Jackson Galaxy

Jackson Galaxy
Jackson Galaxy in 2019
Born	Richard Kirschner (1966-04-28) April 28, 1966 (age 58) New York City, U.S.
Occupation(s)	Cat behaviorist Television host
Years active	2002–present
Television	My Cat from Hell
Spouse	Minoo Rahbar ​ (m. 2014)​
Website	jacksongalaxy.com

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

Early life

Jackson Galaxy was born Richard Kirschner,^[2] on April 28, 1966,^[1] to a Jewish refugee father and 19-year-old mother in Manhattan,^[4] New York City, New York, and was raised on Manhattan's Upper West Side.^[2][5] At age ten, he began playing the guitar, aspiring to be a professional rock musician.^[2]

Galaxy graduated from the University of Iowa in 1991 with a theater degree.^[2]

Career

Galaxy moved to Boulder, Colorado in 1992 and was a budding rock musician.^[6] He learned cat behavior through his work with rescue cats,^[7] 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,^{[citation needed]} a holistic veterinarian. Together they provided consultations to cat owners, focusing on the connection between physical and behavioral health.^{[citation needed]}

Beginning in May 2011, Galaxy 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 cat-related issues like declawing, use of squirt guns and behind-the-scenes stories.^[8]

Galaxy is the author of books about cats and a process he calls "catification", which involves creating cat-friendly spaces within a home. In 2012, he published the autobiographical Cat Daddy: What the World's Most Incorrigible Cat Taught Me About Life, Love, and Coming Clean.^[9]

Personal life

Galaxy married Minoo Rahbar^[3] at the no-kill pet sanctuary of Best Friends Animal Society in Kanab, Utah, on June 28, 2014. Their dog, Mooshka, served as ringbearer.^[10]

Galaxy is a recovered addict of alcohol and drugs.^[3][6]

After his weight reached 300 lb (140 kg) and suffering several health problems, Galaxy underwent gastric bypass surgery in 2007.^[11][12] He maintains a vegan diet.^[13]

Publications

• with Joel Derfner: Cat Daddy: What the World's Most Incorrigible Cat Taught Me About Life, Love, and Coming Clean. New York: Tarcher/Penguin, 2012 ISBN 978-1585429370.
• with Kate Benjamin: Catification: Designing a Happy and Stylish Home for Your Cat (and You!). New York: Tarcher/Penguin, 2014 ISBN 978-0399166013.
• with Kate Benjamin: Catify to Satisfy: Simple Solutions for Creating a Cat-Friendly Home. New York: Tarcher/Penguin, 2015 ISBN 978-0399176999.
• with Mikel Delgado: Total Cat Mojo: The Ultimate Guide to Life with Your Cat. New York: Tarcher/Penguin, 2017 ISBN 978-0143131618.

References

1. Galaxy, Jackson. "Jackson Galaxy (@JacksonGalaxy)". Twitter. Archived from the original on July 22, 2020. Retrieved August 27, 2021.
2. Ulung, A. Kurniawan (August 25, 2015). "Jackson Galaxy: A rocker-styled Cat Daddy". The Jakarta Post. Archived from the original on August 25, 2015. 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 coming to Books and Books". Miami Herald. May 15, 2013. Retrieved October 21, 2020.
5. "Jackson Galaxy, NYC Jewish Feast". Omny Studio. July 13, 2017. Archived from the original on July 23, 2021. Retrieved August 27, 2021.
6. Collins, Mark (June 20, 2014). "How Jackson Galaxy transitioned from Boulder musician to TV's cat tamer". dailycamera.com. Retrieved May 6, 2018.
7. Friedlander, Whitney (June 14, 2012). "Jackson Galaxy, the 'Cat Whisperer' of Animal Planet's My Cat From Hell". LA Weekly. Retrieved June 5, 2014.
8. "Cat Mojo With Jackson Galaxy". Animalist.com. Archived from the original on June 10, 2014. Retrieved June 6, 2014.
9. Balas, Monique (May 21, 2012). "'Cat Daddy' Jackson Galaxy on why felines are misunderstood". Oregonlive. Retrieved August 21, 2023.
10. Kim, Eun Kyung (July 1, 2014). "'Cat from Hell' star Jackson Galaxy weds at pet sanctuary". Today. Archived from the original on October 30, 2020. Retrieved August 27, 2021.
11. Stephens, Stephanie (August 15, 2016). "My Cat from Hell's Jackson Galaxy: Animal Planet Host Wants to Turn Animal Shelters into Coffee Shops". Retrieved May 6, 2018.
12. "'Jackson Galaxy weight loss: Did gastric-bypass surgery save My Cat From Hell host?". Bellenews. June 29, 2014. Retrieved October 16, 2014.
13. "Why Cats Ultimately Led Cat Whisperer Jackson Galaxy to Veganism". VegNews. May 31, 2019. Retrieved January 4, 2021.

External links

• Official website