Jackson Galaxy

Jackson Galaxy (born April 28, 1966,[1] as Richard Kirschner)[2][3][4] is a cat behaviorist and the host of the television show My Cat from Hell.

Jackson Galaxy
Jackson Galaxy in 2019
Born
Richard Kirschner

(1966-04-28) April 28, 1966
New York City, New York
NationalityAmerican
OccupationCat behaviorist
Television host
TelevisionMy Cat from Hell
Spouse(s)Minoo Rahbar (m. 2014)
Websitejacksongalaxy.com

Early life and education

He was born Richard Kirschner[2] in Manhattan,[4] New York City, New York, and was raised on Manhattan's Upper West Side.[2] At age ten, he began playing guitar, aspiring to be a rockstar.[2]

He graduated from University of Iowa in 1991 with a theater degree.[2]

He legally changed his name when he was in his twenties.

Career

Galaxy moved to Boulder, Colorado in 1992 and was a rock musician.[5] He learned cat behavior through his work with rescue cats,[6] originally with the Humane Society of Boulder Valley.[2] 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.[7]

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).[8]

Personal life

Jackson Galaxy married Minoo Rahbar[3] at the no-kill pet sanctuary of Best Friends Animal Society in Kanab, Utah, on June 29, 2014. Their dog, Mooshka, served as ringbearer.[9]

After topping 400 lb (180 kg) and suffering several health problems, Galaxy underwent gastric bypass surgery in 2007.[10][11] He is a recovered addict of alcohol and drugs.[3][5]

gollark: One million mints or no mints. In the AP, anyway.
gollark: We need horrendously messy ones too.
gollark: I can't wait to see the AP in about two days.
gollark: Or which people actually like.
gollark: Or which aren't common.

See also

References
  1. Jackson Galaxy – official profile on Twitter. Retrieved February 8, 2020.
  2. Ulung, A. Kurniawan (August 25, 2015). "Jackson Galaxy: A rocker-styled Cat Daddy". The Jakarta Post. Retrieved August 20, 2019.
  3. "How a cat saved Animal Planet star Jackson Galaxy's life". Heraldnet.com. Everett, Washington: Everett Herald and Sound Publishing, Inc. June 11, 2017. Retrieved August 20, 2019.
  4. "Cat Daddy Jackson Galaxy talks about his new book". Miami Herald. Archived from the original on June 6, 2014. Retrieved June 5, 2014.
  5. Collins, Mark (June 20, 2014). "How Jackson Galaxy transitioned from Boulder musician to TV's cat tamer". dailycamera.com. Retrieved 6 May 2018.
  6. Friedlander, Whitney (June 14, 2012). "Jackson Galaxy, the 'Cat Whisperer' of Animal Planet's My Cat From Hell". LA Weekly. Retrieved June 5, 2014.
  7. "Cat Mojo With Jackson Galaxy". Animalist.com. Archived from the original on June 10, 2014. Retrieved June 6, 2014.
  8. "Jackson Galaxy - About the Author". Penguin Random House. Retrieved May 2, 2017.
  9. "'Cat from Hell' star Jackson Galaxy weds at pet sanctuary". Today.com. Retrieved October 16, 2014.
  10. Stephens, Stephanie. "My Cat from Hell's Jackson Galaxy: Animal Planet Host Wants to Turn Animal Shelters into Coffee Shops". Retrieved 6 May 2018.
  11. "'Jackson Galaxy weight loss: Did gastric-bypass surgery save My Cat From Hell host?". Bellenews. Retrieved October 16, 2014.
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