Jackson Galaxy

Jackson Galaxy (born 28 April 1966) is a cat behaviorist and the host of the television show My Cat from Hell.

Early life and education

Jackson Galaxy was born in Manhattan, New York City, New York, and was raised on Manhattan's Upper West Side. At age ten, he began playing guitar, aspiring to be a rock star.

He graduated from University of Iowa in 1991 with a theater degree.

Career

Galaxy moved to Boulder, Colorado in 1992 and was a rock musician. He learned cat behavior through his work with rescue cats, originally with the Humane Society of Boulder Valley. After working there and at other animal shelters, he went into private practice as a cat consultant in 2002, co-founding Little Big Cat, Inc., with Dr. Jean Hofve, a holistic veterinarian. Together they provided consultations to cat owners, focusing on the connection between physical and behavioral health.

In 2007, Galaxy moved to Los Angeles, where he re-established a private consulting practice. Working one-on-one with cats in their homes, he works with clients to improve their cats' behavioral issues.

Galaxy also works closely with animal shelters and rescue organizations, teaching his "Cat Mojo" approach to feline behavior to volunteers, staff and adopters and helping with both behavioral and environmental enrichment programs for their feline residents.

He currently serves on the board of directors for Stray Cat Alliance and Fix Nation in Los Angeles as well as the Board of Advisers for Neighborhood Cats in New York City.

Galaxy has appeared as the official cat behaviorist for Game Show Network's Think Like a Cat and as the cat behavior expert on Animal Planet's Cats 101. He has also been featured by such media outlets as 20/20, Extra, The New York Times, USA Today, The Washington Post, the New York Post, and AOL.

Since May 2011, Jackson has starred in My Cat From Hell, a reality TV series produced by Animal Planet in which he helps cat guardians—often couples—resolve conflict and behavioral issues between them and their cats. Since December 2013, he has been host of the web series Cat Mojo on the Animalist Network, where he shares his thoughts on everything from cat-related issues like declawing and use of squirt guns to his craziest behind-the-scenes stories as a cat behaviorist.

Jackson is also the author of bestselling books about cats and a process called "catification" involving creating cat-friendly spaces within a home. These titles include:

• Catify to Satisfy: Simple Solutions for Creating a Cat-Friendly Home (with Kate Benjamin)
• Catification: Designing a Happy and Stylish Home for Your Cat (and You!) (with Kate Benjamin)
• Cat Daddy: What the World's Most Incorrigible Cat Taught Me About Life, Love, and Coming Clean (with Joel Derfner)
• Total Cat Mojo: Everything You Need to Know to Care for Your Favorite Feline Friend (with Mikel Delgado).

Personal life

Jackson Galaxy married Minoo Rahbar at the no-kill pet sanctuary of Best Friends Animal Society in Kanab, Utah, on June 29, 2014. Their dog, Mooshka, served as ringbearer.

After topping 400 lb (180 kg) and suffering several health problems, Galaxy underwent gastric bypass surgery in 2007. He is a recovered addict of alcohol and drugs.