Total Cat Mojo

Total Cat Mojo

Adult nonfiction
"In the sanctified realm of our home among our family members
true empathy shouldn't be reserved for one and not the other, for some
and not all. As enlightened as we may fancy ourselves, as long as
there is even a splinter of treating our animal family members as
things we own as opposed to those we love, that splinter will infect
the body of our family. This splinter has a name: ownership. The
way forward also has a name: relationship."
Jackson Galaxy, author of Total Cat Mojo, source of the above
quote, worked in an animal shelter for ten years. For many of the
cats in this and other shelters (millions each year) surrender becomes
a very undeserved death sentence. His vocation is all about by
preventing that by helping people better understand the felines with
whom they share home turf as sentient beings rather than possessions.
I can give you an example of cat as thing. Decades ago I had a
week long pet sitting gig. The cat in question--not even a year old--
had just been spayed and declawed...
...We now interrupt this review for a public service announcement.
NEVER DECLAW A CAT!!! It's basically removing its fingers and toes up
to the first joint. Not only is it painful and often botched, but it
effects the way it walks and leads to arthritis. If you are
contemplating the act ask yourself. IS THIS WHAT I WOULD WANT DONE TO
ME?...
...and she returned to her home, barely out of anaesthesia, to see her
human companions departing for who knows how long and leaving a
relative stranger in charge. That poor cat didn't let me out of her
sight even long enough for me to use the bathroom. And any time I sat
or lay down she was glued to me. Her people returned without a clue
that the experience might have been traumatic.
Galaxy wants us to know that our cats aren't all that far
removed from their in-the-wild ancestors. For example, even if they
derive most of their nourishment from Nine Lives, they are wired to
hunt. Cat mojo comes from a confidence of owning one's territory.
Joey, for example, shares our studio with me. His catio, a cat
bed on top of a coffee table in front of the biggest window, gives him
access to what Galaxy calls cat tv, the fascinating sights of the
outside world. A soft chair and bed give him the chance to mingle his
scent with mine. When I'm there he can cuddle, lie nearby or at a
distance, or leave the room.
Galaxy helps readers understand cat world and create an
atmosphere that lets felines rock their mojo, vastly improving life
for both human and feline. He covers situations such as introducing a
new cat into the family, introducing a new baby to the resident cat,
solving litter box avoidance and furniture scratching problems and so
much more. Even if life with fur baby is going splendidly, at least
from the human perspective, Total Cat Mojo is a fascinating read.
It's down to earth enough for a possible first time adopter. But I've
been bringing my cat companions to Veazie Vet nearly three decades and
I learned quite a bit.
So who should buy the book? Anyone who shares a home (or
contemplates sharing a home) with a feline friend. It's a very
worthwhile investment at a quite affordable paperback price.
On a purrrsonal note, Joey, at 15 1/2 seems to be thriving. He eats
well, uses his litter box, and follows a routine he seems to enjoy.
He always has a lot to tell me when I get back from UMaine. When I
come back from serving at the dining commons he draws in lungfulls of
his favorite meaty perfumes. Lucky for me, he is a real cuddle bug,
especially when I am in our studio. One of his cutest tricks is lying
across my neck and purring in my ear. Despite what that old ad says,
the coffee in my cup takes second place to my human-cat reunion as the
best part of getting up.
A great big shout out goes out to all who help keep our beloved feline
(and canine) friends in the game like the Veazie Vet gang.
jules hathaway


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