Jackson Galaxy

Jackson Galaxy was born Richard Kirschner, on April 28, 1966, to a Jewish refugee father and 19-year-old mother in Manhattan, New York City, New York, and was raised on Manhattan's Upper West Side.{{cite web|url=https://omny.fm/shows/your-last-meal-with-rachel-belle/jackson-galaxy-nyc-jewish-feast|title=Jackson Galaxy, NYC Jewish Feast|publisher=Omny Studio|date=July 13, 2017|accessdate=August 27, 2021|archivedate=July 23, 2021|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20210723001619/https://omny.fm/shows/your-last-meal-with-rachel-belle/jackson-galaxy-nyc-jewish-feast}} At age ten, he began playing the guitar, aspiring to be a professional rock musician.

Galaxy graduated from the University of Iowa in 1991 with a theater degree.

Galaxy moved to Boulder, Colorado in 1992 and was a budding rock musician.{{cite web| url= http://www.dailycamera.com/entertainment/ci_25989214/jackson-galaxy-tv-show-cat-from-hell-animal-planet| title= How Jackson Galaxy transitioned from Boulder musician to TV's cat tamer| website= dailycamera.com| first= Mark| last= Collins| date= June 20, 2014|accessdate=May 6, 2018}} He learned cat behavior through his work with rescue cats,{{cite news|last1=Friedlander|first1=Whitney|date=June 14, 2012|title=Jackson Galaxy, the 'Cat Whisperer' of Animal Planet's My Cat From Hell|work=LA Weekly|url=https://www.laweekly.com/jackson-galaxy-the-cat-whisperer-of-animal-planets-my-cat-from-hell/|accessdate=June 5, 2014}} originally with the Humane Society of Boulder Valley. 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 Dr. Jean Hofve,{{Citation needed|date=August 2023}} a holistic veterinarian. Together they provided consultations to cat owners, focusing on the connection between physical and behavioral health.{{fact|date=October 2023}}

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.{{cite web|title=Cat Mojo With Jackson Galaxy|url=http://animalist.com/catmojo/|website=Animalist.com|accessdate=June 6, 2014| url-status= dead |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20140610234545/http://animalist.com/CatMojo|archive-date=June 10, 2014}} 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 2 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.{{Cite web |last=Balas |first=Monique |date=2012-05-21 |title='Cat Daddy' Jackson Galaxy on why felines are misunderstood |url=https://www.oregonlive.com/pets/2012/05/cat_daddy_jackson_galaxy_expla.html |access-date=2023-08-21 |website=Oregonlive |language=en}} Other books include: Catification (2014), Catify to Satisfy (2015), and Total Cat Mojo (2020).

Galaxy married Minoo Rahbar at the no-kill pet sanctuary of Best Friends Animal Society in Kanab, Utah, on June 28, 2014. Their dog, Mooshka, served as ringbearer.{{cite web|title='Cat from Hell' star Jackson Galaxy weds at pet sanctuary|url=http://www.today.com/pets/cat-hell-star-jackson-galaxy-weds-pet-sanctuary-1D79871815|author=Kim, Eun Kyung|website=Today|date=July 1, 2014|accessdate=August 27, 2021|archivedate=October 30, 2020|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20201030140036/http://www.today.com/pets/cat-hell-star-jackson-galaxy-weds-pet-sanctuary-1D79871815}}

Galaxy is a recovered addict to alcohol and drugs. After his weight reached {{cvt|400|lb}} and suffering several health problems, Galaxy underwent gastric bypass surgery in 2007.{{cite web| url= https://parade.com/499280/stephaniestephens/my-cat-from-hells-jackson-galaxy-animal-planet-host-wants-to-turn-animal-shelters-into-family-friendly-coffee-shops/|title=My Cat from Hell's Jackson Galaxy: Animal Planet Host Wants to Turn Animal Shelters into Coffee Shops| first= Stephanie| last= Stephens|date=August 15, 2016 |accessdate=May 6, 2018}}{{cite web|title='Jackson Galaxy weight loss: Did gastric-bypass surgery save My Cat From Hell host?|url=http://www.bellenews.com/2014/06/29/entertainment/jackson-galaxy-weight-loss-did-gastric-bypass-surgery-save-my-cat-from-hell-host/|website=Bellenews|date=June 29, 2014 |accessdate=October 16, 2014}} He maintains a vegan diet.{{cite web|url=https://vegnews.com/2019/5/why-cats-ultimately-led-cat-whisperer-jackson-galaxy-to-veganism|title=Why Cats Ultimately Led Cat Whisperer Jackson Galaxy to Veganism|website=VegNews|date=May 31, 2019|accessdate=January 4, 2021}}

• with Joel Derfner: Cat Daddy: What the World's Most Incorrigible Cat Taught Me About Life, Love, and Coming Clean. New York: Tarcher/Penguin, 2012 {{ISBN|978-1585429370}}.
• with Kate Benjamin: Catification: Designing a Happy and Stylish Home for Your Cat (and You!). New York: Tarcher/Penguin, 2014 {{ISBN|978-0399166013}}.
• with Kate Benjamin: Catify to Satisfy: Simple Solutions for Creating a Cat-Friendly Home. New York: Tarcher/Penguin, 2015 {{ISBN|978-0399176999}}.
• with Mikel Delgado: Total Cat Mojo: The Ultimate Guide to Life with Your Cat. New York: Tarcher/Penguin, 2017 {{ISBN|978-0143131618}}.

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• {{Official website|http://jacksongalaxy.com/}}

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Category:Television personalities from New York City

Category:Cat behaviorists

Category:1966 births

Category:Living people

Category:People from Manhattan

Category:American people of Jewish descent