in one small tote bag. Carrying around the case just seems to stupid to me. You're a musician, we get it.

If I can ignore those two things, I'll be watching...but we shall see.

[cpcathy]

Watched this show for the first time Saturday and now I am hooked. I am a huge cat person, and seeing this guy explain the complexities of cats is right down my alley. They are really beautiful animals so I'm happy there is a show to really gives us that in a nutshell. This Galaxy guy is really great with cats and I learned some stuff I didn't know, like the tree-dweller or bush-dweller thing. However, wanted to agree that Ginger Man is a complete douche, and his meek girlfriend should totally dump him--there is a reason why the cats hate you, dude!

[Ahoskie59]

I love my cat, but I'm certainly not going to turn my apartment into a giant hamster habit-trail for him. He doesn't have any window sills to look out of, no kitty trees, no perches on the wall. And he's not a demonic monster who's lashing out at everyone. How about the more obvious? The cats didn't like Ginger because he hated them and they could tell and crying new husband couldn't give the new cat a chance since it wasn't the dead cat. Plus, the sphinx was a pain in the ass because that's what they are (my sister has 2 of them and the one is a maniac cat).

I think this show is about accepting the cat you have and dealing with him/her. My mom has had three cats and she's never had a cat tree in her house, however she does have window sills and high places that they used to like to go to (and all of them loved the same places). Jackson says, "this is the cat you have, here's how to deal."

[robxr4ti]

However, wanted to agree that Ginger Man is a complete douche, and his meek girlfriend should totally dump him--there is a reason why the cats hate you, dude!

In fairness, why on Earth did this girl pick a replacement cat for him? That's just a recipe for disaster.

[2manyfish]

I stumbled across this show and boy am I glad I did! I've only seen the one episode (boyfriend who wanted the cat free bedroom) but I really liked it. Interesting about the bush-dweller tree-dweller thing. Makes me think I should get our cat a cat tree.
So yeah this show is being DVR'd at least for now...

[sweetlilvoice]

I'm now enjoying the show too. I loved seeing that sphinx. I was rooting for the cat to kill a snake or some of those bugs that guy had in cages. That room was just creepy.

I think I'm going to invest in some more cat toys.

[cpcathy]

I'm going to get my cat one of those window perches.

[rory]

I saw a couple episodes this weekend. I'm a cat person so I enjoyed it, but I couldn't help thinking no wonder these cats are misbehaved, their humans are neglecting them, with no toys and no cat perches.

[OoogleEyes]

But...the beard and the guitar case for storage of cat toys just irk me. They are both 'trying too hard' in my opinion. Everything that's in that case can be put in one small tote bag. Carrying around the case just seems to stupid to me. You're a musician, we get it.

I was just watching this off and on and I wondered why he was carrying the guitar case around. Did I miss his serenade to sooth rambunctious kitties??

[Mama Tiger]

My cat's favorite spot is a high shelf in our closet, so we don't need to get her a cat tree. We had one that was a homemade one, but it was beyond dead so we tossed it when we moved, and now the high shelf is her substitute. It has the added benefit of my clothes to sleep on, so she's quite happy. Seriously, some cats really do need a high spot to perch.

I do like the varied advice he gives the folks, including higher spots to sit -- but not necessarily the tops of cat trees so much as being far enough off the ground to feel safe. And the way, for example, he cured the one cat's habit of racing out the door by having a shelf right next to the door for her to sit on really was a great idea, as was setting up a spot where the other cat could sit on the porch and enjoy watching "bird TV" (barf!) while the allergic woman worked.

And I do understand why he uses the guitar case for one thing -- the fishing pole-type toys that are used to provide a cat with something to chase and leap after. For cats who enjoy them, those are the best toys ever for owners, to tire the cat out enough to calm them down.

Most of all, though, I get the impression that he's just got a calmness about him that cats really respond to. Some people just have that quality that animals respond to, and he's definitely got it with cats. I looked up his website, and he does telephone consultations; seriously, if I ever end up with a real problem cat, I'd consider dropping a bit of $$ to consult with him because he clearly does understand cats. And except for the facial hair, he's pretty tolerable. Especially since he doesn't pull out a guitar and sing stupid songs he's written about how we all must love cats (barf again!).

It's an interesting show. I hope they're able to keep it varied enough to not have it turn into total repetition.

[Mooncake76]

I just randomly caught this show. I have two cats so I decided to keep watching when I saw the title of the show. FTR, my cats are awesome and I've never had any real problems with them. Seeing the owners with their cats before Jackson shows up tells you all you need to know. Jackson is there to deal with the humans, not the cats. It's amazing to me how long-time cat owners still don't know how to hold their cats, when to leave their cats alone (such as when the tail starts agitating), or how to pet their animals. I see it all the time when someone forces their attention on a cat that clearly wants to be left alone and then, when the cat lashes out, the person is perplexed why the cat bit/scratched them. Sheesh.

As other have commented - the attitude of that first guy who won't let the cats in their bedroom was a huge turn off (although I too have a cat-free zone). Him yelling at the cat that it was his punishment for scratching the door at night or something? I can't imagine how a woman who says her cats are like her kids could have ended up with someone like that in the first place. I do think it reflects badly on someone when they treat a cat (or any animal really) like crap.

[lisah25]

The guy who bugged me was the one who wanted the woman to get rid of her cats because they didn't play nice with his dog, who he loved so much. Didn't he realize she loved her cats at least that much? I don't think either of the guys on that first show realized that if the woman did get rid of the cats to make them happy, they(the women) would likely resent the h*ll out of them down the line for it. I would.

I really like this show. We currently have 5 cats. No big behavoir issues, but we've learned a few things about our little tree-dwellers. They now have a window-sill perch, and we know that one at least does really like to be held, you just have to hold him how he wants.

I agree with the comments that you can tell right away listening to the humans why the cats are acting up.