Cat Daddy: What the World's Most Incorrigible Cat Taught Me About Life, Love, and Coming Clean

I've owned and loved cats for 30 years. I pay attention to what they try to teach me, and I think I have a pretty high level of empathy with animals. But Jackson Galaxy has more. He also has the benefit of experience working in an animal shelter, dealing with frustrated owners and traumatized cats. He's learned hands-on -- from the animals -- how to soothe, and how to teach cats as well as people. He knows what cats' signals mean. As much as I love my cats, I've often failed to understand what they're saying. Jackson's book about living with cats is the first I've read that conveys such profound empathy and understanding. When dealing with behavior problems, Jackson *knows* why methods work, or don't work, and what else to try. And he offers effective methods in a simple, clear, boiled-down fashion that takes the misery out of trying to get a cat to change her behavior. He gives you insight and confidence. He makes unknown territory... known. From his work at the shelter, Jackson knows what it's like to perform euthanasia on animals that had been, or could have been, beloved pets. This book gives you an overview of this miserable process, and it lets you know that almost any animal can be helped and saved. Jackson is a dedicated crusader to make kill shelters obsolete. He explains the necessity of spaying and neutering pets so well that I want to send a copy of this book to every kid who might own a pet some day, as well as every adult who needs a clue. While Jackson was learning about cats, he was also in recovery from multiple addictions, stripping his consciousness down to the nerve to learn what he -- and all living beings -- are really about. He made important discoveries about people and animals, and that's part of this story too. One of the most piercing moments in this book is Jackson's realization that he had made helping cats his higher power. That was his reason for living and for staying sober. You don't have to be in recovery to realize that helping an animal -- even just one -- is one of the most important things you'll ever do. And that seeing that animal living its life well is one of the greatest rewards. The last part of the book focuses on the declining months of his beloved cat and the process of deciding when it was time for euthanasia. He describes his experience in the most raw and honest way imaginable. It was hard to read, but his insight is powerful and the lesson vitally important. Next time I have to decide when to let an ailing cat go, I'll be reading his words again.

A METAPHOR FOR GALAXY'S LIFE COULD BE A WORM CRAWLING ON THE EDGE OF A RAZOR BLADE (I.E., A LINE FROM THE MOVIE ''APOCALYPSE NOW''). LIKE MANY GIFTED PEOPLE, BECAUSE HE'S SO EXTRAORDINARILY SMART, GALAXY SEES FINE NUANCES IF HIS STRUGGLES AROUND PLEASING HIS FATHER, DISCOVERING AND MASTERING A CAREER, HE ACTUALLY CREATED FROM NOTHING LIKE VAN GOGH DID IN THE ART WORLD. GALAXY HAS MANY OBSTACLES TO OVERCOME. FOR EXAMPLE, HE ISN'T WELL UNDERSTOOD, LIKE MANY OTHER BRILLANT PEOPLE. IN MANY WAYS, HE'S ISOLATED COPING WITH CRONIC ANXIETY, PTSD, AND MULTIPLE ADDICTIONS (E.G. LEGAL PRESCRIPTION DRUGS, AND FOOD). FOR 34 YEARS, I WORKED IN AN AREA OF MENTAL HEALTH SERVICE, SPECIFICALLY WITH BOTH YOUNG CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS. THIS BOOK IS BRUTALLY HONEST, AND BEAUTIFULLY WRITTEN. IT'S PRECISE, INSIGHTFUL, FIERCE IN ITS DESCRIPTIONS ABOUT THE DEVELOPMENTAL PROCESS OF GROWING UP ALONE IN THE WORLD. GALAXY IS A COMPLEX INDIVIDUAL. HE'S A MAN WHO WAS A PROFESSIONAL MUSICIAN BY NIGHT,NOW A WRITER OF BOTH MUSIC AND BOOKS, WHILE FOR ANOTHER PART OF HIS LIFE, GALAXY ALSO WAS EMPLOYED IN AN ANIMAL SHELTER WITH ALL ITS HORROR STORIES OF LIVING THINGS, WHICH NEVER MADE IT OUT OF THOSE BUILDINGS. GALAXY IS A GENIUS WITH NO FORMAL UNIVERSITY CREDENTIALS BESIDE HIS NAME, HOWEVER, FROM MINUTE OBSERVATIONS ALONE, GALAXY REINVENTS THE ENTIRE WAY CATS ARE UNDERSTOOD IN NORTH AMERICA. OF COURSE, HIS FATHER WASN'T PLEASED WITH HIM. HIS FATHER WANTED GALAXY TO JUST GET A REAL JOB, ANY JOB, THAT PAID WELL, BUT GALAXY IS GIFTED, CREATIVE, AND COMPASSIONATE. HE ABHORS SUFFERING IN THE INNOCENT AND THE HELPLESS. INDIVIDUALLY, GALAXY INVENTED A WHOLE NEW CAREER FIELD AROUND FELINES AND HE HAS BECOME THE TOP CAT BEHAVORIST IN THE UNITED STATES. LIKE STEVE JOBS, GALAXY IS AN INVENTOR. I USED TO WALK TO A PUBLIC LIBRARY WITH MY MOTHER, WHEN I WAS 4 YEARS OLD, 70 YEARS AGO. I'VE BEEN LISTENING TO BOOKS BEING READ TO ME, AND I HAVE BEEN READING BOOKS MYSELF EVER SINCE. THIS BOOK "CAT DADDY" IS IN THE TOP 2 BEST BOOKS, I'VE EVER READ IN MY ENTIRE LIFE. I COULDN'T TELL YOU HOW MUCH I LOVE THIS BOOK!!!!! GALAXY IS SO VERY, VERY BRAVE, AND SO, SO HONEST. IF MOST PEOPLE WERE EVEN HALF AS AUTHENTIC AS GALAXY IS, THEY WOULD BE HIDING IN THEIR BASEMENT OUT OF EMBARRASSMENT AND NEVER COME OUT. HOW MANY OF US PRESENT A FALSE FRONT TO THE WORLD? HOW MANY OF US ARE AN ACTOR, OR AN ACTRESS ON A STAGE? HOW MANY OF US COMPLAIN ABOUT LIFE, BUT NEVER EVEN ATTEMPT TO FIND SOLUTIONS FOR LIFE'S UGLY PROBLEMS? DID AN ABANDONED, BROKEN CAT FIND GALAXY, OR DID GALAXY FIND HIM? THIS BOOK IS LIKE SCORCHED EARTH, THE GOOD, THE BAD, AND THE UGLY, EVERYTHING IS ON THE TABLE FOR ALL TO SEE. THIS MAN AND HIS CAT ARE MIRRORS OF EACH OTHER. BOTH OF THEM WOULD HAVE DIED YOUNG WITHOUT FINDING THEIR TWIN, BUT FATE AND LOVE INTERVENED. THIS BOOK IS AN EXCELLENT GIFT, AND VALENTINE'S DAY IS JUST AROUND THE CORNER.

Wow. I read this book in 2 days. Thanks, Jackson, for laying yourself bare for us. As I read the book, I felt some kinship with you in that I have isolated myself with my husband and cats because people are so disappointing sometimes. Kitties were my crying pillow when I was a little girl living with an alcoholic mother. As an adult, I still found that kitties never disappointed me, but people always did. I never had to deal with demons of drugs and finally found the most wonderful husband and we just celebrated our 25th wedding anniversary. We've had as many as 15 rescued cats in our home and each was loved and respected as an individual. I wish that I had your book long ago when introducing new kitties into the home. We did pretty well over the years, but wound up with some kitties living in the bedroom for not getting along with the others. Fortunately we have a big house and master bedroom suite. The years have passed and in the last few, we lost 6 precious kitties as they aged. We were down to 5 and it was actually feeling a bit lonely. When at the vet recently with our 19 year old for a blood pressure check, a tech burst into the room and thrust a kitten into my arms - "they need a home! and we think you guys should take them!" We're getting a bit older and not sure about the work with more kitties. Our vet and entire staff love us because they knew how well we care for them. They begged us to take them! I felt like these 2 little guys were sent from God above to soothe my hurting heart from losing 2 last year, one of which was my special, once in a lifetime kitty who dove under the covers with me every morning. We were better at introducing 2 new little grey kittens and our resident cats had not one hiss! The kittens are a delight and snuggle with us already, they are very special. I had learned a few tips from watching your show, but the book is AWESOME! I really loved reading your story and hope that you realize what a strong, courageous, special man you are for accomplishing what you did. Life ain't easy, but you still kept trying and always dug to the deepest of the problem, trying to solve it. That takes courage and pulling yourself up from the bottom. For readers, this is a great story of triumph over demons and the journey to become a special advocate for cats. On a stormy night, Jackson was new at trying to help scared cats in the shelter and went one by one, saying "I love you" with the slow eye blink, to each one until they were calmed from the horrible thunder and all screaming at the top of their lungs. 45 cats were calmed one at a time as he went patiently to each one through the night. That's amazing! I just can't say enough about this book. I just loved it. Thanks, Jackson and God bless you! Recommend: Healing Our Animal Friends With EFT and The Complete Guide to Holistic Cat Care: An Illustrated Handbook

In his first book, Galaxy tries to tell several somewhat-but-not-entirely related stories all at once. He covers his work with cats at the animal shelter that lead to him becoming a cat behaviorist, the life and death of his cat Benny, and his epic battles with addiction to drugs, alcohol, and food. These stories are interwoven in a way that sometimes works, but sometimes feels like you're switching between completely different books. The book is also sprinkled with a few cat behavior tips -- imagine you're reading about a broken man overdosing on drugs and passing out on his floor, and then you turn the page and see a helpful tip about what to do if your cat won't use the litter box. That's sort of the feel of this book. Galaxy doesn't spend enough time on cat behavior tips for this book to be considered a guide to cat behavior (although if he happens to address your specific problem in one of his stories or tips, the book might be useful) but I enjoyed reading about his time at the shelter, his early consults with cat owners, and his efforts to solve Benny's endless behavior and health issues. To me, this was the most interesting and original part of the book, and I wish the balance had been more in favor of these stories. I feel like I have read countless addiction / recovery narratives, while Galaxy's history and experience with cats is an original and fascinating story. Fans of "My Cat from Hell" who appreciate the unique voice and perspective that Galaxy brings to cat behavior will appreciate this part of the book. The addiction / recovery part of the book might not be what MCFH fans were expecting to read, but I do have to say that it was extremely well-written, well-paced, and never boring. Galaxy is a natural writer who tells stories in blunt, vivid prose, with just the right amount of self-indulgence. His strong point of view -- consistent throughout -- ties together a book that could have been a disjointed mess considering how many different stories he is telling. This book is ultimately the story of Galaxy's adult life, his personal and professional struggles, and when I finished I felt like I had gotten to know and understand him -- and I didn't regret the time I had spent with the book. The final chapter of the book deals with the death of Benny. I was sobbing the whole time. This is the strongest part of the book, and also the hardest to read if you love an animal. Galaxy's feelings for Benny, his obsessive efforts to save him, and his realization that it was time to let Benny go resonated with me more than any other narrative I've read on the subject. I hope I don't have to experience this with my cat for many, many years -- but I imagine that I will come back to this book when that horrible day comes.

Let me just preface this review by saying that I'm a twenty year ferret caretaker. I never had cats until I recently adopted a feral from my yard last August who we had been working with and caring for for six years. He eventually wanted to come in, so we let him. Cat guardianship is all new to me, but animal guardianship, in general, is not. I've been a lifelong animal lover and caretaker, so I devoured this book in a weekend. Galaxy is a kindred spirit, and I could not put this book down from the time it came in the mail until I finished in two days, and while it's not a light read, there is enough self-deprecating humor sprinkled throughout that the reader won't feel bludgeoned by the subject matter, and Galaxy touches on some very dark, disturbing, and controversial subject matter with regards to the animal welfare and shelter system currently operating in the US. Most of the book is the autobiographical account of Galaxy's ascent out of the hell we know of as addiction. Galaxy was addicted to everything pretty much: pills, booze, pot, prescription drugs, and food, which were really only symptoms of a greater addiction: Galaxy's neurotic fear of being a fraud and a failure -- a fear most of us have had at some point in our lives, more so painfully felt if you are a creative type -- but Galaxy was at least self-aware enough to understand that fixating on himself wasn't going to improve his situation. People always like to tell addicts to "get over themselves," and in reality, that is wise advice when put in the proper context. Galaxy did attempt to get over himself, hoping that if he focused his energy on helping shelter animals that somehow he would be able to manage his own demons and get himself some direction in life. He was right, but he didn't go in clean, so the physical and emotional pressures of working in the shelter system simply made things worse. Galaxy did find his calling as a cat behaviorist, but not without tripping, stumbling, and falling on his face along the way. Galaxy's life was a train wreck waiting to happen, and the carnage he left in his wake affected everything and everyone around him, including his cats. You can't have a good relationship with an addict. It's just not possible, and that is the truth of the story. How could Galaxy possibly have a healthy relationship with these troubled animals if he couldn't even have one with himself? Benny the cat's story is also sad but not uncommon. In our throw away society, animals are nothing more than a commodity: something to own like a designer handbag. Most people, including Galaxy at that time, are woefully ill equipped for animal guardianship, and sad to say, most people are way too self-centered to give what takes when it comes to loving and caring for an animal properly. Most people buy and/or adopt an animal because "they the human" need something. They put their human need first. Who the animal is and what the animal needs are often marginalized if not downright ignored. Animal guardianship is a commitment. It's work, and it's for life. Now I don't want to spoil the book, it's such a wonderful and inspiring read. It's about hope, and faith, and the struggle to find it and keep it - with a few helpful cat care tips mixed in a long the way -- so I'll just say: if you've worked in the shelter system, you'll get it. If you've screamed, cried, and felt hopelessly impotent while caring for a disabled and/or sick animal, you'll get it. If you've ever struggled with addiction of any kind, you'll get it. If you understand that "you" directly affect how your animal companion understands and behaves in its/your world, then you'll get it, and, lastly, if you are the sort of person who understands that people don't own animals, that they share their lives with us, and that they are unique sentient beings who deserve our respect and understanding, so much so that you are the sort of person who is willing to spend endless hours educating yourself so that you can provide the most enriching and healthy quality of life possible for your animal companion, then you will totally get it. I could rant here about the pet industry, but I won't. Jackson Galaxy does plenty of ranting in the book. We just need to support the cause. I've gone from ferret person to cat person in a very short span of time. When my last ferret passed away of old age, I could have wallowed in it, but I had a cat to care for. A cat who had had a hard life on the street; a cat who needed reassurance and comfort during the difficult transition it had decided to make. It decided to put its life in my hands the day it walked into the house on its own for the first time, and I could not have succeeded in rehabilitating my Moon kitteh without the helpful advice of people like Jackson Galaxy. If you are looking for a "How-to" manual for cats, this isn't the book. I would think of it as a "How I made myself a better person and a better guardian" sort of book. If that's your cuppa tea, then you'll get it.

This was a great book, at first not exactly what I expected. It isn't a tell you how to fix your problems with your cats kind of book straight forward. But it is a very insightful book about the path we humans sometimes take & how long it can take us to find our true "calling" or one of our true "callings" in life. It is a heartwarming, at times heartbreaking story of how "Jackson Galaxy" from "My Cat from Hell" TV show, ended up being "Cat Daddy" and the person that seems to be able to "fix" cats with behavior problems. Although as he tells in this book and has shown on TV, the cats aren't "broken" just in great need of someone with the patience & ability to put themselves in their shoes or in this case their paws, get down to their level, see what they see & make their home more cat friendly, teach their humans their need for "prey play", clean multiple litter boxes, something he seems to have a special sense for. He had to go through the rough heartbreaking experience of working in a shelter where many animals must be put down, sometimes its due to a necessary illness but other times its due to humans lack of commitment & understanding of the lifetime commitment that needs to be made when one brings home that cute little kitten or puppy, they grow up, they are work & you need to be there for them forever, however long that maybe. He does not make this book a depressing story by any means, he does touch on that subject because it is necessary for all of us to realize there is still much work to be done educating people about spaying & neutering pets, etc. I found this book impossible to put down I read it from cover to cover in one day, I have been a fan of Jackson's ability to see things I would have never thought of prior to seeing his show. Now after losing my first cat after only 15 months to FIP, I have rescued my second kitten, & have set up our home so cat friendly it truly is "her house" too, it has "good flow", lots of high places for her to scope things out, lots of scratchers, etc. I have never had any problems with either of my cats spraying, scratching furniture, biting, etc. And I want to say " Thank you" to Jackson for educating me to give my cats a better environment that we all share, my family of three humans,two dogs & our newest kitten, now 6 months old. She is on her way to being clicker trained so far so good, and no I'm not just lucky with my two cats I've had.. yes maybe with my first one, but this one was a feral kitten trapped, with her sister, brother & mother all rescued by the same people I got my first cat from. I am so thankful for what they do & continue to do, she has come along way from the scared little P.O'd kitty they first trapped, they did the initial hardest work with her for four weeks before I adopted her and if you didn't know it you would never think she had been feral for the first 6 weeks of her life. This is a must read book, very interesting, heartwarming and educational..Thank you Jackson Galaxy for enlightening us and sharing your insight into what cats need & your story!!

I think this may be the first review I've written in Amazon, but I wanted to share my feelings about what I thought about this book. As one who loves cats and true Cinderella stories, this book was a wonderful combination of heart, inspiration determination, progression, tenacity, and let's not forget, the love of cats. Jackson truly is an inspiration and his brutal honesty and kind heart shine through in this book. I actually cried right along with Jackson when he lost Benny....not really a spoiler, so sorry if it sounds like it. Because of his brutal and honest thoughts, the language can be profane so I wouldn't recommend children reading this, but I could see it happening if a parent read it and edited it for them. I think it's a good story for youth to see how Jackson worked though his weaknesses and he puts it in a down-to-earth real perspective that doesn't sounds arrogant at all. In fact, I thought it was a very humble story of Jackson's life and how cats and close humans helped him throughout his life. The sign of a great person is humbling oneself enough to identify a problem, accepting help and working through that problem despite how difficult and challenging it can be. Jackson is hard on himself....I'm sure many of us can relate on some level...but he is a great example of working through and conquering and reconquering trials and weaknesses and not quitting. It's more than a memoir. It's more than cat advice, which I absolutely loved and use on my Bengal cat. It's more than a story about the relationship between he and Benny. This is a story about never giving up, never giving into fears and doubts, learning and embracing talents and using those talents for good for human and cat. It's a story of learning to love others, human and cat alike, learning to accept who you are and love yourself no matter what your doubts, fears, and others say about you. It's a book about learning not to accept failure despite what you think your life's patterns are. It's learning to embrace success without fearing it. It's a story of letting hope and love of human and cat alike drive your life instead of negativity from others and negative thinking run your life. I could go on and on with my praises, but it's better just to read the book! I can't do it justice! Perhaps I love this book so much because I have had my own challenges in life that have come close to conquering my spirits to the point of just giving up. Even though they are different challenges than what Jackson had to conquer, they are things I have had to get through and still work through...that's life and it can be ugly and cruel. We all have our own personal trials and challenges that we have to get through and it can be very hard. This book helps me see that, even though it's hard to see the light at the end of the tunnel at times, through perseverance, hard work, hope, faith, help from close humans and cats alike, etc, there are better things ahead. The great thing is that Jackson wasn't necessarily writing his story as a self-help book, so there isn't that, "to be successful, you must do this," kinda attitude like he's the authority....even he said he has no letters after his name....but it goes from a beautiful story of his and Benny's life to show the reader several real life applications and aspects in his life that can be adapted and applied to anyone's life.

I got this for my cat-loving 92-year-old mom. She made it in about 50 pages and gave the book back to me. She was really bothered by the liberal use of obscenities. In Mom's era, that language wasn't used in polite company, and she missed out on a really GOOD book because she couldn't overlook the language.