BOOK BY JACKSON GALAXY WITH JOEL DERFNER
REVIEW BY TERRI SCHLICHENMEYER
Your cat is making you crazy.
He used to be such a good kitty. He used to cuddle and come when he was called. He was such a happy cat…but lately, he runs when you reach for him, bites, and started avoiding the litter box in favor of your closet.
You’ve had him since he was a kitten, but you can’t take it anymore.
Author Jackson Galaxy says there’s a way to stop Fluffy’s madness. In his new book “Cat Daddy” (with Joel Derfner), you’ll find out how Galaxy learned to think like a cat – but it wasn’t easy.
For the majority of his early adulthood, Galaxy was in personal crisis. He drank too much, ate too much, and did too many drugs. With a dream of becoming a songwriter and guitarist, he fled New York to Colorado and landed in Boulder; it was there that he quickly found fellow musicians but didn’t find the fulfillment he sought – or the paycheck. Finally, underemployed and overwhelmed, he learned of an opening at the local animal shelter. Maybe, he figured, it was time for a job of altruism…and animals wouldn’t care about his past.
To his surprise, he was good at this work, and he had a knack for cats. And then he met Benny. With a freckle on his nose and an air of bemusement, Benny was certainly a unique kitty – with a list of behavioral problems. He wouldn’t bond, hated to play, and he didn’t “like” the owner – as well as Galaxy. Benny was brought to the shelter after he was hit by a car – his pelvis was shattered and the owner couldn’t pay the vet bills. Galaxy took him in and was determined to help this cat, and in the process, helped himself overcome addictions. Through his relationship with Benny, Galaxy was able to overcome his pain and learned about life from the best mentor he’d ever had.
Readers who pick up Cat Daddy may think they’re getting a kitty how-to, and they’d be half right. Galaxy also adds in useful advice on understanding life from a cat’s point of view – but that’s not all.
With more than just a little in-your-faceness and some adults only profanity, Galaxy shares his life: his addictions, depression and personal struggles, failed relationships, and tentative romances. He writes openly about the work at an animal shelter and job requirements – then about his bond with a crotchety cat that never stopped teaching.
Surprisingly, I think this book will appeal to dog lovers who can appreciate a wryly told story and, of course, to feline fanciers who crave being kitty-cornered. If that’s you, then Cat Daddy is a book to pounce on.
