Cat whisperer Jackson Galaxy helps make pawsitive change at KC Pet Project

Jackson Galaxy at KC Pet Project. // Photo by Brooke Tramel

Cat behaviorist, YouTuber, and host of the hit show My Cat From Hell, Jackson Galaxy took a trip to Kansas City to help out our KC kitties.

Hosted at KC Pet Project, Galaxy worked with the organization alongside global nonprofit Greater Good Charities and his very own The Jackson Galaxy Project, putting on a cat-centric event in hopes of saving lives and improving the well-being of cats both in and out of the shelter. The two-day feline-focused event, Cat Pawsitive 360, brought together local animal welfare representatives and provided workshops on topics such as feline body language, communication, adoption counseling, and more with the help of Galaxy’s expertise.

The Pitch: What do you hope to accomplish through Cat Pawsitive 360?

Jackson Galaxy: Our job is to frame the experience of what a cat is, which sounds very hyper-simplified. At a very basic level, I think their story is not being told. There’s this sort of an epidemic of what I call, looking at a cat through dog-colored glasses. They are not dogs. They don’t always present themselves to us as a companion right off the bat, they have a wild elegance, and then we sort of sweep that experience under the rug. I believe that we need to embrace it and run towards it. Here, we’re catering to what is deeply ingrained in their biology and psychology, bringing out their natural sense of confidence that makes them more adoptable, and we are able to tell more complete stories to the community.

We’ve talked about the history of the cat and how they’ve been worshipped, deified, and villainized. We’ve talked about their 51 senses and how those senses operate in a shelter environment or rescue environment. We’re having sessions on disaster preparedness for cats, marketing, for cats, branding, and environmental enrichment. We’re covering the gamut. We have a commitment to take this to 20 different shelters in four months, I believe. The beautiful thing is that we’re having a fluid conversation and talking about how we will get this done. Shelter voices, rescue voices, animal welfare voices, are not really heard and places like this are where you get to hear those voices.

Do you see a difference in the cats you work with based on where they are regionally located?

Regardless of where I am, I’m always seeing the same misconceptions. Depending on how rural you get, and how connected a cat still is to an agrarian model for instance, that can make a difference. I mean, the idea of cats being indoor animals is preposterous. Now if we’re talking about somewhere like New York, for instance, where 95% of cats are indoors, you’re gonna see a lot more things that are related to the cramped territories, the relation between our animals and us.

What kinds of differences do you see between cats who are adopted and cats who come from breeders?

It’s no secret that I’m not a fan of breeding. Until the day comes that every cat that’s on the street has a home, and we’re a million cats a year away from that, we have no right to make more. For every reputable breeder, there are 10 backyard breeders, and you will see a lot of health problems pop up in purebreds or certain breeds. Some are more prone to kidney or respiratory issues for example. As I said, there are responsible breeders out there, but by and large, I see more and more problems.

Jackson Galaxy at KC Pet Project. // Photo by Brooke Tramel

What have your kitty experiences been like in KC?

The first time I came here it was the first stop on my first book tour. I was freaking scared thinking, are people really going to come out to hear me talk about cats? At that point, it was just a memoir not even a how-to book. I walked out on that stage and it was packed.

There’s a real connection to cat culture here in Kansas City that I haven’t seen repeatedly. It’s very grounded and appreciative. The cat adoption records around here are stellar. You bring a cat somewhere like here, and they’re gone the next day. One of the beautiful things about that first night was that it flouted all of the stereotypes. I had people there, from little kids to, senior citizens, male-female equally represented. I swear to you it’s something I still talk about with my wife. This is where my journey started, at least as an author with a voice for cats.