Published by: Ingrid King. Last Updated on: July 12, 2023 by Crystal Uys
From the time that he worked in a shelter in Boulder in the 1990’s to starring in Animal Planet’s hit show My Cat from Hell for the last six years, Jackson Galaxy has dedicated his life to the well being of cats and their humans. In Total Cat Mojo: The Ultimate Guide to Life With Your Cat, he offers the collective wisdom of everything he has ever said, filmed, recorded and written about cats in one place. With the help of his co-author, Mikel Delgado, who is also our resident cat behaviorist here on The Conscious Cat, Jackson offers one of the most comprehensive guides I’ve ever seen to helping cats and their humans live a truly happy life.
Jackson coined the term “cat mojo” and defines it as the confident ownership of a cat’s territory and instinctive feeling of having a job to do – the job of hunt, catch, kill, eat, groom, sleep. A cat who’s “got his mojo working” is a happy and well-adjusted cat. Jackson wants cat guardians to understand that inside every housecat lives a “raw cat,” driven by instincts as ancient as the species itself. If we truly want to build better relationships with our cats, we need to understand this aspect of the cat’s way of being in the world.
Total Cat Mojo is chock-full of practical advice on everything from environmental enrichment to litter box considerations to dealing with problems ranging from scratching cats and cats not getting along to a multitude of behaviors humans might consider undesirable. More importantly, the book focuses on helping humans gain a better understanding of cats. “It’s not an exxaggeration to say that almost everything I have built in the name of helping cats revolves around humans understanding Cat Mojo,” writes Jackson in the introduction to the book.
This is so much more than just another cat care guide. This is a book about the relationship between cats and humans, something Jackson stresses over and over. This is not a simple relationship. “Relationships are complicated,” writes Jackson. “Even in giving them meaning beneath their labels – best friend, guardian, parent – the label you choose matters less than the effort, sacrifice, and vulnerability shown to put your money where your relational mouth is.” Truly understanding cats and providing an environment where they can find their mojo may mean compromise on the human’s part and requires a commitment to a what is a lifelong relationship no different from any other family member.
Because it’s all about the relationship between cats and humans, this book not only focuses on helping cats become their most confident selves, it also focuses on how humans may be challenged by the process. “It’s one thing to live the greeting card ideal of cat parenting, and another to live the Mojo-inspiring life of a cat parent,” writes Jackson.
If you watch My Cat From Hell, you know that Jackson will always make the cats in a relationship his first priority, but he also has a way of getting cat guardians to see why they need to make the changes he recommends, even if they may balk at them. This book is an extension of what you see on the show, but it’s so much more.
Total Cat Mojo is the definitive guide to cat behavior and cat care. Even if your cats are purrfect little angels, this book will make you view your relationship with them in a new light. And if your cats aren’t always behaving the way you’d like them to, or if you have one of those cats from hell that you see on the show, this book will not just arm you with the knowledge you need to make things better for both cat and human, it will also provide you with the compassion and commitment you need to mend not just the cat’s behavior, but also your broken relationship.
Total Cat Mojo is available on Amazon and everywhere books are sold.
About the author
Ingrid King is an award-winning author, former veterinary hospital manager, and veterinary journalist who is passionate about cats.
I’m not member of this group or any other of Jackson’s publications. I will be happy to join but need help now. My black short-hair Cole has pica. He had surgery earlier today and he had a 3cm ball of plastic and string removed. I knew he was eating things, but thought somehow stuff would work it’s way out. Nope. Had to have surgery. What do I do to my house to keep him from doing again when he comes home? There’s stuff everywhere that he could eat! Suggestions?
I love Jackson,he is a great guy with cat’s I saw his show on tv. and how he really help people with cat problems. He has been bless with his talent. good job Mr. Jackson
and God keep blesing you..
I wasn’t impressed with his first book. Wasn’t really much about cats but more about his life and himself. I was horrified to learn that when he was working at an animal shelter in NY he was involved in the process of euthanized a lot of cats. That’s a no, no for me. I still like the guy. He has done a great work on making people aware about cats bahavior. Unfortunately it looks to me that he is now all about selling his line of products more then anything else, and I am afraid that’s what this book is going to be like. Sorry, but I like your blog better.
Thank you for your kind words about my blog, Francesca. Jackson’s first book wasn’t meant to be about just cats, it’s a memoir. And his experience at the shelter in NY probably had a lot to do with the person he became and the impact he has had on cats around the world, both through his show and everything else he’s doing. This book is the sum total of everything he’s ever said, written or filmed about cats – which is why it’s such a fantastic resource.
I did a pre-order and got the book in the mail today, but have yet to receive the cat photo and signature.
There’s always something new to learn from Jackson. We love the TV show and his books. We even had two photographs published of our shelter catification in his last book.
Thanks!
Thanks for the review.
This really does sound like an AWESOME book! I adore Jackson – he really gets us kitties.