My Cat from Hell

My Cat from Hell
Genre	Reality
Starring	Jackson Galaxy
Country of origin	United States
Original language(s)	English
No. of seasons	8
No. of episodes	67
Production
Executive producer(s)	Melinda Toporoff Pat Dempsey JD Roth Todd A. Nelson Adam Kaloustian Chandrea Miller
Running time	42 minutes
Production company(s)	Eyeworks USA
Release
Original network	Animal Planet
Picture format	480i (SDTV) 1080i (HDTV)
Original release	May 7, 2011 – present
External links
Website

My Cat from Hell is an American reality television series that airs on Animal Planet and premiered in May 2011. It stars Jackson Galaxy, a cat behaviorist by morning — and a musician by nighttime — who visits the homes of cat owners in order to resolve conflicts or behavior issues between the owners and their cats or between pets.

The series returned for a 16-episode fifth season in April 26, 2014.^[1] Season six began airing October 11, 2014.

Philosophy

Jackson Galaxy believes that he can help any "problem cat"—provided that its human guardians follow the advice he provides—and that most behavioral problems result either from triggers in the cat's environment or from mishandling of the cat by humans.

Jackson teaches that cats are territorial, needing spaces within homes to call their own, and that they send signals when they no longer desire petting, a condition he refers to as "overstimulation". Cats do not like being cornered, and lash out when overstimulated. Certain cats (whom he calls "tree-dwelling cats") behave better when they have access to above-ground perches, and he often instructs owners of such cats to install an above-the-floor walkway with no dead ends, in order to provide these cats with the psychological comfort of escape routes.

Jackson does not believe in cats being surgically de-clawed, believing that the animals suffer for it.^[2] On episode 5 of season 2, "Cat Fight!", he said that cats become hyper aware of the weapons they have left, going straight for back claws (if these have not been removed) and teeth, because that's what they have to fight with. Later on in life, they suffer a lot more arthritis. Instead of de-clawing, he encourages owners to use soft claws or vinyl claws which cover the claws rather than having the claws removed.^[3]

He teaches that there are correct and incorrect ways to pick up a cat, and that when cats are picked up incorrectly, they will often injure humans in an attempt to escape. Some cats need exercise to release excess energy in a positive way; toys and play with owners are outlets Jackson encourages. When this is not done, such cats find ways to release energy on their own, which are often undesirable to their owners and/or destructive to the home.

In multi-animal situations, Jackson creates barriers in homes to divide the space into areas which the animals can claim as places of their own. He slowly introduces the cat to the other animals in positive situations (such as a feeding). Occasionally, Jackson suspects that certain behavioral problems which defy conventional explanation are due to an underlying health problem (such as arthritis), in which case he instructs the owners to take their cat to a veterinarian before continuing efforts at modifying the behavior.

Episodes

Season 1 (2011)

No. in series	No. in season	Title[4]	Original air date
1	1	"He Hates My Boyfriend"	May 7, 2011
An aggressive and unpredictable cat aptly named Bear takes his toll on owner Hannah's love life. Recently engaged Matt loves fiancee Amanda, but hates her two cats, Lulu and Sully, and has reached his breaking point.
2	2	"Fifi's Ruining My Love Life"	May 14, 2011
Sean cozies up to pet scorpions, snakes, tarantulas and fiance Lindsey at home but can't deal with Avery, the rambunctious sphynx cat. From the moment Leslie moved into her boyfriend David's home, Fifi the cat has made it clear she's not welcome.
3	3	"Wildcat!"	May 21, 2011
Minibar is a feral cat rescued by Carre and Brian. In addition they already have two cats, Bonsai and Fubar. Duff is an unpredictable cat owned by Garret & Jenny.

Season 2 (2012)

No. in series	No. in season	Title[5]	Original air date
4	1	"Terrorizing My Clients"	January 7, 2012
A female cat named Larry with disturbing bouts of aggression threatens to keep Josh and Tara from getting married. Heather and Alan's cat Ruby ruins their in-home Pilates studio and threatens their livelihood with her sudden fits of aggression.
5	2	"Mad Max"	January 14, 2012
A Bengal cat named City the Kitty with jungle energy is disrupting the peace between girlfriends Shanna and Lori. Ned and Kellee's cat, Mad Max, sneaks into their neighbor's apartment, and is too dangerous to be around their soon-to-be-born baby.
6	3	"On the War Path"	January 21, 2012
A vicious cat named Kleo attacks Tim's cats, keeping him from proposing to his girlfriend, Brooklyn. War veteran Bobby and his girlfriend In-Hae deal with Marco, a cat that reacts violently towards their tiny dog, Yuki.
7	4	"Pissed Off!"	January 28, 2012
A vicious cat named Stella prevents Rob and Stephanie from adding a baby to their family. Jessica's cat, Mr. Fluff, chases her and her boyfriend Cameron around the house, scratching up everything in sight.
8	5	"Cat Fight!"	February 4, 2012
A cat named Penny Lane hates her owner's roommate. Roxy and Max are two cats that begin to attack each other after they move into a new home.
9	6	"Spitting Mad"	February 18, 2012
Two warring Sphynxes, Mathilde and Black Rose are constantly keeping their owners, Steve and Dierdre up at night. Travis and Dorothy fear that their temperamental cat Polly may and could attack toddler son Rex.

Season 3 (2012)

No. in series	No. in season	Title[6]	Original air date
10	1	"Olive/Mufasa"	June 30, 2012
Jackson heads across the U.S. to help two NYC couples with their aggressive cats: Mufasa, a silver Bengal has been constantly jumping and attacking Susanne, while boyfriend Justin takes it lightly. A uber-cramped apartment for engaged couple Mike and Emilie have become wargrounds for Olive who constantly attacks Pepper daily, forcing the couple instead of enjoying what will be their life together, to sleep in separate rooms at any sign of a fight between the two cats. (Note: This episode features Justin Brown, a comedian, known for his work with Barely Political, a comedic Youtube channel.)
11	2	"My Cat or My Family"	July 7, 2012
Xena has been on a tear with Jen's family and house for the last several months, going into random screaming and hissing fits which have also left Jen, dad Mike and five-year-old son Chris scratched up and the latter even scared to go in his room. Gigi has taken such an aversion to new kitten Suki so much that Brit journalists Julie and Nick fear that her aggression may lead to the latter getting killed.
12	3	"Kitty Dearest"	July 14, 2012
Best friends Travis and Diane are struggling to co-parent Oscar the Sphinx peacefully together, as he lashes out at Diane whenever she picks him up, urinates everywhere but his litter box and disturbs Travis in his at-home office by constantly yowling at night. Vet Tech Esther and musician hubby Vincent are at ends with rescue tabby Riley who repeatedly lashes out whenever hands are outstretched.
13	4	"Kitty Jail"	July 21, 2012
Finn's incessant crying often wakes his owners, Lara and David, up at 4am. The couple argues about locking him up in their guest bathroom also known as kitty jail. Nancy and Jim are at the end of their rope, as their cat, Molly chews on everything.
14	5	"Roscoe the Menace"	July 28, 2012
Terror cat, Mufasa, is threatening the planning of engaged couples', Rudy and Andrea's perfect wedding. Ruben and Danielle's cat Roscoe is a menace knocking things off shelves, destroying furniture and climbing window screens trying to escape.
15	6	"Cat Escape!"	August 4, 2012
Michael and Khrys have an escape artist in their home in the form of an unneutered Russian Blue named Kitty, who also marks all over the house. Addie, an 8 year old Tabby, repeatedly swaps and scratches whoever comes near her, specifically in her cat tree, be it either owners Don and Joy or anyone else entering the house. Behavior, Joy directly fingers blame on more canine-centric hubby Don, who roughhouses while playing with her, as like with a dog.
16	7	"My Cat Eats Everything!"	August 18, 2012
Mark and Angela have to childproof their home because their cat, Gus eats everything. Stella just chased off Melissa's latest boyfriend with her brutal behavior, and shows no signs she willing to accept any more gentleman callers.
17	8	"My Cat Is a Bully"	August 25, 2012
Mother and daughter Melissa and Mariah are at odds with the latter's pet cat Miley who constantly attacks the prior's two chihuahuas, but the problem may not be so much in Miley but the humans themselves, specifically Melissa, who continues to use the cat's "aggression" as an excuse to treat the dogs as if they were human babies. Burmese Gracie had been adopted from and returned to the shelter twice before finally coming home with Kristen, but the welcoming has not been so sweet, as Kris' boyfriend Lei, his family, friends and guests and the legions of former cat-sitters who've quit over Gracie have been subject to her attacks.
18	9	"Big Boi Ruins Our Social Life"	September 1, 2012
College roommates Nicole and Shoshana got more than what they bargained for when they took in pregnant stray Cutie, as unneutered and only surviving kitten Big Boi had turned their social lives upside down. As they also prep for the upcoming birth of their first child, Lucas and girlfriend of seven years, Candice have come at loggerheads over the fate of Lucas' 23 year old tabby Pump, who Candace sees as an interference with her work as an at-home holistic therapist.
19	10	"Bitten"	September 8, 2012
Achilles is owned by Amy, but has become aggressive to both Amy and Mike, Amy's boyfriend who, is thinking of leaving over Achilles behavior. Kevin and Megan are the proud parents of a one-year-old little girl, Quinn as well as two four-legged "children" in cats Bitten and Chompy, but it is Bitten’s vicious attacks on the once abused and now rescued Chompy that has both taking sides (Megan: the prior, Kevin the latter) in trying to protect their daughter from getting in the middle of these “fights’

Season 4 (2013)

No. in series	No. in season	Title[7]	Original air date	U.S. viewers (million)
20	1	"Deaf, Blind, and Biting"	April 6, 2013	0.93[8]
Burberry is mostly deaf and blind, has stopped using her litter box and has become violent towards them and their new kitten Purrodox. David and Rebecca's plans of starting a family are on hold due to the violence between their cat Leo and dog Nala.
21	2	"Roommates From Hell"	April 13, 2013	0.94[9]
Deborah was forced to move out of her home and now lives in a tiny studio apartment with two cats that hate each other. 95-year old Callie survived WWII, but her daughter Pam fears she won't be able to survive her cat, Allie, and her vicious attacks
22	3	"Penny Hates Puck"	April 20, 2013	1.21[10]
Penny's attacks on Puck are so violent that they result in bloodshed every time, and Puck is so terrified she pees on herself after every fight. Tony's bizarre behavior with his stuffed animal has Cliff and Betty scratching their heads.
23	4	"Feral Scottish Fold"	April 27, 2013	0.99[11]
Bob and Stephanie have a stray cat who they've named Buddy. Buddy is a Scottish Fold who has managed to both pull on Stephanie's heartstrings and rip her to shreds. Angela and Gloria's cat Kali goes into full out-to-kill attack mode on their other cats.
24	5	"Macho Cat"	May 4, 2013	0.94[12]
Ryann and Derek's cats do not get along. In fact, Buddy has resorted to being a full time bully to Lita. Jen and Nicole have been roommates for five years. Everything was going great until Jen got a cat named Princess Puffy Pants who pees on everything.
25	6	"Graveyard of Peed on Things"	May 11, 2013	0.85[13]
Louise's cat Pip is a one-eyed cerebral hypoplasia cat, who won't stop tormenting and attacking Louise's other cat, Red. Erin's cat Autumn pees everywhere! She pees on the couch, beds, countertops, microwave, computer monitor, and backpacks.
26	7	"The White Tornado"	May 18, 2013	0.81[14]
Kristen's cat Moose is marking everything in her house. Can Jackson change his marking ways? Liz and Michael have lived in peace with their sweet senior cat Remy, until Kimba entered their lives. Will Jackson be able to tame Kimba?
27	8	"Chubs"	June 1, 2013	0.78[15]
Sara and John are now expecting their first child. The only glitch in their happily ever after story, is Sara's aggressive cat, Lucy. Keri wants to become an animal behaviorist. Will the daily fights between her two cats make her change her career path?
28	9	"Bea Hates CeCe"	June 8, 2013	0.85[16]
CeCe and her sweet cat Aragon continuously find themselves being terrorized by Krista's cat, Bea. Megan loves her 5 year old Persian Fi, the only thing she doesn't love is the fact that Fi has not used a litter box since she got her 2 years ago.
29	10	"Cat Horror Show"	June 15, 2013	0.70[17]
Rick and Laura started showing Snickers in cat shows when she was a kitten. Now she's older and bites and scratches the judges. Jeremy has Crohn's disease and his cat, Dexter's constant meowing is the greatest stress in his life.
30	11	"My Cat Ruined My Wedding"	June 22, 2013	0.99[18]
Aimee and Katy love each other and are ready to take the next step and move in together. However, Katy's cat pink is putting a wrench in their plans. Jon and Michelle never thought their marriage would be riddled with stress over their demonic cat Zooey.
31	12	"Max Hates My Family"	June 29, 2013	0.95[19]
Like most Italian families, Anna and her son Chris, know how important it is to have a close-knit family. However, thanks to Max's hellish behavior, this family bond has been broken. Adrienne moved in with Summer not knowing her cat, Capri was Psycho.
32	13	"Buddha Bullies Hector"	July 6, 2013	0.76[20]
Hector and Rick are best friends and roommates who are at odds over Rick's cat, Buddha. Buddha bullies Hector.Diane and Richard haven't slept through the night in the same bed in four years and that's all because of their cat Dylan.
33	14	"Evil Kashmir"	July 13, 2013	0.71[21]
Dean thought Brenda and her cat, Kashmir would be the perfect fit to his home. Unfortunately for them, Kashmir has turned into "resident evil". Arman is frustrated that Theresa's cat's Turbo and Riyo have turned their new space into a giant litter box.
34	15	"Devil Cat"	July 13, 2013	0.82[21]
Ingrid, Anicka and Nikki have been friends for over 10 years, but this long-standing friendship is on the verge of ending, because of Ingrid's hellish cat, Milo.Sherin and her Bengal cat, Gus, may be kicked out of her parents home due to his behavior.
35	16	"Crazy Daisy"	July 20, 2013	0.67[22]
Leanne and Steve's cat, Daisy flies into rages over 20 times a day, causing self-inflicted wounds to her tail and body. Samantha and Adam have been happily married for over 5 years but their cat, Gizmo is biting and scratching her way into their bliss.
36	17	"Where Are They Meow?"	July 20, 2013	0.59[22]
After 4 seasons, Jackson Galaxy checks in with previous seasons cat owners, to recap on their story, and find out how they and their cats are doing since filming wrapped.

Season 5 (2014)

No. in series	No. in season	Title[23]	Original air date	U.S. viewers (million)
37	1	"Sky Dive Nightmare"	April 26, 2014
In Austin, a professional skydiver, is being terrorized by his two high-flying Savannahs. Wolfie, a Maine Coon, is notorious for pooping all over Heather and Bijan's house and then covers up the evidence with their belongings.
38	2	"Bloody Thirsty"	May 3, 2014
A couple is at odds over their vicious cat Coco. Foley, a cat with night terrors, is driving a wedge between newlyweds Joseph and Ruth.
39	3	"Surprise Attack Cat!"	May 10, 2014
Littlez is a little black cat that's a big holy terror. Whisky will poop anywhere and everywhere; on the dining room table, on the stairs, on the couch, even on Kate and Cameron.
40	4	"Stalking Miss Daisy"	May 17, 2014
The minute Dexter entered the house; he was out to kill Daisy. Corey got Giver for Sarah's birthday, but this is one gift he'd like to give back.
41	5	"Einstein Hates Izzy"	May 31, 2014
Einstein is the perfect cat, until he sees Izzy and then goes into full out-to-kill attack mode. Scott and Tiffani are expecting their first baby, but before they can bring home their bundle of joy, their cat Ben must stop his hell cat behavior.
42	6	"Puma on a Rampage"	June 7, 2014
When John married Samantha, he committed to for better or for worse, but he didn't realize her cat Puma would put their vows to the test. Jimmy and Maggie have been married for 45 years, but their 8-year old snowshoe cat, Riley is tearing them apart.
43	7	"911, My Cat's Holding Me Hostage!"	June 14, 2014
Jackson travels to Portland to help Lee and Teresa, the couple that called 911 on their cat Lux..
44	8	"Mama Mia!"	June 21, 2014
Parents Greg and Dina have three loving children and one vicious cat named Mia! Chris and Tenille are in love, but the only thing keeping them from moving in together is Tenille’s cat, Precious who is anything but!
45	9	"Multi-Million Dollar Nightmare"	June 28, 2014
Daniel and Desiree just moved into their multi-million dollar dream home, but Desiree's cat, Frankie, is turning their dream into a nightmare. Leiann and Joey adopted Dyna so their cat Sugar would have a friend, but instead she ended up with an enemy.
46	10	"Demon Cat"	July 5, 2014
Andy is in love with his girlfriend, Alyssa, but hates her cat, Tosh. Once Andy moved in Tosh became a "demon cat". Eric and Kaotar's problem child is Vincent. Vincent will try anything to escape. He rips through window screens and opens doors.

Reception

Neil Genzlinger of the New York Times wrote, "Mr. Galaxy—yes, it feels ridiculous writing that—looks like a Hells Angel, but his love and respect for cats seems genuine, and his advice appears actually to help the clients, most of whom are couples whose crazed pets are affecting their relationships."^[24] Brad Wete of Entertainment Weekly commented, "Galaxy offers useful tips, even if your animal’s not nuts."^[25]

See also

• Housecat Housecall
• It's Me or the Dog

References

1. Bibel, Sara (September 5, 2013). "'My Cat from Hell' Renewed by Animal Planet for Season 5". TV by the Numbers (Press release).
2. http://jacksongalaxy.com/2010/10/01/cats-and-claws-living-happily-ever-after/
3. http://bc.ctvnews.ca/declaw-dilemma-some-veterinarians-refusing-to-declaw-cats-1.1207643
4. Amazon.com: My Cat From Hell Season 1: Amazon Video
5. Amazon.com: My Cat From Hell Season 2: Amazon Video
6. Amazon.com: My Cat From Hell Season 3: Amazon Video
7. Amazon.com: My Cat From Hell Season 4: Amazon Video
8. Yanan, Travis (April 9, 2013). "Saturday's Cable Ratings: "Marvin Marvin," "Wendell & Vinnie" Top Viewers for Nickelodeon". The Futon Critic.
9. Yanan, Travis (April 16, 2013). "Saturday's Cable Ratings: "Marvin Marvin" Leads Viewers, "Ultimate Fighter" Tops Demos". The Futon Critic.
10. Yanan, Travis (April 23, 2013). "Saturday's Cable Ratings: NBA Playoffs Tripleheader Puts ESPN on Top". The Futon Critic.
11. Yanan, Travis (April 30, 2013). "Saturday's Cable Ratings: NBA Playoffs, "Marvin Marvin" Top Charts". The Futon Critic.
12. Yanan (May 7, 2013). "Saturday's Cable Ratings: TNT Tops Charts with Bulls/Nets Finale". The Futon Critic.
13. Yanan, Travis (May 14, 2013). "Saturday's Cable Ratings: "Beverly Lewis' The Confession," "My Cat from Hell" Top Originals". The Futon Critic.
14. Yanan, Travis (May 21, 2013). "Saturday's Cable Ratings: Game 6 of Knicks/Pacers Puts ESPN on Top". The Futon Critic.
15. Yanan, Travis (June 4, 2013). "Saturday's Cable Ratings: TNT Tops Charts with Game 6 of Heat/Pacers". The Futon Critic.
16. Yanan, Travis (June 11, 2013). "Saturday's Cable Ratings: "Sam & Cat" Opens on Top for Nickelodeon". The Futon Critic.
17. Yanan, Travis (June 18, 2013). "Saturday's Cable Ratings: NBC Sports Network Tops Charts with Stanley Cup Finals". The Futon Critic.
18. Yanan, Travis (June 25, 2013). "Saturday's Cable Ratings: "Sam & Cat" Tops Viewers, "Jodi Arias" Leads Demos". The Futon Critic.
19. Yanan, Travis (July 2, 2013). "Saturday's Cable Ratings: "Anna Nicole," "Sam & Cat" Snag Top Spots". The Futon Critic.
20. Yanan, Travis (July 10, 2013). "Saturday's Cable Ratings: TNT Races to the Front with NASCAR Coverage". The Futon Critic.
21. Yanan, Travis (July 16, 2013). "Saturday's Cable Ratings: Nickelodeon Tops Charts with "Sam & Cat," "Haunted Hathaways"". The Futon Critic.
22. Yanan, Travis (July 23, 2013). "Saturday's Cable Ratings: Nickelodeon Tops Viewers, Demos with "Sam & Cat"". The Futon Critic.
23. Amazon.com: My Cat From Hell Season 5: Amazon Video
24. Neil Genzlinger (May 6, 2011). "And You Used to Think Hairballs Were Bad". The New York Times. Retrieved January 21, 2012.
25. Brad Wete (May 8, 2011). "'My Cat From Hell' debuts on Animal Planet: Who knew cats were this bonkers?". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved January 21, 2012.

External links

• My Cat From Hell at the Internet Movie Database