Cat Daddy's Book: Review, Soundtrack, Giveaway!!

GIVEAWAY IS CLOSED

I'm a little particular (read: anal retentive) when it comes to organizing
my books on a shelf. After I'd finished reading an advance copy of Jackson Galaxy's Cat Daddy: What the World's Most Incorrigible Cat Taught Me About Life, Love, and Coming Clean (which was released yesterday), I stood frozen before the book shelf. Where would I file this book? When I initially sat down to read, I fully expected the words to be solely directed toward cat lovers. I am one of those people so naturally I was excited; however, after burning through the pages of this wildly addicting read, I quickly found it impossible to label the book. It wasn't just a cat book; it was also a recovery book, a spiritual book, and a message simply about the human journey. Just like Jackson himself, this book defies a label.

When I spoke with Cat Daddy a few weeks ago, I asked if he intended the book to cross genres. He said he really didn't know what to expect. He only knew when Benny's (the world's most incorrigible cat) life was fading,  Jackson promised he would tell his story. He meant he would tell Benny's story, but found it was impossible to convey it without, in the process, exposing his own painful experiences. By the way, when I asked Jackson if it felt uncomfortable "exposing himself" to such a degree, it felt just plain weird. We both had a laugh.

Cosmo's Seal of Approval!

I don't know if you believe in things happening and beings showing up in our lives for particular reasons, but I do. Benny the cat showed up broken (literally -- his pelvis was shattered after being abandoned and hit by a car) and full of pain and landed in the lap of Jackson, also broken and full of pain. Jackson was a full-blown addict; you name it, he was probably addicted to it. The pages of the book follow the daily ups and downs of his struggle with his own demons and courage to keep moving forward to make a difference in his own life as well as the lives of thousands and thousands and thousands (you get it) of felines. You see, in the midst of it all, Jackson realized his unique connection to cats and found he could help keep them out of shelters (and avoid euthanization) by helping cat guardians better understand their companions and correct the cat's behavior, as well as their own. If you've ever watched Animal Planet's My Cat From Hell, you know exactly to what I'm referring. In fact, tons of tips for raising happy, healthy cats are placed throughout the pages of this book.

Benny mirrored Jackson in so many ways and as the Cat Daddy worked with him on his behavior issues, he also found himself working through his own. They were soul mates and helped each other heal from very broken lives. If you've ever experienced the healing power of an animal companion, you will relate to this book.

It's not necessarily a sweet book, although there are some sweet parts. The language he uses paints a harsh picture of his reality. From passing out from intoxication nearly every night, sleeping on a warehouse floor, or being thrown into the job of euthanizing cats and dogs, Jackson doesn't mince words. His discomfort, anger, and finally surrender were clear on every page. When I asked him which addiction was hardest to kick, he confessed it was definitely food...and he still struggles with it. "It's such a primal addiction. It's very obvious when you have a weight problem and you are made fun of. People can glorify Kurt Cobain's drug problems, but can't have the same compassion for Marlon Brando."

Being the music lover that I am, I couldn't end a conversation with Jackson without talking a little bit about tunes. This time around I asked that if this book were to have a soundtrack, what three songs would be included on it? He went on to name the songs, which certainly create the mood for the pages of the book.

Cat Daddy began by telling me that during much of the time, he was in a very "feedback-drenched place," so he would have to include a Sonic Youth song. "Yes, Dirty Boots," he concluded. Exactly.

He paused and said, "I'm not playing to you or anything..." He knows I live in Minneapolis and we have a shared love of the 80's Minneapolis music scene. He continued, "But I have to have The Replacements." He settled on "Unsatisfied." Perfect...one of my favorites and absolutely fits.

He wrapped it up with the Minneapolis standard, Prince. He said when he felt abandoned, he listened to the Lovesexy album from beginning to end because it really plays like a single track. Agreed, Cat Daddy...a fine choice. Here is one of the tracks from the album.

 

Cat Daddy was very well worth the read. It was unexpected, emotionally moving (yes, I cried), informational, and I was unable to put it down. And guess what?? Catladyland has autographed copies of Cat Daddy to give away to TWO readers!! And no worries...if you don't win or simply want to make sure you get your hands on a copy, you can place your order here.

Giveaway Details:

• Please comment indicating you'd like to qualify and you must leave your contact e-mail address.
• Giveaway open to Catladyland readers in the US and Canada
• Winners will be randomly chosen via Randomizer.org.
• Gievaway is open until Monday, 5/14 at 11:59 Central.
• Winners will be contacted via e-mail and will have 48 hours to respond or another winner will be chosen.

And don't miss Cat Daddy on his book tour. Will he be coming to a city near you??

I was given a copy of Cat Daddy: What the World's Most Incorrigible Cat Taught Me About Life, Love, and Coming Clean, but the opinions in this review are my own.

My Cat From Hell's Jackson Galaxy Talks Cats, Music, Zen, and Airplane-Weeping

After speaking with Jackson Galaxy, host of Animal Planet's My Cat From Hell earlier this week, I am pleased to say we agree on a few very important things, including:

#1 Felines are the most advanced Zen masters on this planet.
#2 Labels and stereotypes are a total buzzkill.
#3 The Minneapolis music scene in the late 80's was crazy-cool.

Jackson calls himself a "cat listener" and thinks "cat whisperer" connotates an exclusive club. He is clear that anyone can connect with their cats like he does; he's just had a lot more experience...thousands of cats' worth of experience. On his show, My Cat From Hell, Jackson helps families who are at their whiskers' end with their feline companion's behavior. Using various methods (some more traditional than others), he helps the 2- and 4-legged family members restore peace to their home, and ultimately, their relationships. He strongly believes by helping people strengthen the human/feline relationship, more cats would stay in homes and out of shelters.

In the upcoming season (season #1 available on iTunes), Jackson is excited to experiment with some new techniques, including simultaneously clicker-training a small dog and cat with a troubled relationship. You think I'm kidding? Only Jackson would throw his tattooed arms around that one. Stay tuned for the surprising (or maybe not-so-surprising) results!

Jackson shares his home with three cats: 18-year-old Velouria (named for The Pixies song), 17-year-old Chips (aka Chippy, Chuppy, and C. Huppy [Jackson says it's like P. Diddy, but infinitely cooler. I agree]), 3-year-old Caroline (named for the Beach Boys' Caroline, No). Then there's Rudy the dog (Rudy the Red-Nosed Jack Russell Mutt), which Jackson found running in the street a few Christmas Eves ago; he thinks Rudy is 10-12 years old. Jackson is happy to report everyone gets along pretty darn well.

Crashed with Rudy and Caroline

Jackson says he grew up with a dog and really only fell in love with cats in his mid-20's, when he took a job at a shelter because he thought it would be easy. Eventually, someone called his attention to how strongly the cats reacted to him. It may sound dramatic (well, it kind of was), but it was at that moment his life was forever changed. During a period when he was experiencing some pretty dark times, cats literally saved his life.

In his book, Cat Daddy: My Life With the Original Cat From Hell, due to come out in May (pre-order here), Jackson revisits those dark times and credits his experiences with his feline companion of 14 years, Benny, with showing him the light. Jackson and I discussed our shared belief of "the perfect situations/beings showing up at just the right time," and "staying in the flow of life." We agreed cats are really the best Zen masters around and can teach us an advanced class on the art of staying present...if we slow down and listen to them.

Jackson says we may be surprised to know he is a "huge cry baby, especially on airplanes." He confesses watching a sad or emotional commercial or movie makes him "weep like a 4-year-old girl." For whatever reason, this especially affects him on airplanes. When flipping channels from the "comfort" of his airplane seat, he quickly skips past the Lifetime and Oxygen networks because he knows he'd be a weepy mess in no time. While traveling, he must stick to what he calls, "more manly entertainment," like sports or Pawn Stars. But honestly, this doesn't bother him. He loves that people are always trying to figure him out...because they can never quite do that. Jackson is all about defying labels and stereotypes. And that's one of the reasons I like him so much. That, and his strong affection for the music of The Replacements, Hüsker Dü, and Prince...and, of course, CATS!

You can watch Jackson Galaxy in action as the second season of My Cat From Hell premieres this Saturday, January 7th, at 8pm ET/PT. Jackson's parting message to everyone (which we also joked should be the title of this blog post) is: "Get off your ass and get a cat!" There you go...spoken straight from the mouth of our favorite guitar-playing, airplane-weeping, stereotype-busting cat-listener!