Do you love cats? Yeah, those furry four-legged feline creatures that mews and proverbially have nine lives? There is one who not only loves them but has seemingly built his world around them, Jackson Galaxy. Popularly known as America’s official cat daddy and the host of Animal Planet’s My Cat from Hell, he can well be described as the cat’s best friend.
He is a cat behaviorist and TV personality with his show focusing on the relationship between the behavioral and physical health of cats. Jackson is also involved in animal rescue and partners with several animal rescue and shelter organizations to help him score his goal of helping save the 4 million animals that die in shelters each year.
Meet Jackson Galaxy, cat advocate and advisor on cat matters.
Jackson Galaxy’s Bio.
Richard Kirschner, the cat daddy was born on April 28, 1966, in Manhattan, New York City. When he was in his twenties, he had his name changed to Jackson Galaxy. For his education, he has a Master of Fine Arts in acting.
Career
Jackson moved to Boulder, Colorado in 1992 as a rock artist and worked in animal shelters with the Humane Society of Boulder Valley. While he worked, he was enthralled by the animals and learned all he could about cat behavior through his interaction with rescued cats.
In 2002, he partnered with Dr. Jean Hofve, a veterinarian, and went into private practice. The two co-founded a cat consultancy center, Little Big Cat, Inc. which provided consultations to cat owners.
Five years later, in 2007, Jackson Galaxy moved to Los Angeles and continued to practice private consulting. He worked one-on-one with cats in their homes and with clients to improve their cats’ behavior.
Furthermore, he continues to work with animal shelters and rescue organizations where he teaches Cat Mojo (learning how to walk through the world like a cat, with an understanding of the things that motivate them) to volunteers, staff, and adopters. He also helped them with behavioral and environmental enrichment programs.
His popularity, however, grew in 2011 when he began to host the reality show, My Cat From Hell on Animal Planet. In 2013, he became the host of the web series on Animalist Network, Cat Mojo where he lets in on cat-related matters.
In addition, he has also appeared in a host of TV shows that promotes cat interests. He was the official cat behaviorist on Game shows network’s Think Like a Cat, Animal Planet’s Cats 101, and has been featured in media outlets such as 20/20, EXTRA, The New York Times, USA Today, The Washington Post, the New York Post, and AOL.
Jackson Galaxy also owns a YouTube channel where he teaches how best to take care of and handle cats. He owns a line of holistic remedies for animals, Spirit Essences designed to help cats and their owners, from his over two decades of experience.
Beyond being involved in cat rescue missions and seminars, Jackson has also authored several bestselling cat-related books. They include a memoir published in 2012, Cat Daddy: What the World’s Most Incorrigible Cat Taught Me About Life, Love, and Coming Clean. He co-authored two books with cat-style expert Kate Benjamin: Catification: Designing a Happy and Stylish Home for Your Cat (and You!) and Catify to Satisfy: Simple Solutions for Creating a Cat-Friendly Home. Total Cat Mojo: Everything You Need to Know to Care for Your Favorite Feline Friend became his fourth book.
Jackson serves on the board of directors for Stray Cat Alliance and Fix Nation in Los Angeles and on the Board of Advisors for Neighborhood Cats in New York City as well as Rescue Me Magazine.
Is Jackson Galaxy Gay? Married, Wife, Girlfriend
The cat daddy got married to a fellow animal enthusiast and rescuer, Minoo Rabar in 2014. The two met in fundraising for a kitten rescue Minoo started and met for a cup of coffee thereafter. Their relationship has been a whole lot of roller coasters and plenty of fun for a couple who clearly have a common interest and does what they love most – giving life to rescued pets.
The twosome tied the knot in a rather strange location, a no-kill pet sanctuary in Kanab, Utah called Best Friends Animal Society on June 29, 2014. But all for the love of animals, it is only normal for the couple. Their dog, Mooshka was the ring bearer in the private ceremony that saw only family members and close friends in attendance.
Jackson uploads pictures of his wife on Instagram and shares with his followers, activities they engage in. He has been rumored to be gay but being in a loving and adorable relationship with lady luck pushes all gay rumors aside, huh?
He, being an owner of cats and dogs often refers to himself as strictly bi-pet-sual. Reasons such as his love for cats which often attract strange glares to him owing to the stereotypic belief that men should own dogs may have given credence to the rumor. Nevertheless, it is clear that he is not gay as there is no credible source to the rumor or what might have even sparked it on.
Jackson Galaxy’s Weight Loss
The cat enthusiast had this lifestyle of spending every other night out as a rock musician which had him spiral down a self-destructive path of drugs and alcohol. That was when he applied to and began working at the Humane Society of Boulder Valley. That work became a lifesaver for him in more ways than one.
In his memoir, he detailed how his interactions with cats, particularly one injured cat called Benny helped him overcome drug addiction and physical hardship. He also expressed that he didn’t really care about letting humans down as much as he did those cats. He felt this responsibility towards them that he quit smoking for good, stating that he did it for the animals. Such love.
However, apart from his addiction to drugs and alcohol, he was also addicted to food. He became overweight with more than 400 pounds that he almost died. That became his turning point and he had to undergo gastric bypass surgery to remove the excess fat from his body. Although he doesn’t like talking about the process, Jackson now lives a healthier life with regular workout sessions.
