Jackson Galaxy

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Jackson Galaxy
Jackson Galaxy cropped.jpg
Jackson Galaxy in 2019
Born (1966-04-28) April 28, 1966 (age 59)
New York City, U.S.
Occupations Cat behaviorist
Television host
Years active2002–present
Television My Cat from Hell
Spouse
​
(m. 2024)​
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 .

Contents

Early life

Jackson Galaxy was born 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 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 through 2020, 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. From 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] He runs an active YouTube Channel and sells his own line of cat toys and supplements on his website, jacksongalaxy.com, along with other Cat Daddy approved products.

Galaxy is the author of several books about cats and their behavior. He has two books on adapting your home to make it more cat friendly—a process he deems "catification". In 2012, he published the autobiographical Cat Daddy: What the World's Most Incorrigible Cat Taught Me About Life, Love, and Coming Clean. [9] Other books include: Catification (2014), Catify to Satisfy (2015), and Total Cat Mojo (2020).

Personal life

Galaxy lives with his partner, Kristen Hassen, an animal shelter consultant and animal welfare expert. [10]


Galaxy is a recovered addict to alcohol and drugs. [3] [6] After his weight reached 400 lb (180 kg) and suffering several health problems, Galaxy underwent gastric bypass surgery in 2007. [11] [12] He maintains a vegan diet. [13]

Publications

References

  1. ↑ Galaxy, Jackson. "Jackson Galaxy (@JacksonGalaxy)". Twitter. Archived from the original on July 22, 2020. Retrieved August 27, 2021.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 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. 1 2 "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. 1 2 "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. 1 2 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. ↑ "Kristen Hassen – Bio". Outcomes Consulting. Retrieved December 22, 2025.
  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.
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