"Cat Daddy: What the World's Most Incorrigible Cat Taught Me About Life, Love, and Coming Clean" by Jackson Galaxy

I first saw Jackson Galaxy on his Animal Planet show "My Cat From Hell."  He goes into homes where there are feline problems and fixes them through positive reinforcement and empathy for the cats.  (Usually, it is the humans who are causing the problems but the felines who act out and get the blame.)  At the beginning of each episode, he says that he plays music, and that's basically all that I knew about him before listening to this memoir/cat advice book.  Galaxy has a lot of baggage and discloses it with candor and passion.  He was addicted to drugs, alcohol, and food, and has had a nervous breakdown as well as gastric bypass surgery.  He got his start working with cats at an animal shelter in Boulder, CO, and became fascinated with the way the cats closed in on themselves as opposed to the outgoing vivaciousness of the homeless dogs.  He readily admits that he has no formal training or education in animal science or behavior yet he does have an innate ability to empathize with cats and find solutions to their problems, as I have seen on his show.  We are introduced to his feline soul mate of 13 years, Benny, a petite beauty dropped off at the shelter with a broken pelvis.  Galaxy takes him in and cares for him until he passes away, which was very sad to hear.  Galaxy also gives lots of advice to cat parents for dealing with specific issues and even teaches us how to say "I love you" in a way our felines will understand.  Some parts of the book were difficult to listen to, particularly when he has to euthanize the animals at the shelter, and there were plenty of curse words included.  He has an MFA in acting, so he really does a great job narrating the book with lots of intensity and emotion.  Highly recommended to cat parents and cat lovers in general.

Audio:  6.5 hours
Print:  320 pages

Some Cat! By Mary Casanova

Violet is a shelter cat who hisses and spits at everyone who comes near.  People looking for a cat always choose a cute little purring kitten, never Violet. But one day, a couple decides she deserves a chance, and obviously needs someone to love her, so they take her home.

They have two dogs, George and Zippity, who just want to be friends. Of course Violet hisses and spits at them whatever they do. Then one day Violet gets chased into a corner by two stray dogs while the family is away fishing.  Will George and Zippity make it home in time to save Violet?

 

40 pages