believe me, everything I say in videos I've done wrong in my 30+ years of living with cats. If your home is stressing your cats...it's cool! Just forgive and move on with solutions. And spread the good word!
Turning down volume of any loud noises is great advice. I have to reinforce that "it's okay" when my feral recently adopted cat gets stressed. I'm learning daily what things stress him. He's mostly a home buddy but in the middle of the night cries to go outside. If I feed him something that he doesn't like I'll stop feeding him that. Everyday is a learning curve. Since the TNVR, he has gotten to be the most affectionate sweet cat. I've learned so much listening to these podcasts. Thank you so much.🐱
I talk a lot to my cat, and he talks back to me. If I slow blink, he does too. What’s really bizarre is when I go to the loo, he goes into his cat box too. I wish I had my privacy 😜😂
Being autistic, I always ask myself how I would handle something to best work for me. It is why I love having animals in my home, honestly. They have the same needs and perspectives I do, generally. I love my routines, quiet environments, comfort, and gradual change if change is necessary.
I handle my ADD abd Aspbergers the same way whenever possible. And my cat is a huge de-stresser for me. So every time the same tricks calm both of us down, it makes ne really happy
Thank you, Jackson! Good stuff. I have a 14 month old cat (I’ve had her since she was 5 months old) who was raised by a feral momma and who, on occasion would take her two daughters out into the wild for spells of time. Then the woman whose horse barn the feral momma kept choosing to have her litters, decided to try to find a home for the one daughter who kept coming back with her while still very young. That person would be me. When I got Dove she was very shy. I got her trust early on but she continued to be very skittish. When anyone came to my apartment she would fly under the couch, the bed, the chair until they left. She still does this to a degree. I am a bedridden paraplegic so I have a caregiver morning and evening. Dove got acclimated to them although it took a long time. Out of necessity Dove’s base amp is my bedroom. It is citified to the hilt! Thank you for all the instruction on that, Jackson! Dove has cat tv from my second story bedroom window, she has her cat tree, special bed, her own bathroom in my room and the other one strategically placed in the bathroom, plenty of things to scratch on and climb on. My bed, which she occasionally will use to hide under when a loud person comes to visit (it’s getting better, too!) and cat toys galore plus an available mom person all the time at her disposal when she wants cuddle time when she isn’t running around the rest of the apartment or snoozing are all done because of you and your advice on how to have a happy cat! To top it all off my caregivers play with her morning and late afternoon as you have instructed. It is part of requirements for their hire. They must be willing to play with Dove and they must be “cat people”. Because I can’t walk they need to fill in the vigorous play time. Dove and I have developed our own version of play. When she wants to play we play “I’m going to get you”! She knows I can’t but she sure acts like I can and tears around the room and the rest of the apartment like I am actually trying to “get her”! It’s hilarious. When she’s done “running away from me she comes back for round two and repeats the process until she needs to stop zooming around the apartment. I have a fairly good sized apartment. I’m a good cat parent because of you, Jackson. Thank you for all you do to educate us, Jackson! I continue to watch and learn. Dove is a healthy, happy girl because of you and all your teaching. Again, thank you so very much!♥️
That's an excellent point. My teen daughter is autistic and has always instinctively known what is best for any cats in our home. Never put 2 + 2 together until your comment. It's all about the mutual respect of routine, rhythm and ritual for our cats and our kid. Thanks for that eye opener!
Thats so true. I wish people even who aren’t neurodivergent would consider how changes can cause stress even if they are positive changes, and that stress can affect your emotions and behaviors. It’s not just us that are affected. For instance I notice when my best friend gets more anxious or snippy it can be traced back to a stressor or change
'Your stress is their stress' got to me a bit. I have chronic anxiety, and while my cat isn't an anxious one, I definitely notice her getting riled up when I'm overly anxious. I usually try to help get it out of her system with some play, or she'll come and sit on me and purr loudly and that helps. I'm very glad that she's a resilient, vocal little bean with lots of energy and cattitude, I would hate if she got second-hand anxiety from me.
@@bambinaforever1402 bruh. pills don't immediately fix everything. there may be pills for anxiety that help some people but it almost never solves everything if it even works at all and some suffer side effects that outweigh the help it provides.
poor thing! GET MORE CATS! nah, im playing, but the more you set their environments to their needs, the more they can focus on your needs and be of good assistance when you need it most! i have anxiety, depression, ocd, odd, autism and ADHD, so im the full package, and my cat helps me a lot, and i find it hard to be to anxious when im around her!
My cat has my routine down so well that at 10:30 pm, when I normally turn in for the night, she is THERE. She will usually show up at the exact time or be 1 to 2 minutes off, but for a being who doesn't understand how to read a clock she is incredibly precise.
What happens when your routine has to be different for a day? I’m wondering if it’s a good idea to get a routine down when you can’t guarantee that you can stick to it perfectly
same, only i go to bed mad early most days and wake up... also mad early. my regular build in alarm has me wake up at 4am, (like natural alarm, when your body just kind of wakes up) and i usually get sleepy at about 7-8pm. my cat is literally perfect... but in the most unperfect-perfect way :)
I had to laugh because i realized I'm not that different from a cat. I, too, get overstimulated by change in routine, being around strangers, loud TVs, and children. No wonder I love cats
@@karenjanusch7978 We had a Lucy too. We just lost a 17 year old cat "Tammy", right before Christmas. She was my constant companion. If I was home, I was wearing a cat. Lol Rocky knows I'm heart broken. He sticks by my side now, the whole time I'm home. He never slept with me before, but he does now. Tammy slept on my pillow, now Rocky does. 😢
When people say animals are not actually "real" children, I would like to point them to this video. Cats are pretty much the same as small (and large!) humans--we all need routine, ritual, consistency, safe places, and love.
One of our cats developed a urinary tract infection. He was yowling (in pain?), hiding under the couch, something he never does, and telling us he was not well. We took him to the vet immediately. It took a few visits, but finally it was determined he needed surgery. $3000 later and more than 2 weeks in recovery, isolated in one room of the house, he's fully recovered and a very happy cat.He's still attached to the room he recovered in and spends a lot to time there asleep. He was one expensive stray, I can tell you that! But we're happy we saved him and gave him a home.
Way to go 1940. Pets are expensive. This is one scenario where money does buy love. We spend it on our furry friend's well being, and get so much loving in return.
@@julierose8207 Thank you. 4 of our 5 cats came from the local animal shelter. This one was a stray that showed up in our yard, hung around for 6 months, so we took him in. He's very special because of the way we got him. He was looking for a home and found us. 🙂
Just wondering did your vet tell you never to feed your cat cat food with fish and fish oils after that ? Mine did. She said fish and fish oils cause urinary blockage. Exspally in male cat's.
My husband had a heart attack in our home, collapsed on the floor breaking his nose, I did CPR and he was resuscitated by EMS. I went to the hospital and when I came home one of my two cats had buried the blood under a bath mat. One of them developed urinary issues, we went to the vet (several times), and he was stressed. So we are on special food, and I’m doing my best to manage my stress as they both picked up on my stress level. Thank you Jackson
Wow. Just wow. First, I'm so sorry that you all went thru such a traumatic event. Second, that's amazing that your cats did that!! I wonder if they were trying to keep him safe by "burying" the blood, thereby hiding his injury from potential predators? It's interesting, sad and super sweet, all at the same time. Gentle hugs...
As per usual, there's always one who's different. When I renovated the living room this year before getting a new couch, my cat was the one riding the piles of furniture around wherever I pushed them and investigating the tools and paintbuckets while my dog was hiding in the bedroom. She loves adventures, new places, new people, all of it. Ever since she stepped out of her carrier in an airport bathroom 7 years ago, tail held high and looking for fun, I knew she'd be special.
I've got two cats, and they also tend to be polar opposites whenever they are faced with something or someone new. One always assumes everyone is a best friend, the other is wary of everything. The cool thing is: When the second one watches the first one venture out and have fun, she usually follows after a while.
What a great cat 😊 I read one of Jacksons books in preparation for a move last year (moving in with a friend and her cat, as a temporary living arrangement), and tried to follow the advice in there. My catbeast was not having it 😅 he took the first opportunity possible to wrangle the door to my room open, sprint through the living room, out in the hall and into roomie's bedroom to explore. Her cat was sleeping on the bed, not happy about the disruption 😂
The same with one of ours! She's always happy to dive head first into situations and involve herself in everything. Our other is a lot more sensitive and cautious though.
Two of mine are like that lol. Always up my butt. I re-arranged my room where they spend most of their time and they LOVE the new layout. I put my bed by the window so theyd have another nice spot to watch outside.
That's always been one thing that has really amazed me about cats; just how empathetic they are. They know when you're hurting and will often try to comfort you by getting closer to you. They know when you're stressed and will stress out as well. What you do, they tend to do. It's remarkable.
It really is remarkable. If I ever cry or gasp or show any other kind of distress, at least one of my three cats immediately comes to check on me and offer affection.
I brought my cat to the vet because he was so stressed he was licking his fur off. The vet told me, after ruling out any physical issues, it could be something outside causing him stress. I realized recently that the black bear population is growing in my backyard and the “buzzer” went off. It makes sense now. He has been on Prozac for about a year now. His fur has grown back and he’s doing a whole lot better. Thanks for all you do.
You've discussed base camp. You've discussed adding yesses to nos. And you've talked about enriching the environment overall. I watched these videos when my Burnie was 5 or 6 months old. I combined these lessons to make the perfect living room for both of us. She acted nervous when I shuffled furniture, but when I started moving her towers to the end of the couch and the window next to the recliner, she got all excited! She trilled and bounced around the furniture in a way toys never had. Point being, they get it. They know when you're involving them closer to your life. It's a specific aspect of catification I'd like you to focus on someday.
I agree! When I rescued my kitty, I was in midst of painting, installing new flooring, etc. Timing of things made it challenging for kitty and myself. Once I put first tall cat tower next to window, stacked different heights of furniture in a way that let him hop from one end to the other side of the room, and what a happy, settled, yet playful kitty he became! Did same thing one room at a time so he has MOJO and cat TV at several window areas.
Being comfortable in a carrier and viewing it as a safe place to hide out is VERY important. Not just for vet visits but I know a firefighter who is very grateful for when he finds pets hiding in their carriers and he can just shut the door and get them out of there! Much faster and overall safer for your pets and the firefighters. He's gotten pretty roughed up through his gear trying to drag animals out from under the bed or out of the tops of closets as they are understandably terrified. Carriers in my home is always treated like their private and comfortable room, always accessible and with their favorite stuff.
My cat likes to sleeps in his carrier, but doesn't go in if something like the smoke alarm goes off. He's more likely to just hide under the bed. Very inconvenient! But I think it make sense for them to want to keep more escape routes available in confusing times.
I’ve literally seen with my own eyes how easily cats adopt your emotional energies! They are acutely aware of all of your emotions including your dislike or opinions of others, if I’ve disliked someone so did my cat, it’s insane how much cats meld into their humans.
8:00 This is true, the volume of the tv, I usually don’t watch tv much lol we both like our peace and quiet! Could you PLEASE 🙏 do a future video on just how sensitive cats hearing is? Like a docu-science series? 🤍🙏🙏🙏
My best friend died recently, and my cat started out worried. I told her it's ok, mommy is just very sad, and gave her lots of love and treats. Since then, she has initited a lot more cuddling.
I adopted a bonded pair after their human died. They were 15 years and 13 years old. 7 weeks later the 15 year old died. My other cat started picking fights with 13. 13 started with chronic cystitis. Then he got unbelievably constipated. Nothing helped him until the vet put him on Prozac and I bought felliway plug ins. Game changer. 13 started to relax. I worked really hard to reduce conflict with the other cat. The fights stopped. No more constipation or cystitis. He went off the Prozac after a year. Now he and the other cat are buddies.
@@bambinaforever1402 the Prozac is what helped the 13 year old cat the most. I noticed after I took him off the prozac that the cats would start fussing at each other more than usual if I didn't replace the felliway. For sure the Prozac was key for my boy.
My family growing up had a couch and a couple recliners. The cat wasn't allowed on the couch--and he knew it. One day, my mom moved the furniture so the couch & chairs were switched. The cat hopped right up on the couch and refused to get on the chairs. He learned where he was allowed and not allowed based on location, not what it was. So absolutely moving items around makes cats think they are all new, all different.
Thank you for being the voice for cats! My two cats are the reason I refuse to do a kitchen renovation. I have old, 1950s cupboards, but I don't care, no way!! We did our two bathrooms with the cats and it was pure hell to see them so stressed, it just about killed me. My dog would just chill on his bed and watch it all happen, meanwhile, my two cats absolutely hated the noise, strangers in the house etc. So 1950s cupboards are good enough to keep the cats (and my) sanity.
My new couch was delivered a few weeks ago, and they took the old one with them. One of my cats immediately came out and started putting his scent on it and rolling around on the cushions. The other cat treated it like a bomb and hid for the majority of the day in my bedroom until she realized that this couch was the new normal. It’s so strange how cats can react so differently to things. Of course, she’s fine now and has covered the cushions in tufts of her long, fluffy fur lol
When I tossed out an old, damaged piece of furniture my cats reacted similarly to one of yours. All three immediately explored the “new space “ caused by the removal of that chest of drawers. One even rolled all over it.
To anyone not a fan of needing to go to the medication step, it can be so helpful in allowing your cat to adjust. We were hit by a tornado, and the work on our (still totally livable) house lasted a year. My guy was completely overwhelmed when they started jackhammering our stone porch off the rest of the way. We had gotten through a bunch of stuff by that point, but that was too much. My vet gave us meds. They helped so much, and we ended up only needing them for a couple of days because he seemed to realize the work was going on and he didn’t feel scared, so it actually seemed to help him adjust, not just feel too tired or out of it to care. I don’t think it hurt that our old dog was too old to care about the work, and I was working from home by then, so he had some calm counterbalancing that helped him realize we weren’t upset, so maybe it isn’t so bad.
We had a major life changing event in our household, and we, my husband and I, were very very stressed and depressed for awhile and it really affected our poor kitty! We had to take her to the vet a few times and deduced she was also stressed due to us being stressed (and not acting ourselves therefore our routines changed, etc) and it really helped us to chill out and to also help her. It crazy how they really pick up on things and are affected by them, too.
I'm so happy for you 😊 I feel you are so right. I kind of see it like a feedback loop. Like if we're stressed, they get stressed, making us more stressed and so on. For me it is one more example of all life being connected, and in a home, our energies really combine and intermingle. Very happy for you and your husband and your awesome kitty!
I think me having both ADD and autism has been a blessing when it comes to being observant about my cat's behaviour and deducing what could be bothering her and what I can do to solve it: because I'm hyper aware of the things that I'm sensitive to, I'm also very empathetic to the fact that certain things could bother her too. I constantly think of strategies to deal with my own issues and sensitivities. For example, I make sure I always have frozen pizzas so that when I don't have the energy to cook, which is more often than I'd like, I at least eat something. A few days ago, around noon, she kept bothering me at my desk and was also really crabby, when I suddenly realised she hadn't slept since we got up at 8am that morning. Like a toddler, she had somehow forgotten that she needed her nap. So I put her favourite blanket on my bed, lured her on there with a toy and tired her out a bit, and soon enough she was sleeping soundly at least until dinner time, after which she was in a much better mood again.
I have a cat that gets hyper and bitey when he gets overly tired. When he starts getting like that, I wrap him in a blanket and he falls asleep pretty quickly
In my experience, us NDs tend to have very strong bonds with our pets. I have a good friend who is AuDHD who is also a psychologist and she agrees with me. I have chronic pain on top of my ADHD, and one thing I can't recommend enough are freezer meals for a slow cooker or pressure cooker. I live with my AuDHD son and autistic dil and they also struggle in the kitchen. That way you are getting something healthy on days you can't cook. It's super easy to prepare multiple meals at once. Just type in "freezer meals" to youtube.
omg join the club! 5th maybe 6th but it's unmentioned, autistic person in the comments so far that i found! (me included) i dont know why but now im on a mission to count all the autistic people LMAO! i have that much time on my hands... i dont do much :')
I visited a cat cafe once and there were lots of cat shelves on different heights After coming home I made two shelves for my cats over the window, so they can hop on their high cat tree, then go on these shelves and finally onto my wall unit where they have their traveling backpack in which they often sleep Since then I can say they are much more relaxed, especially my female cat who is easily stressed and can pee outside the litterbox because of the separation anxiety and being stressed over small things So catification your house, no matter how small it is is really important for your cats, they feel more confident while being up high and when they know they can go there if they feel threathened Love your videos Jackson, I bought your book, it's so sad that no more is in my language or at least available to buy in my country!
I started giving my cats treats after I vaccuum because I felt bad that they got scared. It worked too well and now they're not scared enough and are in my way when I vaccuum! 😂
I've only seen my cat stressed twice in the 16 years i've had him. First time was when my grandad died, and he literally picked up on the mood of the house and went off his food for a few days. Second time my mother was sectioned after a big fight that he unfortunately witnessed. These things happen, but it's important to help them along the way and give them plenty of love and attention when a family crisis happens.
My cat Ziva started pulling her hair out after her sister was killed by a visiting dog, 3 years ago. Each time someone moves away who lived here in my house, her hair pulling out gets worse. Here lately, I've noticed she's looking better, without bald patches. Emotions take time to heal.
I agree they are sensitive little souls, Gabby, was put in to boarding while I was in ICU , I asked Jackson if she would remember me after 9 months in hospital, Jackson said YES, when she was picked up she looked around the house, came up for a special cuddle within 5 minutes, I noticed she had fretted, her eyes got brighter, but she just waited, perhaps dedicate a special one on one time to grieve with your cat , I am so sorry about the terrible accident, Gabby has her angel 🪽 wings she passed 5 weeks 3 days ago from a chronic illness and she asked me by her body language, please stop the pain, it was the right decision for Gabby, although I miss her dreadfully, I love the name Ziva , perhaps softly talk to her and stroke if she wants the touch, I’m sure she understands you want to help
Or maybe she is allergic. Our siamese ate his fur on his stomach and paws, so now he is on Atopica for life. Once we reduce the dosage he starts eating hair again. He is not stressed - no small children and we are always home
Last year I had to call an ambulance for myself and while I was waiting for them to arrive I was checking my cat's food and water , etc. and gathering up clothes that I might need if I had to stay at the hospital. I'd called a friend to let them know so they could be there for my kitty. I was stressed and scared about what was going on with my body and when I looked in my cat's eyes when I told her that I had to go and that I'd be back, etc. I saw the look for abject fear in her face. I can still see it in my mind's eye. I was trying very hard not to stress her but she felt the stress that I was feeling anyway. I hated having to leave her, especially under those circumstances..
we have been doing construction in the house and omg - it reallyaffected the 6 meowkins -- I found that if I made sure to play and then hang out with them while the workers were in the house, it helped to calm them down. I had been so torn because I was going to board them on the intense work days, but instead, I just turned two rooms into a basecamp and playroom. I am so grateful, Jackson, for all your videos - I’ve learned so much. THANK YOU
One thing I'd love to see you talk about is chronic pain in cats. What you said about "go to the vet" is spot on. My 15 yo cat started biting me a few years ago, and it turned out he had a compressed disc in his spine (inoperable). This is causing him chronic pain and makes it hard to jump and climb. The vet helps a lot: he gets a monthly injection, he takes arthritis supplements, and eats a good wet food. We play at least twice a day. But he still seems anxious. A lot of the solutions you have for making a cat feel confident (catifying) don't quite work for him because he can't climb or jump. Any recommendations so that my cat can feel more relaxed and confident in spite of his occasional discomfort?
I've seen on the ShoKo channel that Rob had a cat-tree with steps, so Shorty could also climb (walk) up instead of having to jump. Maybe have a look at something like that.
@@bambinaforever1402that dry food DOES help my cat with anxiety based urine issues (she can't pee and will pee blood.) If she has the food she is ok. If she doesn't get it she starts not being able to pee again.
Ramps. They can be inexpensive to make yourself. It's just a wider board covered in carpet. Put them in his favorite spots and don't make them too steep. If it's possible to put it on the wall or against it I would advise it. There is less risk of tripping or stubbing your toe but if it was my cat with pain I would put them against the couch, windowsill, bed, and anywhere else my cat wanted to go.
Two things really helped my 17-year-old cat with her pain and mobility issues. I bought some inexpensive foam pet stairs and rubbed catnip into the fabric covering to encourage her to use them. I also have have had very, very good results with Bach flower remedies. Marie Pure is a competent, reasonable cost source for personalized blends. I've used Bach flower remedies for decades on different species, so I was able to make a blend myself. One dropperful in the bowl with fresh water every day. The alcohol smell evaporates quickly and the remedies have no taste. As a scientist, I was very skeptical about the remedies and I ran some experiments. I cannot really explain how the remedies work, but I gleaned empirical evidence that they do indeed work. I hope that you discover what helps your feline have an easier time.
I had never realized how stressed i was making my cats feel. Had a lot of intense mental health issues. It wasn't until I got diagnosed and getting better. A few months after getting help, my 2 cats changed completely. They got very talkative and comfortable. I had no idea how much I was hurting them.
My cat Bailey is a different cat since we moved from an apartment to a house. That's when I realized he could hear everything in other apartments and it was disturbing to him.
This was eye opening for me, so thank you!! I think my son's tablet is adding to the noise in our home in a big way, and one of our cats has been showing signs of stress lately. She's very jumpy with loud noises when she never was before. :( I feel so bad for allowing it to get like this. My poor kitty deserves some peace and quiet - as do we all!!
5:55 I FEEL SO CALLED OUT. I've been watching your content since December, and I got my two cats in January. You're videos have been an immense help to both me and my two furbabies. I've learned what to look out for, what to do and what not to do. I learned patience and respect for my cats and it shows in how they behave. I pick one up and she meows saying she doesn't want to be picked up, so I put her down and she just chills with me. Other cats I used to have would just run away, probably because of how I acted. You're such a cool dude, thank you!! Anyway, I'm so surprised I wasn't subscribed already ahaha
We recently had (another) international move and I can tell you from experience, preparing the cat for the move makes a HUGE difference. We've worked so hard with our cat and he is comfortable in his carrier, amazing in aircraft cabins and is traveling all over Europe with us once again. He even rides in my bike with me. 😊Jackson's advice has been amazing!
I'm happy to say that after a year my wallflower now sleeps with her belly exposed! She is no longer all curled up and hiding! I'm actually surprised how long she actually is!
I know that my cat is very in tune with my emotions and stress. There have been times where I was doing something and all the sudden my cat is getting up on me and rubbing against me and almost like trying to comfort me. I then take a moment and realize that I’m feeling stressed or anxious or just feeling heavy emotions. Because I was so focused on my activity that I wasn’t aware of it until my cat intervened.
Hey Jackson! I'm super thankful to everything you've shared with us. I'm a person with debilitating ADHD and Autism, and I find I don't have a lot of energy most days. I've been trying to figure out things to put in place and start doing to give my cats a better life, but it's hard to navigate what's necessary to put energy into and what can be set aside. (For example, the vet told us to use a specific dry food for one cat with urinary problems, and trying to give them a diverse + healthy diet is hard- especially with storing opened cans and reheating wet food). Anyway, I think it would be really useful if you made a collection of the most basic and most important things to do/remember for disabled people who struggle with doing everything. Again, love your stuff and have found lots of it very useful 😊
Hey! I have ADHD and autism as well so I can relate. I had trouble with feeding my cats separate diets as well so I asked my vet if it would be okay to give them both the prescription food and they said it was fine so that's what I've been doing and that has helped us a ton. I feed them both half a can of wet food twice a day and supplement the rest with dry food that I have in an automatic feeder. I don't know if these are things that will help you with your food situation or not. My big challenges are remembering to change and clean their water dish and taking care of the litter boxes :(
They have lids for open cans if you're not feeding/using entire cans. I didn't know that til I saw them hanging on small rack in cat food section. Make sure you have two litter boxes pee cat. Do not use scented litter aa cats are extremely sensitive to any scent. Clean litter box twice daily, and whenever you see they used litter box. Keeping it clean makes them happy. I got a cat genie so I no longer have to smell their "business" throughout the house, nor waste bags tossing them into trash daily. That was a Godsend! Cats love and need everything clean. Please clean food and water dishes at least daily, or whenever they're fed. I know these sound so simple but I see cat owners that don't wash water bowls daily. Cats need to actively play at least one hour a day so I had to buy many varieties of interactive toys because some, he played with right away, and some, he'd ignore for months, then decided to play with them. I'm probably sharing things you already know, but I never had cats before so I had to start from knowing nothing at all! I hope you'll be able to buy Jackson's books because it teaches just about everything important that every new, and even experienced cat owners must know, in order to keep their/our kitty's healthy, happy, and feeling loved and confident "mojo" as Jackson calls it. I wish you the best and thank you for caring so much about your cats. We all need help every step of the way! I'd be lost without Jackson's videos, books, toys and cat-education!!
@susansculley2562 wow, thank you so much! Some of these I didn't know- I'll be getting some of those can lids ASAP! I love my lil kitties so much, and I believe any pet deserves the best life that can be given ✨️
@@Simplebadger27 It's nice to know I'm not the only one struggling! I'll ask the vet about the food and see if I can do something similar to what you're doing. Wishin' you all the best with the neurodivergent experience + struggles! :)
I'm autistic and I just adopted a cat a month and a half ago, my first cat. It's been a huge learning experience for me. It's hard for me to establish a routine for myself but I feel motivated to try, knowing it will make my cat happier. The first thing will be changing him to feeding times as opposed to free feeding, which is what they did at the shelter I adopted him from.
Thank you. Our cat Freya died this year. She used to do this thing where she would fake spray and meow. We never knew why she did this. In a previous video (or short I forget which) you said that usually meant a cat was happy! So thanks. Love your videos! Keep 'em coming!
As an Autistic person with ADHD, I've begun to approach caring with cats vs dogs as my autism and my adhd. Obviously this cannot be a monolith or generalized, but the amount of similarities cats have with the autistic experience (and dogs with at least *my* adhd experience) it has given me a much clearer perception of my cat. My cat sometimes gets easily overstimulated physically, sometimes audibly, etc. Something I relate to a lot. Changes in routine also mess with him like they do with me. Food, environment, etc, really is similar with my autistic experience.
I began watching your videos straight after spontaneously adopting two of our cats. Home’s been catified, stress reduced, they absorbed our calm energy and out of extremally anxious little destroyers they’ve become the lovliest floofballs we can dream of. Cat’s literally a sponge. Thank you for all your content, Jaxon! It puts knowledge on it’s place and makes being cat parent so much more structurised. Ah! Well.. Your suggested daytime routine is literally my routine and I’ll never get enough of them greeting me after work to enjoy the playtime :D Like if they stored the energy from entire day for that one particular hour when parents come back from work and we have fun together :D All best from our happy family of 4!
Hi Jackson, I am my cats “ voice “ I live on my own so gabby was very relaxed, I had boundaries for her, no raised voices, No arguing, leave please to the people, respect her and me, our boundaries, I used to like music I noticed she would leave and go and find a quiet place on my bed or sheepskin, I turned the music down and got ear buds , It’s forever learning, Gabby is the most important” family “ to me and it’s easier to establish boundaries, The one warning I give to people visiting ( which is not often , I am shy ) no one had the right to pick her up, Gabby would choose to cuddle on a lap , she had boundaries too , she was a little thiefy cat , I had to warn visitors to zip their bag up she would just hook their car keys and play with them:) She surprised me when FedEx would arrive it was her highlight to meet the driver meow, tell him about her day we all had a good laugh, Gabby was a very special little cat 🐱 ❤❤❤ Subscribed and will join very soon x When the time is right I am adopting a rescue kitten like Gabby and will have a peek in your shop ❤
I am fortunate that one of my kitties senses my stress but instead of it affecting him in like, he lays across me purring and just stays there until he senses my calm, and trust me, no stress can out live the purr and snuggle of a kitty. 🐈 ❤
My cat is 18, and spent the first decade of her life in the same environment. I've moved with her several times since growing up, and at this point the routine for getting her comfortable in a new house is to put all her needs in one space for a bit (said space also has a blanket and towel she likes, a blanket that I use, and her carrier to hide in if she needs), and to make a trail of my dirty laundry of all things for her to follow into any major areas. The familiar smell seems to help her adjust faster, and gives her confidence that she'll be able to find her way back to "her space" when she's done exploring. This process takes a while, and is often sped up by me carrying her through the new place lmao
Lol I feel you. I agree so much about the smell too, some of my cats love laying on a shirt or my bed, one likes under the covers and will wake me up to tell me 😅
We are resurfacing our basement stairs, and our older cat (16yo) is mostly trying to act as a supervisor hanging around the other side of the door and checking the stairs after each stopping point. Our younger cat (3yo) is the skiddish one. She has managed to venture out of her hiding place, watching the older cat for guidance.
Thanks Jackson. My brother’s 2 year old kitty Oscar is adjusting to 2 10 week old kittens that I foster failed. The cats are happy since I catified per your advice! 3 litter boxes throughout the house in corners, routine feedings of wet food for all 3 cats. It has created a routine for me as well. Oscar was chubby and depressed before the kittens and now he’s acting like a sweet kitten and he’s slimmed down a bit. I have no money so I asked for boxes at the local dollar tree and made a cardboard box tree so they could see in the window. My room is basecamp. A scratching tree, a tent, a kennel bed with a heating pad, a litter box, fresh water, teasers, my bed, no cords or mess. Oscar was already spoiled but now he gets double the cozy spots and playtime. Thanks Jackson! We were stressed as a household but managed to put it aside to help our kitties. I’m gonna get a sun lamp for seasonal affective disorder once I can afford it, which I’ll set up somewhere nice for the cats in the mornings. It’s honestly helped me immensely to establish a routine for them
I am profoundly grateful (can't think of a deeper word) for your and Kitten Lady's output. I wish with ALL my heart I'd known what you've taught me, decades ago. Ignorance might seem like bliss, but once the veil of ignorance is lifted, it's regret that comes. With what's going on in our world, may "bliss" be blitzed as soon as possible!!
I’ve had a kitchen/dining room/ living room renovation for the last three months. I am so glad I watched your video about the “home base”. I set up her home base in our master suite so she can be away from the banging and other loud noises. I’m so thankful you made that video! Yes, she pees outside the box sometimes (and I never fuss at her), but I know she’ll be back to normal in a few weeks. Thank you for your knowledgeable guidance!
I fully agree with getting a routine with your cat! The more that you have a daily schedule/routine that includes your cat(s), they'll remember what you do and how you do it, resulting in less begging you to go somewhere or do something. Sometimes they try to push feeding early though 😏
I'm a volunteer foster mom for cats. They stay with me until there is room at the cat cafe where they go to get adopted. I love your videos and find them super helpful!
Same here. Before adopting my cat I binge watched a load of Jackson Galaxy videos and leaned a lot. I tried to follow his advice as much as possible, and thanks to him my cat is the most wonderful, amazing, awesome companion I have ever known.
My Kitty loves going for a car ride everyday. He does meow if I do not take him. He has to go at night after his dinner and then returning home he will play and then go to sleep. We got a a new kitten and your video helped us a lot. My resident cat became very very sick and he stopped eating while the new kitten came. He thought we replaced him. Taking him to the ER, his vet’s suggestion your introduction video (which we redid again), feliway friends. And finally after 17 days they are sleeping together, playing together. We will be introducing her to the car ride gradually. As we love to travel a lot and do not want to leave our babies. Thank you for all these amazing videos
Great video! I am a highly sensitive person so I totally get the loud, too bright etc. for my own nervous system. I think I was a cat in my previous life because this helps me to instantly pick up on my both of my cat's behavior lol. Others need to know that sensitivity can really create some anxiety for pets and for some individuals. Love the work you do! ❤
As a sensitive person too please use boundaries, it’s easier to establish them before becoming overwhelmed, laugh , be yourself my little cat girl loves seeing me laugh , happy and does zoomies chases her tail then relaxes for snuggles and cuddles time 🥰❤️
I don't have a video suggestion at this time, but I appreciate your content. Today I learned that cats and other pets can be heavily impacted by our own stress. :(
😻 Jackson,I sincerely hope that you+your lovely wife had a wonderful vacation! I'm thrilled to receive more wisdom from The Master!😸👍I mean that sincerely,I look forward to hearing how we can understand our Feline babies better.🐈 And become Better Cat Parents. We love you Jackson, Thank-you for sharing time+ energy with us!🐾🐈🐾
The couple argument story & the cat's reaction to it is classic cat body language communications at its finest. It really doesn't get any better than that example right there.
Our two cats came from a colony at least a decade ago. They did not know clothes dryers or vacuum cleaners so we had to take them through all of that. Even now, if I am doing something that makes a noise that they have never heard before, I have to show them what is creating it , repeat noise a few times and let them examine what is making the noise. 😊
Thank you for such thorough and helpful videos ♥️ A few years back my mom was in an accident and needed surgery. She was in the hospital for 4 days and our cats would take turns sleeping on her spot on the loveseat. It was clear they were worried and upset about her suddenly not being there, so my brother and I tried to spend time with them and soothe them when visiting hours were over. I'm really thankful that it was only 4 days, for multiple reasons obviously. I ended up having abdominal surgery a few years after that, & I've healed well, the scar is barely visible, but my cats still avoid lying on my stomach. Like, they'll obviously Want to climb onto my lap, but hesitate, or at night they'll sleep on my chest instead of my stomach. To me, the surgery scar is from a necessary medical procedure that improved my quality of life. But to my cats, it's a wound, a battle scar. Animals are complex and receptive to more than we think.
My family just had A LOT of work done on the house. My saving grace was that my girls safe place is my room. I know they were very stressed out, but they were comfortable in my room with food and water. When I'd check on them, they'd be chill and eating like nothing was wrong. They are doing well to the new stuff now. 👌🏻
My cat loves it when we all come home. He is all over the kids and I. Between cuddles and playing he is involved. He hears the air breaks of the bus and he runs to the door all puffed up in raccoon mode. So excited. His tail twiches and shakes. So cute!! Hes an orange tabby for anyone wondering.
My two cats are all about routine, especially my tuxedo-tabby. I’m the beta and my mom’s the alpha, so every night he runs into her room at the same time because he knows she is going to bed then. My dad (who claims he hates cats) has a playtime routine with Marco, which Marco expects every night. Whenever that changes, he gets confused. My black cat has a sensitive stomach in general, but whenever my parents (mostly my mom) leaves town and it’s just me, she vomits multiple times a day for the first couple days. They really do love their routines. It’s funny because they aren’t used to people being upstairs so late at night because my parents go to bed by midnight usually, so when I’m watching them and I’m up there at 3 AM, they get confused. They sometimes think it’s time for food because of it. 😂
I like to make sure that I pay extra mind to make SURE that my boy is not overstimulated or nervous or anything. I always give him just as much love as he needs and when he says enough, I respect and respond to that's enough. I love my Bubby boy and he lives a very quiet relaxing life.
I just want to say I super appreciate you. I've been slowly teaching my partner things I've learned from your channel and shows, and it's allowed him to have a much deeper relationship with and appreciation for our small furry children
I thought she seemed different, keeping to herself..took her to the vet and found out she was extremely anemic...the vet didn't know why..she passed away a week later..keep a close look to your babies..thanks for all you do Jackson
Human stress in the home is such a big one and I'm really glad it was part of this video! I treat my cats like they know what's going on, so when times are difficult I make extra time for them to snuggle and play and decompress together with me. Even if I'm not outwardly expressing that I'm stressed, cats are smart enough to recognizes changes in emotion. They've always cuddled in extra close whenever I was down and in turn they'll come right to me for reassurance if anything made them uncomfortable. My cats and I have learned that we're each other's safe place and emotional anchor.
I know this was a short one, but absolutely love all of your videos, Jackson. Cats are not the only sensitive ones. You are THE most sensitive and aware of cat dads out there that I have had the pleasure of seeing. On that happy note... Have a lovely Father's Day, Kitty Dad and Protector, Jackson! 🎉😺🥂
Two months ago I adopted a one year old cat from a shelter to keep my 11 year old cuddle monster company. I was incredibly worried because of the age difference, but the shelters did not want to let their seniors join a cat household. So I have been watching your videos nigh religiously. And it worked! I needed two re-introductions, and needed to learn how to stay calm when the little one was yowling at me, how to learn her daily energy rhythms... but today for the first time she joined us for cuddle time on the sofa, and the big one seemed happy ❤ 😊 Anyways, I didn't just learn a lot about cats and what can stress them, but also how to deal with my own environmental stressors. So I can recommend Jackson's videos for how to handle stressed autistic humans as well! 😂
Dear Jackson Galaxy, I have been a fan of you since you first appeared on “Cats from Hell!” We moved from San Francisco to Thailand in 2006. We spent years raising and showing Somali cats (successfully) for years. Since moving to Thailand we have adopted two seriously life threatened rescue kitties, one boy 11 and a 1 year old girl. Indoor cats who adore each other. Your advice has helped us many times and helped just wanted to say thank you. You are the Cat Man Do! Sincerely, Boo
I wish to express my overwhelming gratitude for your work with informing cat owners. My first cat in life, I was given as a newbie 3 yrs ago. Magick has changed my life. The information you provide has been a great influence for good in both of our lives. Again gratitude and well wishes. ❤
On days I am stressed my cats are always right on top of me trying to cuddle. I wouldn’t of guessed it was because they could sense my stress levels. Thank you for the great video
I am getting a cat on Sunday. Yayyy poor fella he needed rehoming. And I found this channel at the best time. I have been going through every single of your videos. Thank you so much. These are so helpful
I bought my large cat a beautiful Tommy Hilfiger dog bed. He loved it because he could stretch out, groom, have his toys around him, sleep, and just hang out. I had never seen a cat bed that plush, with comfy wooly type material, and walls all around to put his head on. He loved this bed and spent most of his day in it. Fast forward 2 years and I decided to move it about 2 feet to allow for a better flow of foot traffic. My office area was still close to him. He walked into the room after snoozing on his window bed, looked at his Hilfiger bed, jumped in, jumped out, and never set paw in it again. Even after i moved it back and put a piece of clothing I had worn. He was done with it. It made me sad because I know he loved it. He was still only 2 feet away from me. Do cats get stubborn? What happened? In January of 2024, I had to put him down at the age of 21. We had a good life together considering he spent the first 18 months in the street. He was semi-feral, if that's a real word. I never pushed him. After six months or so, he would finally brush against me. By the time he was dying, we slept together in an embrace every night. I'm going to adopt a female in a couple of weeks. Very excited.
I only had our cat for 2,5 weeks and I already learned so much from watching this channel even tho I grew up with cats and thought I knew a lot about them.. but since I'm living in a big city now and my cat has to be indoors most of the time I had to learn from the start on how to keep her happy under this circumstances. We got her as an adult cat of nearly 2 years old and unneutered so it's a very different start then with a baby cat. Playing with her, giving her lots of places to chill , talking to her and rewarding her with treats lead to her beeing very sweet and affectionate to me in this short amount of time. That she initiates play, follows me around the flat and sleeps next to us is really precious to me.Thank you a lot for this educational, entertaining & overall wonderful content!
Thank you so much for so many "how-to's", suggestions, covering things I've been doing wrong, reminding me of how sensitive they are etc. etc. . Change, noise, FIREWORKS, keeping my pet carrier in the house, finding one that he will feel safe and comfortable in. And so much more.
2 wonderful friends visited this afternoon and helped with my three. Cats that needed their claws trimmed. Sometimes, we need a little help. My cats were stressed, but we stayed calm and gave them space when they needed it. Treats helped, too.
Gr8 insight from Jackson about change and anarchy and routine. Love the part about litter boxes too! I hadn't realized how much of a resource it is to them as a human I did not see it from their perspective. Spot on! Thx for sharing your wisdom
I'm happy to say that my cat is not at all stressed. She's living her best life, with no problems, as she should. Still watching though, just to take note for future. :)
I absolutely love the way you illustrate these cat issues for us Jackson! We may not always think of them and the way you put it, which is so ‘UN’ accusatory, Thank You!
My husband and I have always been dog people. We just got our first kitten after 30 years. I’ve been watching your videos to learn about everything CAT! Thank you so much!!! They have really helped us a lot! We love having a cat and can’t believe it took us so long to adopt one. 😊
I have noticed my cats have routines of when and where they lay around house but I never made connection w position of sun! They are sun bathing! That's awesome to know thank you. And I love the image of an ice bath for going over the line. That resonates w me a lot, cold tubs are brutal! 😂
every video you put out makes me feel extremely paranoid about whether im stressing out my cat or not lol. i dont check ANY of the boxes, but with my anxiety, knowing im responsible for a life, it kills me lmfao. but at least i always know what to do if things go wrong, and know what to look for. your vids are so helpful, thanks so much as always!
One of our kitties eats too fast sometimes and throws up. Several friends suggested getting a cat food bowl designed with little dividers so she eats slower. Just tried it today and she looked at me like I had ruined her life. She ran under the bed and wouldn't come out - even to play with her favorite toy or when I put her favorite treats out. I changed back to her old bowl. After watching this video, I'm keeping her old bowl out. But I put a few of her favorite treats in her new bowl - she ate them! So we're going to transition her to her new bowl slowly. We did it too quickly for her, which really upset her (I couldn't believe how much it upset her). So slowly, slowly, we'll get her used to her new bowl. She's not scared by many things, but this threw her. Her sister was fine with the new bowls. These videos are so helpful!
Jackson, I want to share something with you. My 13 year old female Ragamuffin has been with me since she was a kitten. I got married 10 years ago and had a new son 9 years ago. She adjusted to both but I could tell she liked it better when it was just her and I. I recently retired and am home most all day. I could tell she loves having me to herself during the day. Cats like changes when it benefits them. 🙂
I’d love to see a video from you talking about caring for senior cats. I’m especially interested to hear ways that we can help them be more comfortable and in their last years of life, and maintaining a good quality of life for them
Suggestion: Mister Galaxy I wanted to suggest something I do for my 3 very different but super loved cats! I shake the treat tub (yep we buy em big in this house) and the cats all come running, then I take a handful and toss them up into the air so they scatter across my living room. We call this "hunting" and the cats super love sniffing out their treats! There is never any to step on or left over. We did start small to get them ready to do this, but now they know the deal! And all mewl and dart their eyes and ears around for the moment the treats splashes onto the floor! I do not think you have covered this on a way to connect with your cats. So I got the courage to leave this comment. I am a fan for over a decade; if you could hear one thing I said to you "Thank you for being who you are."❤
😻Hello Jamie!👋What a clever lady!!🌺Tossing the treats into the air like that- I Love it!!👏👏👏 It makes life more fun,yes!! Thank-you for sharing this cool tip hun'! I'll bet that you have more creative ideas,I'd like to hear them! (And hey, don't we all need abit more Fun right now??🐾🐈🐾😸💞
I do the same things with my cats!! They know the deal as soon as I walk towards where I store their treats, they start running after me meowing and they LOVE running after the treats, usually they end up batting them around for awhile so they get some good exercise too! A win win win!
I cast single kibble treats around the house for them to catch. It's the last part of play sessions so they get stimulated to eat. Works a charm to estabilish the ending of play time.
Oh wow I do that with my cats too! I either scatter the dry food across the kitchen area and all three them soon find every single morsel with their noses. The other game is the cat “stick” treats that I can snap into larger pieces than the dry food kibble. It’s much easier for them to see the pieces when I toss them. I make sure she (the cat I’m playing with) can see the piece in my hand and her eyes lock on target. Then I toss it and she usually either catches it in midair or gets it with her paw deflecting it elsewhere for her to hunt, catch, kill and eat. It’s a great game as it taps into all their natural hunting instincts. I just didn’t think anyone else did it.
Thank you for all of your cat advice Mr. Galaxy. Me and my s/o try to apply it to make our cats lives better. I don't comment normally, but your intro in this video struck a huge chord because the last week one of our cats were showing stress/pain and we took them to the vet as soon as we could. Turned out they had a bad tooth with infection that got removed, much like your example. Thankfully they are recovering well and getting back to their regular self. You help make their lives better with all of your videos. Thank you so much.
A similar thing happened to me a few years ago. My cat was fourteen at the time and one day she started behaving differently. She was slower and kinda tentative in some of her movements and she vomited way more than the occasional hairball. So I took her to the vet and it turned out she had hyperthyroidism and kidney disease. She would have died in weeks if I hadn’t. Instead the medication and renal food slowed down the kidney disease and bought me two and a half more years with her. Totally worth the expense and effort.
Helicopter cat owners like me have trouble with routines (see the great comment below about ADHD and routines!), because it occurred to me, I get so excited when I have successful communication with my cat, that I reward it. Never mind the fact thati know it's not meal time, I'm excited that I know that my cat is asking for food and I want to reward him by showing him that I know what he's saying.
I've had cats my whole life, but my newest babies (two black cat sisters) LOVE when I'm cleaning and rearranging furniture. I've never met cats like this before, but they hang out in the room with me, sleep, roll around with bellies up, asking for scratches, the whole nine. As soon as the room is clean theyre playing and finding the newest comfy cat spot. Every other cat i've met steers clear of cleaning day and hates rearranging, but not my girls. can't explain it, but as someone who's gotta change things around often, I am thankful for it. Love your channel, you've been a huge help to our cat family. Thanks for doing this channel!
believe me, everything I say in videos I've done wrong in my 30+ years of living with cats. If your home is stressing your cats...it's cool! Just forgive and move on with solutions. And spread the good word!
We can't buy your stuff in EUROPA!!
Turning down volume of any loud noises is great advice. I have to reinforce that "it's okay" when my feral recently adopted cat gets stressed. I'm learning daily what things stress him. He's mostly a home buddy but in the middle of the night cries to go outside. If I feed him something that he doesn't like I'll stop feeding him that. Everyday is a learning curve. Since the TNVR, he has gotten to be the most affectionate sweet cat. I've learned so much listening to these podcasts. Thank you so much.🐱
I am currently cuddling My orange cat Winston the orange terror I love him
I WOULD LIKE TO SEE YOU MAKE A VIDEO ABOUT HOW TO PREVENT A CAT’S UTI @ Jackson Galaxy
I talk a lot to my cat, and he talks back to me. If I slow blink, he does too. What’s really bizarre is when I go to the loo, he goes into his cat box too. I wish I had my privacy 😜😂
Being autistic, I always ask myself how I would handle something to best work for me. It is why I love having animals in my home, honestly. They have the same needs and perspectives I do, generally. I love my routines, quiet environments, comfort, and gradual change if change is necessary.
I handle my ADD abd Aspbergers the same way whenever possible. And my cat is a huge de-stresser for me.
So every time the same tricks calm both of us down, it makes ne really happy
Thank you, Jackson! Good stuff. I have a 14 month old cat (I’ve had her since she was 5 months old) who was raised by a feral momma and who, on occasion would take her two daughters out into the wild for spells of time. Then the woman whose horse barn the feral momma kept choosing to have her litters, decided to try to find a home for the one daughter who kept coming back with her while still very young. That person would be me. When I got Dove she was very shy. I got her trust early on but she continued to be very skittish. When anyone came to my apartment she would fly under the couch, the bed, the chair until they left. She still does this to a degree. I am a bedridden paraplegic so I have a caregiver morning and evening. Dove got acclimated to them although it took a long time. Out of necessity Dove’s base amp is my bedroom. It is citified to the hilt! Thank you for all the instruction on that, Jackson! Dove has cat tv from my second story bedroom window, she has her cat tree, special bed, her own bathroom in my room and the other one strategically placed in the bathroom, plenty of things to scratch on and climb on. My bed, which she occasionally will use to hide under when a loud person comes to visit (it’s getting better, too!) and cat toys galore plus an available mom person all the time at her disposal when she wants cuddle time when she isn’t running around the rest of the apartment or snoozing are all done because of you and your advice on how to have a happy cat! To top it all off my caregivers play with her morning and late afternoon as you have instructed. It is part of requirements for their hire. They must be willing to play with Dove and they must be “cat people”. Because I can’t walk they need to fill in the vigorous play time. Dove and I have developed our own version of play. When she wants to play we play “I’m going to get you”! She knows I can’t but she sure acts like I can and tears around the room and the rest of the apartment like I am actually trying to “get her”! It’s hilarious. When she’s done “running away from me she comes back for round two and repeats the process until she needs to stop zooming around the apartment. I have a fairly good sized apartment. I’m a good cat parent because of you, Jackson. Thank you for all you do to educate us, Jackson! I continue to watch and learn. Dove is a healthy, happy girl because of you and all your teaching. Again, thank you so very much!♥️
That’s basecamp and catified. I hadn’t noticed that autocorrect had “helped” me on both! I guess autocorrect isn’t a cat person!!!😂🐈⬛🐈
That's an excellent point. My teen daughter is autistic and has always instinctively known what is best for any cats in our home. Never put 2 + 2 together until your comment. It's all about the mutual respect of routine, rhythm and ritual for our cats and our kid. Thanks for that eye opener!
Thats so true. I wish people even who aren’t neurodivergent would consider how changes can cause stress even if they are positive changes, and that stress can affect your emotions and behaviors. It’s not just us that are affected. For instance I notice when my best friend gets more anxious or snippy it can be traced back to a stressor or change
'Your stress is their stress' got to me a bit. I have chronic anxiety, and while my cat isn't an anxious one, I definitely notice her getting riled up when I'm overly anxious. I usually try to help get it out of her system with some play, or she'll come and sit on me and purr loudly and that helps. I'm very glad that she's a resilient, vocal little bean with lots of energy and cattitude, I would hate if she got second-hand anxiety from me.
There re pills for u, u know, u do not need to live a miserable life. One pill every morning and u will be a normal contribution to society
@@bambinaforever1402 bruh. pills don't immediately fix everything. there may be pills for anxiety that help some people but it almost never solves everything if it even works at all and some suffer side effects that outweigh the help it provides.
@@bambinaforever1402what in the mlm
poor thing! GET MORE CATS! nah, im playing, but the more you set their environments to their needs, the more they can focus on your needs and be of good assistance when you need it most! i have anxiety, depression, ocd, odd, autism and ADHD, so im the full package, and my cat helps me a lot, and i find it hard to be to anxious when im around her!
My cat has my routine down so well that at 10:30 pm, when I normally turn in for the night, she is THERE. She will usually show up at the exact time or be 1 to 2 minutes off, but for a being who doesn't understand how to read a clock she is incredibly precise.
What happens when your routine has to be different for a day? I’m wondering if it’s a good idea to get a routine down when you can’t guarantee that you can stick to it perfectly
@@maloumasereel966I think about the same thing!! Excellent question.
Mine is the same way!! I love that about cats so much
same, only i go to bed mad early most days and wake up... also mad early. my regular build in alarm has me wake up at 4am, (like natural alarm, when your body just kind of wakes up) and i usually get sleepy at about 7-8pm. my cat is literally perfect... but in the most unperfect-perfect way :)
I had to laugh because i realized I'm not that different from a cat. I, too, get overstimulated by change in routine, being around strangers, loud TVs, and children. No wonder I love cats
Me too. I can't handle loud, chaotic environments. I am a kitty cat person! 😁
Same
I typically don’t mind about any of the thing u mentioned but I stil love cat
Same
You're the best❤
Cats are Very sensitive to their human companions. They can sense when someone is stressed, upset, sad...and it truly effects them.
That's very true.
Very
Facts
My first cat Lucy (1 of 2) would get on my lap when I was crying and give me kisses. Cats are the best!
@@karenjanusch7978
We had a Lucy too.
We just lost a 17 year old cat "Tammy", right before Christmas. She was my constant companion. If I was home, I was wearing a cat. Lol
Rocky knows I'm heart broken. He sticks by my side now, the whole time I'm home. He never slept with me before, but he does now. Tammy slept on my pillow, now Rocky does. 😢
When people say animals are not actually "real" children, I would like to point them to this video. Cats are pretty much the same as small (and large!) humans--we all need routine, ritual, consistency, safe places, and love.
One of our cats developed a urinary tract infection. He was yowling (in pain?), hiding under the couch, something he never does, and telling us he was not well. We took him to the vet immediately. It took a few visits, but finally it was determined he needed surgery. $3000 later and more than 2 weeks in recovery, isolated in one room of the house, he's fully recovered and a very happy cat.He's still attached to the room he recovered in and spends a lot to time there asleep. He was one expensive stray, I can tell you that! But we're happy we saved him and gave him a home.
👍 🙏 😻😻😻
Way to go 1940. Pets are expensive. This is one scenario where money does buy love. We spend it on our furry friend's well being, and get so much loving in return.
@@julierose8207 Thank you. 4 of our 5 cats came from the local animal shelter. This one was a stray that showed up in our yard, hung around for 6 months, so we took him in. He's very special because of the way we got him. He was looking for a home and found us. 🙂
Just wondering did your vet tell you never to feed your cat cat food with fish and fish oils after that ?
Mine did. She said fish and fish oils cause urinary blockage. Exspally in male cat's.
thats awesome. theres so many people who abandon animals and then theres people like us
My husband had a heart attack in our home, collapsed on the floor breaking his nose, I did CPR and he was resuscitated by EMS. I went to the hospital and when I came home one of my two cats had buried the blood under a bath mat. One of them developed urinary issues, we went to the vet (several times), and he was stressed. So we are on special food, and I’m doing my best to manage my stress as they both picked up on my stress level. Thank you Jackson
Wow. Just wow. First, I'm so sorry that you all went thru such a traumatic event. Second, that's amazing that your cats did that!! I wonder if they were trying to keep him safe by "burying" the blood, thereby hiding his injury from potential predators? It's interesting, sad and super sweet, all at the same time. Gentle hugs...
Sending love ❤
Oh my gosh, im so sorry for all of you. I hope your husband recovered/recovers fully.
💝
As per usual, there's always one who's different. When I renovated the living room this year before getting a new couch, my cat was the one riding the piles of furniture around wherever I pushed them and investigating the tools and paintbuckets while my dog was hiding in the bedroom. She loves adventures, new places, new people, all of it. Ever since she stepped out of her carrier in an airport bathroom 7 years ago, tail held high and looking for fun, I knew she'd be special.
I've got two cats, and they also tend to be polar opposites whenever they are faced with something or someone new. One always assumes everyone is a best friend, the other is wary of everything. The cool thing is: When the second one watches the first one venture out and have fun, she usually follows after a while.
What a great cat 😊
I read one of Jacksons books in preparation for a move last year (moving in with a friend and her cat, as a temporary living arrangement), and tried to follow the advice in there.
My catbeast was not having it 😅 he took the first opportunity possible to wrangle the door to my room open, sprint through the living room, out in the hall and into roomie's bedroom to explore.
Her cat was sleeping on the bed, not happy about the disruption 😂
The same with one of ours! She's always happy to dive head first into situations and involve herself in everything. Our other is a lot more sensitive and cautious though.
My cat is the same way! Loves everyone, gets so excited when people visit, and moved 4 times with me without issue. He’s a great boi 😊
Two of mine are like that lol. Always up my butt. I re-arranged my room where they spend most of their time and they LOVE the new layout. I put my bed by the window so theyd have another nice spot to watch outside.
That's always been one thing that has really amazed me about cats; just how empathetic they are. They know when you're hurting and will often try to comfort you by getting closer to you. They know when you're stressed and will stress out as well. What you do, they tend to do. It's remarkable.
It really is remarkable. If I ever cry or gasp or show any other kind of distress, at least one of my three cats immediately comes to check on me and offer affection.
I brought my cat to the vet because he was so stressed he was licking his fur off. The vet told me, after ruling out any physical issues, it could be something outside causing him stress. I realized recently that the black bear population is growing in my backyard and the “buzzer” went off. It makes sense now.
He has been on Prozac for about a year now. His fur has grown back and he’s doing a whole lot better.
Thanks for all you do.
My cat recently was put on Prozac too. Does your cat have issues with constipation?
I'm glad your fur baby is better
@@dudette2x no, I guess I lucked out. I heard that is a side effect, sometimes.
@@dudette2xDo you know about cat laxatives? It's a paste. I use it to help with hairballs.
@@dudette2x I lucked out. He does not.
You've discussed base camp. You've discussed adding yesses to nos. And you've talked about enriching the environment overall. I watched these videos when my Burnie was 5 or 6 months old. I combined these lessons to make the perfect living room for both of us. She acted nervous when I shuffled furniture, but when I started moving her towers to the end of the couch and the window next to the recliner, she got all excited! She trilled and bounced around the furniture in a way toys never had.
Point being, they get it. They know when you're involving them closer to your life. It's a specific aspect of catification I'd like you to focus on someday.
I agree! When I rescued my kitty, I was in midst of painting, installing new flooring, etc. Timing of things made it challenging for kitty and myself. Once I put first tall cat tower next to window, stacked different heights of furniture in a way that let him hop from one end to the other side of the room, and what a happy, settled, yet playful kitty he became! Did same thing one room at a time so he has MOJO and cat TV at several window areas.
Being comfortable in a carrier and viewing it as a safe place to hide out is VERY important. Not just for vet visits but I know a firefighter who is very grateful for when he finds pets hiding in their carriers and he can just shut the door and get them out of there! Much faster and overall safer for your pets and the firefighters. He's gotten pretty roughed up through his gear trying to drag animals out from under the bed or out of the tops of closets as they are understandably terrified. Carriers in my home is always treated like their private and comfortable room, always accessible and with their favorite stuff.
My cat likes to sleeps in his carrier, but doesn't go in if something like the smoke alarm goes off. He's more likely to just hide under the bed. Very inconvenient! But I think it make sense for them to want to keep more escape routes available in confusing times.
I’ve literally seen with my own eyes how easily cats adopt your emotional energies! They are acutely aware of all of your emotions including your dislike or opinions of others, if I’ve disliked someone so did my cat, it’s insane how much cats meld into their humans.
8:00 This is true, the volume of the tv, I usually don’t watch tv much lol we both like our peace and quiet! Could you PLEASE 🙏 do a future video on just how sensitive cats hearing is? Like a docu-science series? 🤍🙏🙏🙏
My shirt says "My cat and I talk shit about you." we are the mean girls of the house.
My best friend died recently, and my cat started out worried. I told her it's ok, mommy is just very sad, and gave her lots of love and treats. Since then, she has initited a lot more cuddling.
I adopted a bonded pair after their human died. They were 15 years and 13 years old. 7 weeks later the 15 year old died. My other cat started picking fights with 13. 13 started with chronic cystitis. Then he got unbelievably constipated. Nothing helped him until the vet put him on Prozac and I bought felliway plug ins. Game changer. 13 started to relax. I worked really hard to reduce conflict with the other cat. The fights stopped. No more constipation or cystitis. He went off the Prozac after a year. Now he and the other cat are buddies.
Very good to hear. For my cat feliway did not have any affect
@@bambinaforever1402 the Prozac is what helped the 13 year old cat the most.
I noticed after I took him off the prozac that the cats would start fussing at each other more than usual if I didn't replace the felliway. For sure the Prozac was key for my boy.
My family growing up had a couch and a couple recliners. The cat wasn't allowed on the couch--and he knew it.
One day, my mom moved the furniture so the couch & chairs were switched. The cat hopped right up on the couch and refused to get on the chairs. He learned where he was allowed and not allowed based on location, not what it was.
So absolutely moving items around makes cats think they are all new, all different.
Thank you for being the voice for cats! My two cats are the reason I refuse to do a kitchen renovation. I have old, 1950s cupboards, but I don't care, no way!! We did our two bathrooms with the cats and it was pure hell to see them so stressed, it just about killed me. My dog would just chill on his bed and watch it all happen, meanwhile, my two cats absolutely hated the noise, strangers in the house etc. So 1950s cupboards are good enough to keep the cats (and my) sanity.
Yes agree with you,( it also stresses me out too).
@@cynthiastogden7000 me too, it's just not worth it to me.
My new couch was delivered a few weeks ago, and they took the old one with them. One of my cats immediately came out and started putting his scent on it and rolling around on the cushions. The other cat treated it like a bomb and hid for the majority of the day in my bedroom until she realized that this couch was the new normal. It’s so strange how cats can react so differently to things. Of course, she’s fine now and has covered the cushions in tufts of her long, fluffy fur lol
When I tossed out an old, damaged piece of furniture my cats reacted similarly to one of yours. All three immediately explored the “new space “ caused by the removal of that chest of drawers. One even rolled all over it.
Jackson, you've made me realize that I am a cat. My favourite pasttimes are all things which I can do at home, in silence, alone :D
To anyone not a fan of needing to go to the medication step, it can be so helpful in allowing your cat to adjust. We were hit by a tornado, and the work on our (still totally livable) house lasted a year. My guy was completely overwhelmed when they started jackhammering our stone porch off the rest of the way. We had gotten through a bunch of stuff by that point, but that was too much. My vet gave us meds. They helped so much, and we ended up only needing them for a couple of days because he seemed to realize the work was going on and he didn’t feel scared, so it actually seemed to help him adjust, not just feel too tired or out of it to care. I don’t think it hurt that our old dog was too old to care about the work, and I was working from home by then, so he had some calm counterbalancing that helped him realize we weren’t upset, so maybe it isn’t so bad.
We had a major life changing event in our household, and we, my husband and I, were very very stressed and depressed for awhile and it really affected our poor kitty! We had to take her to the vet a few times and deduced she was also stressed due to us being stressed (and not acting ourselves therefore our routines changed, etc) and it really helped us to chill out and to also help her. It crazy how they really pick up on things and are affected by them, too.
I'm so happy for you 😊 I feel you are so right. I kind of see it like a feedback loop. Like if we're stressed, they get stressed, making us more stressed and so on. For me it is one more example of all life being connected, and in a home, our energies really combine and intermingle. Very happy for you and your husband and your awesome kitty!
I think me having both ADD and autism has been a blessing when it comes to being observant about my cat's behaviour and deducing what could be bothering her and what I can do to solve it: because I'm hyper aware of the things that I'm sensitive to, I'm also very empathetic to the fact that certain things could bother her too. I constantly think of strategies to deal with my own issues and sensitivities. For example, I make sure I always have frozen pizzas so that when I don't have the energy to cook, which is more often than I'd like, I at least eat something. A few days ago, around noon, she kept bothering me at my desk and was also really crabby, when I suddenly realised she hadn't slept since we got up at 8am that morning. Like a toddler, she had somehow forgotten that she needed her nap. So I put her favourite blanket on my bed, lured her on there with a toy and tired her out a bit, and soon enough she was sleeping soundly at least until dinner time, after which she was in a much better mood again.
I have a cat that gets hyper and bitey when he gets overly tired. When he starts getting like that, I wrap him in a blanket and he falls asleep pretty quickly
In my experience, us NDs tend to have very strong bonds with our pets. I have a good friend who is AuDHD who is also a psychologist and she agrees with me. I have chronic pain on top of my ADHD, and one thing I can't recommend enough are freezer meals for a slow cooker or pressure cooker. I live with my AuDHD son and autistic dil and they also struggle in the kitchen. That way you are getting something healthy on days you can't cook. It's super easy to prepare multiple meals at once. Just type in "freezer meals" to youtube.
just so you know, add is an outdated term! they're both adhd, just different types
omg join the club! 5th maybe 6th but it's unmentioned, autistic person in the comments so far that i found! (me included) i dont know why but now im on a mission to count all the autistic people LMAO! i have that much time on my hands... i dont do much :')
@@angelawossname adhd is way overblown tons of people deal with it .
Wont keep anyone from cooking or eating laziness will though
I visited a cat cafe once and there were lots of cat shelves on different heights
After coming home I made two shelves for my cats over the window, so they can hop on their high cat tree, then go on these shelves and finally onto my wall unit where they have their traveling backpack in which they often sleep
Since then I can say they are much more relaxed, especially my female cat who is easily stressed and can pee outside the litterbox because of the separation anxiety and being stressed over small things
So catification your house, no matter how small it is is really important for your cats, they feel more confident while being up high and when they know they can go there if they feel threathened
Love your videos Jackson, I bought your book, it's so sad that no more is in my language or at least available to buy in my country!
I started giving my cats treats after I vaccuum because I felt bad that they got scared. It worked too well and now they're not scared enough and are in my way when I vaccuum! 😂
I wish my cat understood what weekends were. He knows we usually wake up at 7am, so if we don't on a Saturday or Sunday, he gets very upset!
I've only seen my cat stressed twice in the 16 years i've had him. First time was when my grandad died, and he literally picked up on the mood of the house and went off his food for a few days. Second time my mother was sectioned after a big fight that he unfortunately witnessed. These things happen, but it's important to help them along the way and give them plenty of love and attention when a family crisis happens.
My cat Ziva started pulling her hair out after her sister was killed by a visiting dog, 3 years ago. Each time someone moves away who lived here in my house, her hair pulling out gets worse. Here lately, I've noticed she's looking better, without bald patches. Emotions take time to heal.
give your cat more love and hug and a new cat. he is alone and suffering from the inside.
I agree they are sensitive little souls, Gabby, was put in to boarding while I was in ICU , I asked Jackson if she would remember me after 9 months in hospital, Jackson said YES, when she was picked up she looked around the house, came up for a special cuddle within 5 minutes, I noticed she had fretted, her eyes got brighter, but she just waited, perhaps dedicate a special one on one time to grieve with your cat , I am so sorry about the terrible accident, Gabby has her angel 🪽 wings she passed 5 weeks 3 days ago from a chronic illness and she asked me by her body language, please stop the pain, it was the right decision for Gabby, although I miss her dreadfully, I love the name Ziva , perhaps softly talk to her and stroke if she wants the touch, I’m sure she understands you want to help
Or maybe she is allergic. Our siamese ate his fur on his stomach and paws, so now he is on Atopica for life. Once we reduce the dosage he starts eating hair again. He is not stressed - no small children and we are always home
😢😢
I didn't know cats can have SAD!! Thank you for an informative video!!
Last year I had to call an ambulance for myself and while I was waiting for them to arrive I was checking my cat's food and water , etc. and gathering up clothes that I might need if I had to stay at the hospital. I'd called a friend to let them know so they could be there for my kitty. I was stressed and scared about what was going on with my body and when I looked in my cat's eyes when I told her that I had to go and that I'd be back, etc. I saw the look for abject fear in her face. I can still see it in my mind's eye. I was trying very hard not to stress her but she felt the stress that I was feeling anyway. I hated having to leave her, especially under those circumstances..
Dear Mr galaxy,… thank you for helping me give my fur baby a better life
we have been doing construction in the house and omg - it reallyaffected the 6 meowkins -- I found that if I made sure to play and then hang out with them while the workers were in the house, it helped to calm them down. I had been so torn because I was going to board them on the intense work days, but instead, I just turned two rooms into a basecamp and playroom. I am so grateful, Jackson, for all your videos - I’ve learned so much. THANK YOU
my favorite lesson you always reiterate is PLAY WITH YOUR CAT PLAY WITH YOUR CAT PLAY WITH YOUR CAT
One thing I'd love to see you talk about is chronic pain in cats. What you said about "go to the vet" is spot on. My 15 yo cat started biting me a few years ago, and it turned out he had a compressed disc in his spine (inoperable). This is causing him chronic pain and makes it hard to jump and climb. The vet helps a lot: he gets a monthly injection, he takes arthritis supplements, and eats a good wet food. We play at least twice a day. But he still seems anxious. A lot of the solutions you have for making a cat feel confident (catifying) don't quite work for him because he can't climb or jump. Any recommendations so that my cat can feel more relaxed and confident in spite of his occasional discomfort?
Dear god how overpriced vet dry cwt food is going to cure a compressed disc. Your vets ate just ripping u off
I've seen on the ShoKo channel that Rob had a cat-tree with steps, so Shorty could also climb (walk) up instead of having to jump. Maybe have a look at something like that.
@@bambinaforever1402that dry food DOES help my cat with anxiety based urine issues (she can't pee and will pee blood.) If she has the food she is ok. If she doesn't get it she starts not being able to pee again.
Ramps. They can be inexpensive to make yourself. It's just a wider board covered in carpet. Put them in his favorite spots and don't make them too steep. If it's possible to put it on the wall or against it I would advise it. There is less risk of tripping or stubbing your toe but if it was my cat with pain I would put them against the couch, windowsill, bed, and anywhere else my cat wanted to go.
Two things really helped my 17-year-old cat with her pain and mobility issues. I bought some inexpensive foam pet stairs and rubbed catnip into the fabric covering to encourage her to use them. I also have have had very, very good results with Bach flower remedies. Marie Pure is a competent, reasonable cost source for personalized blends. I've used Bach flower remedies for decades on different species, so I was able to make a blend myself. One dropperful in the bowl with fresh water every day. The alcohol smell evaporates quickly and the remedies have no taste. As a scientist, I was very skeptical about the remedies and I ran some experiments. I cannot really explain how the remedies work, but I gleaned empirical evidence that they do indeed work. I hope that you discover what helps your feline have an easier time.
I had never realized how stressed i was making my cats feel. Had a lot of intense mental health issues. It wasn't until I got diagnosed and getting better. A few months after getting help, my 2 cats changed completely. They got very talkative and comfortable. I had no idea how much I was hurting them.
My cat Bailey is a different cat since we moved from an apartment to a house. That's when I realized he could hear everything in other apartments and it was disturbing to him.
This was eye opening for me, so thank you!! I think my son's tablet is adding to the noise in our home in a big way, and one of our cats has been showing signs of stress lately. She's very jumpy with loud noises when she never was before. :( I feel so bad for allowing it to get like this. My poor kitty deserves some peace and quiet - as do we all!!
5:55 I FEEL SO CALLED OUT. I've been watching your content since December, and I got my two cats in January. You're videos have been an immense help to both me and my two furbabies. I've learned what to look out for, what to do and what not to do. I learned patience and respect for my cats and it shows in how they behave. I pick one up and she meows saying she doesn't want to be picked up, so I put her down and she just chills with me. Other cats I used to have would just run away, probably because of how I acted. You're such a cool dude, thank you!! Anyway, I'm so surprised I wasn't subscribed already ahaha
We recently had (another) international move and I can tell you from experience, preparing the cat for the move makes a HUGE difference. We've worked so hard with our cat and he is comfortable in his carrier, amazing in aircraft cabins and is traveling all over Europe with us once again. He even rides in my bike with me. 😊Jackson's advice has been amazing!
Always open to learning new tips/facts to be a better human to my kitties :)
I'm happy to say that after a year my wallflower now sleeps with her belly exposed! She is no longer all curled up and hiding! I'm actually surprised how long she actually is!
I know that my cat is very in tune with my emotions and stress. There have been times where I was doing something and all the sudden my cat is getting up on me and rubbing against me and almost like trying to comfort me. I then take a moment and realize that I’m feeling stressed or anxious or just feeling heavy emotions. Because I was so focused on my activity that I wasn’t aware of it until my cat intervened.
Hey Jackson! I'm super thankful to everything you've shared with us.
I'm a person with debilitating ADHD and Autism, and I find I don't have a lot of energy most days.
I've been trying to figure out things to put in place and start doing to give my cats a better life, but it's hard to navigate what's necessary to put energy into and what can be set aside. (For example, the vet told us to use a specific dry food for one cat with urinary problems, and trying to give them a diverse + healthy diet is hard- especially with storing opened cans and reheating wet food).
Anyway, I think it would be really useful if you made a collection of the most basic and most important things to do/remember for disabled people who struggle with doing everything.
Again, love your stuff and have found lots of it very useful 😊
Hey! I have ADHD and autism as well so I can relate. I had trouble with feeding my cats separate diets as well so I asked my vet if it would be okay to give them both the prescription food and they said it was fine so that's what I've been doing and that has helped us a ton. I feed them both half a can of wet food twice a day and supplement the rest with dry food that I have in an automatic feeder. I don't know if these are things that will help you with your food situation or not.
My big challenges are remembering to change and clean their water dish and taking care of the litter boxes :(
They have lids for open cans if you're not feeding/using entire cans. I didn't know that til I saw them hanging on small rack in cat food section. Make sure you have two litter boxes pee cat. Do not use scented litter aa cats are extremely sensitive to any scent. Clean litter box twice daily, and whenever you see they used litter box. Keeping it clean makes them happy. I got a cat genie so I no longer have to smell their "business" throughout the house, nor waste bags tossing them into trash daily. That was a Godsend! Cats love and need everything clean. Please clean food and water dishes at least daily, or whenever they're fed. I know these sound so simple but I see cat owners that don't wash water bowls daily. Cats need to actively play at least one hour a day so I had to buy many varieties of interactive toys because some, he played with right away, and some, he'd ignore for months, then decided to play with them. I'm probably sharing things you already know, but I never had cats before so I had to start from knowing nothing at all! I hope you'll be able to buy Jackson's books because it teaches just about everything important that every new, and even experienced cat owners must know, in order to keep their/our kitty's healthy, happy, and feeling loved and confident "mojo" as Jackson calls it. I wish you the best and thank you for caring so much about your cats. We all need help every step of the way! I'd be lost without Jackson's videos, books, toys and cat-education!!
@susansculley2562 wow, thank you so much! Some of these I didn't know- I'll be getting some of those can lids ASAP! I love my lil kitties so much, and I believe any pet deserves the best life that can be given ✨️
@@Simplebadger27 It's nice to know I'm not the only one struggling! I'll ask the vet about the food and see if I can do something similar to what you're doing.
Wishin' you all the best with the neurodivergent experience + struggles! :)
I'm autistic and I just adopted a cat a month and a half ago, my first cat. It's been a huge learning experience for me. It's hard for me to establish a routine for myself but I feel motivated to try, knowing it will make my cat happier. The first thing will be changing him to feeding times as opposed to free feeding, which is what they did at the shelter I adopted him from.
Thank you. Our cat Freya died this year. She used to do this thing where she would fake spray and meow. We never knew why she did this. In a previous video (or short I forget which) you said that usually meant a cat was happy! So thanks. Love your videos! Keep 'em coming!
Sincere condolences at the loss of beautiful Freya❤
As an Autistic person with ADHD, I've begun to approach caring with cats vs dogs as my autism and my adhd. Obviously this cannot be a monolith or generalized, but the amount of similarities cats have with the autistic experience (and dogs with at least *my* adhd experience) it has given me a much clearer perception of my cat. My cat sometimes gets easily overstimulated physically, sometimes audibly, etc. Something I relate to a lot. Changes in routine also mess with him like they do with me. Food, environment, etc, really is similar with my autistic experience.
I have autism too
fourth autistic person in the comments so far... (hi there, im one of the four lmao)
Having adhd has 0 effect on your pets.
This is the comment that was asked for..you have helped my kats have a better life all around. Now they are able to be in the same room together
I began watching your videos straight after spontaneously adopting two of our cats. Home’s been catified, stress reduced, they absorbed our calm energy and out of extremally anxious little destroyers they’ve become the lovliest floofballs we can dream of. Cat’s literally a sponge. Thank you for all your content, Jaxon! It puts knowledge on it’s place and makes being cat parent so much more structurised.
Ah! Well.. Your suggested daytime routine is literally my routine and I’ll never get enough of them greeting me after work to enjoy the playtime :D Like if they stored the energy from entire day for that one particular hour when parents come back from work and we have fun together :D
All best from our happy family of 4!
Hi Jackson, I am my cats “ voice “ I live on my own so gabby was very relaxed,
I had boundaries for her, no raised voices,
No arguing, leave please to the people, respect her and me, our boundaries,
I used to like music I noticed she would leave and go and find a quiet place on my bed or sheepskin,
I turned the music down and got ear buds ,
It’s forever learning, Gabby is the most important” family “ to me and it’s easier to establish boundaries,
The one warning I give to people visiting ( which is not often , I am shy ) no one had the right to pick her up, Gabby would choose to cuddle on a lap , she had boundaries too , she was a little thiefy cat , I had to warn visitors to zip their bag up she would just hook their car keys and play with them:)
She surprised me when FedEx would arrive it was her highlight to meet the driver meow, tell him about her day we all had a good laugh, Gabby was a very special little cat 🐱 ❤❤❤
Subscribed and will join very soon x
When the time is right I am adopting a rescue kitten like Gabby and will have a peek in your shop ❤
I am fortunate that one of my kitties senses my stress but instead of it affecting him in like, he lays across me purring and just stays there until he senses my calm, and trust me, no stress can out live the purr and snuggle of a kitty. 🐈 ❤
My cat is 18, and spent the first decade of her life in the same environment. I've moved with her several times since growing up, and at this point the routine for getting her comfortable in a new house is to put all her needs in one space for a bit (said space also has a blanket and towel she likes, a blanket that I use, and her carrier to hide in if she needs), and to make a trail of my dirty laundry of all things for her to follow into any major areas. The familiar smell seems to help her adjust faster, and gives her confidence that she'll be able to find her way back to "her space" when she's done exploring.
This process takes a while, and is often sped up by me carrying her through the new place lmao
Lol I feel you. I agree so much about the smell too, some of my cats love laying on a shirt or my bed, one likes under the covers and will wake me up to tell me 😅
@@patricknez7258it never occured to me that this is why my cat laid on clothes that were sitting out! I just found it annoying.
@@madisonmiller4581 they want to smell like you, and they also want you to smell like them
We are resurfacing our basement stairs, and our older cat (16yo) is mostly trying to act as a supervisor hanging around the other side of the door and checking the stairs after each stopping point. Our younger cat (3yo) is the skiddish one. She has managed to venture out of her hiding place, watching the older cat for guidance.
Sharing. Wonderful video. I only hope everyone around cats watches it in full. As a 64 year old life long cat momma, I learned something! Many thanks.
Thanks Jackson. My brother’s 2 year old kitty Oscar is adjusting to 2 10 week old kittens that I foster failed. The cats are happy since I catified per your advice! 3 litter boxes throughout the house in corners, routine feedings of wet food for all 3 cats. It has created a routine for me as well. Oscar was chubby and depressed before the kittens and now he’s acting like a sweet kitten and he’s slimmed down a bit. I have no money so I asked for boxes at the local dollar tree and made a cardboard box tree so they could see in the window. My room is basecamp. A scratching tree, a tent, a kennel bed with a heating pad, a litter box, fresh water, teasers, my bed, no cords or mess. Oscar was already spoiled but now he gets double the cozy spots and playtime. Thanks Jackson! We were stressed as a household but managed to put it aside to help our kitties. I’m gonna get a sun lamp for seasonal affective disorder once I can afford it, which I’ll set up somewhere nice for the cats in the mornings. It’s honestly helped me immensely to establish a routine for them
I am profoundly grateful (can't think of a deeper word) for your and Kitten Lady's output. I wish with ALL my heart I'd known what you've taught me, decades ago. Ignorance might seem like bliss, but once the veil of ignorance is lifted, it's regret that comes. With what's going on in our world, may "bliss" be blitzed as soon as possible!!
I’ve had a kitchen/dining room/ living room renovation for the last three months. I am so glad I watched your video about the “home base”. I set up her home base in our master suite so she can be away from the banging and other loud noises. I’m so thankful you made that video! Yes, she pees outside the box sometimes (and I never fuss at her), but I know she’ll be back to normal in a few weeks. Thank you for your knowledgeable guidance!
I fully agree with getting a routine with your cat! The more that you have a daily schedule/routine that includes your cat(s), they'll remember what you do and how you do it, resulting in less begging you to go somewhere or do something. Sometimes they try to push feeding early though 😏
Yes feeding time is when theyre hungry even if youre sleeping bc theyre staaaarviiiing and neeeeeeeed fooooooood haha
I'm a volunteer foster mom for cats. They stay with me until there is room at the cat cafe where they go to get adopted. I love your videos and find them super helpful!
I just can't tell you how much I appreciate you and your videos. You are a blessing to the world, and especially to our cats... and other pets. 😊❤
Same here. Before adopting my cat I binge watched a load of Jackson Galaxy videos and leaned a lot. I tried to follow his advice as much as possible, and thanks to him my cat is the most wonderful, amazing, awesome companion I have ever known.
My Kitty loves going for a car ride everyday. He does meow if I do not take him. He has to go at night after his dinner and then returning home he will play and then go to sleep. We got a a new kitten and your video helped us a lot. My resident cat became very very sick and he stopped eating while the new kitten came. He thought we replaced him. Taking him to the ER, his vet’s suggestion your introduction video (which we redid again), feliway friends. And finally after 17 days they are sleeping together, playing together. We will be introducing her to the car ride gradually. As we love to travel a lot and do not want to leave our babies. Thank you for all these amazing videos
Great video! I am a highly sensitive person so I totally get the loud, too bright etc. for my own nervous system. I think I was a cat in my previous life because this helps me to instantly pick up on my both of my cat's behavior lol. Others need to know that sensitivity can really create some anxiety for pets and for some individuals. Love the work you do! ❤
I understand that but I'm autistic instead.
As a sensitive person too please use boundaries, it’s easier to establish them before becoming overwhelmed, laugh , be yourself my little cat girl loves seeing me laugh , happy and does zoomies chases her tail then relaxes for snuggles and cuddles time 🥰❤️
I don't have a video suggestion at this time, but I appreciate your content. Today I learned that cats and other pets can be heavily impacted by our own stress. :(
😻 Jackson,I sincerely hope that you+your lovely wife had a wonderful vacation! I'm thrilled to receive more wisdom from The Master!😸👍I mean that sincerely,I look forward to hearing how we can understand our Feline babies better.🐈 And become Better Cat Parents. We love you Jackson, Thank-you for sharing time+ energy with us!🐾🐈🐾
The couple argument story & the cat's reaction to it is classic cat body language communications at its finest. It really doesn't get any better than that example right there.
Our two cats came from a colony at least a decade ago. They did not know clothes dryers or vacuum cleaners so we had to take them through all of that. Even now, if I am doing something that makes a noise that they have never heard before, I have to show them what is creating it , repeat noise a few times and let them examine what is making the noise. 😊
Thank you for such thorough and helpful videos ♥️ A few years back my mom was in an accident and needed surgery. She was in the hospital for 4 days and our cats would take turns sleeping on her spot on the loveseat. It was clear they were worried and upset about her suddenly not being there, so my brother and I tried to spend time with them and soothe them when visiting hours were over. I'm really thankful that it was only 4 days, for multiple reasons obviously. I ended up having abdominal surgery a few years after that, & I've healed well, the scar is barely visible, but my cats still avoid lying on my stomach. Like, they'll obviously Want to climb onto my lap, but hesitate, or at night they'll sleep on my chest instead of my stomach. To me, the surgery scar is from a necessary medical procedure that improved my quality of life. But to my cats, it's a wound, a battle scar. Animals are complex and receptive to more than we think.
My family just had A LOT of work done on the house. My saving grace was that my girls safe place is my room. I know they were very stressed out, but they were comfortable in my room with food and water. When I'd check on them, they'd be chill and eating like nothing was wrong. They are doing well to the new stuff now. 👌🏻
My cat loves it when we all come home. He is all over the kids and I. Between cuddles and playing he is involved. He hears the air breaks of the bus and he runs to the door all puffed up in raccoon mode. So excited. His tail twiches and shakes. So cute!! Hes an orange tabby for anyone wondering.
My two cats are all about routine, especially my tuxedo-tabby. I’m the beta and my mom’s the alpha, so every night he runs into her room at the same time because he knows she is going to bed then. My dad (who claims he hates cats) has a playtime routine with Marco, which Marco expects every night. Whenever that changes, he gets confused.
My black cat has a sensitive stomach in general, but whenever my parents (mostly my mom) leaves town and it’s just me, she vomits multiple times a day for the first couple days.
They really do love their routines. It’s funny because they aren’t used to people being upstairs so late at night because my parents go to bed by midnight usually, so when I’m watching them and I’m up there at 3 AM, they get confused. They sometimes think it’s time for food because of it. 😂
I like to make sure that I pay extra mind to make SURE that my boy is not overstimulated or nervous or anything. I always give him just as much love as he needs and when he says enough, I respect and respond to that's enough. I love my Bubby boy and he lives a very quiet relaxing life.
I just want to say I super appreciate you. I've been slowly teaching my partner things I've learned from your channel and shows, and it's allowed him to have a much deeper relationship with and appreciation for our small furry children
I thought she seemed different, keeping to herself..took her to the vet and found out she was extremely anemic...the vet didn't know why..she passed away a week later..keep a close look to your babies..thanks for all you do Jackson
Human stress in the home is such a big one and I'm really glad it was part of this video! I treat my cats like they know what's going on, so when times are difficult I make extra time for them to snuggle and play and decompress together with me. Even if I'm not outwardly expressing that I'm stressed, cats are smart enough to recognizes changes in emotion. They've always cuddled in extra close whenever I was down and in turn they'll come right to me for reassurance if anything made them uncomfortable. My cats and I have learned that we're each other's safe place and emotional anchor.
I know this was a short one, but absolutely love all of your videos, Jackson. Cats are not the only sensitive ones. You are THE most sensitive and aware of cat dads out there that I have had the pleasure of seeing. On that happy note... Have a lovely Father's Day, Kitty Dad and Protector, Jackson! 🎉😺🥂
Dear Jackson, for years I've been watching your videos but never subscribed and I don't know why. However today is the magic day.
Two months ago I adopted a one year old cat from a shelter to keep my 11 year old cuddle monster company. I was incredibly worried because of the age difference, but the shelters did not want to let their seniors join a cat household. So I have been watching your videos nigh religiously. And it worked! I needed two re-introductions, and needed to learn how to stay calm when the little one was yowling at me, how to learn her daily energy rhythms... but today for the first time she joined us for cuddle time on the sofa, and the big one seemed happy ❤ 😊
Anyways, I didn't just learn a lot about cats and what can stress them, but also how to deal with my own environmental stressors. So I can recommend Jackson's videos for how to handle stressed autistic humans as well! 😂
Dear Jackson Galaxy, I have been a fan of you since you first appeared on “Cats from Hell!” We moved from San Francisco to Thailand in 2006. We spent years raising and showing Somali cats (successfully) for years. Since moving to Thailand we have adopted two seriously life threatened rescue kitties, one boy 11 and a 1 year old girl. Indoor cats who adore each other. Your advice has helped us many times and helped just wanted to say thank you. You are the Cat Man Do! Sincerely, Boo
I wish to express my overwhelming gratitude for your work with informing cat owners. My first cat in life, I was given as a newbie 3 yrs ago. Magick has changed my life. The information you provide has been a great influence for good in both of our lives. Again gratitude and well wishes. ❤
On days I am stressed my cats are always right on top of me trying to cuddle. I wouldn’t of guessed it was because they could sense my stress levels. Thank you for the great video
You are such a great cat daddy! I've had cats all my 67 years and I STILL learn things from you. Thank you for all you do
I am getting a cat on Sunday. Yayyy poor fella he needed rehoming. And I found this channel at the best time. I have been going through every single of your videos. Thank you so much. These are so helpful
I bought my large cat a beautiful Tommy Hilfiger dog bed. He loved it because he could stretch out, groom, have his toys around him, sleep, and just hang out. I had never seen a cat bed that plush, with comfy wooly type material, and walls all around to put his head on. He loved this bed and spent most of his day in it. Fast forward 2 years and I decided to move it about 2 feet to allow for a better flow of foot traffic. My office area was still close to him. He walked into the room after snoozing on his window bed, looked at his Hilfiger bed, jumped in, jumped out, and never set paw in it again. Even after i moved it back and put a piece of clothing I had worn. He was done with it. It made me sad because I know he loved it. He was still only 2 feet away from me. Do cats get stubborn? What happened? In January of 2024, I had to put him down at the age of 21. We had a good life together considering he spent the first 18 months in the street. He was semi-feral, if that's a real word. I never pushed him. After six months or so, he would finally brush against me. By the time he was dying, we slept together in an embrace every night. I'm going to adopt a female in a couple of weeks. Very excited.
I only had our cat for 2,5 weeks and I already learned so much from watching this channel even tho I grew up with cats and thought I knew a lot about them.. but since I'm living in a big city now and my cat has to be indoors most of the time I had to learn from the start on how to keep her happy under this circumstances. We got her as an adult cat of nearly 2 years old and unneutered so it's a very different start then with a baby cat. Playing with her, giving her lots of places to chill , talking to her and rewarding her with treats lead to her beeing very sweet and affectionate to me in this short amount of time. That she initiates play, follows me around the flat and sleeps next to us is really precious to me.Thank you a lot for this educational, entertaining & overall wonderful content!
Thank you so much for so many "how-to's", suggestions, covering things I've been doing wrong, reminding me of how sensitive they are etc. etc. . Change, noise, FIREWORKS, keeping my pet carrier in the house, finding one that he will feel safe and comfortable in. And so much more.
2 wonderful friends visited this afternoon and helped with my three. Cats that needed their claws trimmed. Sometimes, we need a little help. My cats were stressed, but we stayed calm and gave them space when they needed it. Treats helped, too.
Gr8 insight from Jackson about change and anarchy and routine. Love the part about litter boxes too! I hadn't realized how much of a resource it is to them as a human I did not see it from their perspective. Spot on! Thx for sharing your wisdom
I'm happy to say that my cat is not at all stressed. She's living her best life, with no problems, as she should. Still watching though, just to take note for future. :)
I absolutely love the way you illustrate these cat issues for us Jackson! We may not always think of them and the way you put it, which is so ‘UN’ accusatory, Thank You!
My husband and I have always been dog people. We just got our first kitten after 30 years. I’ve been watching your videos to learn about everything CAT! Thank you so much!!! They have really helped us a lot! We love having a cat and can’t believe it took us so long to adopt one. 😊
I've learned so much from you, Cat Daddy. Happy Father's Day!
🌷 Jackson, you are SUCH a stellar ‘cat guy’ … so damn smart, so sensitive, so ‘cat intuitive’ :-) Thanx for all you do! 😘💕
I have noticed my cats have routines of when and where they lay around house but I never made connection w position of sun! They are sun bathing! That's awesome to know thank you. And I love the image of an ice bath for going over the line. That resonates w me a lot, cold tubs are brutal! 😂
every video you put out makes me feel extremely paranoid about whether im stressing out my cat or not lol. i dont check ANY of the boxes, but with my anxiety, knowing im responsible for a life, it kills me lmfao. but at least i always know what to do if things go wrong, and know what to look for. your vids are so helpful, thanks so much as always!
I like watching these videos (: I have never had cats before and I like learning how to make them feel safer and cared for
One of our kitties eats too fast sometimes and throws up. Several friends suggested getting a cat food bowl designed with little dividers so she eats slower. Just tried it today and she looked at me like I had ruined her life. She ran under the bed and wouldn't come out - even to play with her favorite toy or when I put her favorite treats out. I changed back to her old bowl. After watching this video, I'm keeping her old bowl out. But I put a few of her favorite treats in her new bowl - she ate them! So we're going to transition her to her new bowl slowly. We did it too quickly for her, which really upset her (I couldn't believe how much it upset her). So slowly, slowly, we'll get her used to her new bowl. She's not scared by many things, but this threw her. Her sister was fine with the new bowls.
These videos are so helpful!
Jackson, I want to share something with you. My 13 year old female Ragamuffin has been with me since she was a kitten. I got married 10 years ago and had a new son 9 years ago. She adjusted to both but I could tell she liked it better when it was just her and I. I recently retired and am home most all day. I could tell she loves having me to herself during the day. Cats like changes when it benefits them. 🙂
I’d love to see a video from you talking about caring for senior cats. I’m especially interested to hear ways that we can help them be more comfortable and in their last years of life, and maintaining a good quality of life for them
Suggestion: Mister Galaxy I wanted to suggest something I do for my 3 very different but super loved cats! I shake the treat tub (yep we buy em big in this house) and the cats all come running, then I take a handful and toss them up into the air so they scatter across my living room. We call this "hunting" and the cats super love sniffing out their treats! There is never any to step on or left over. We did start small to get them ready to do this, but now they know the deal! And all mewl and dart their eyes and ears around for the moment the treats splashes onto the floor!
I do not think you have covered this on a way to connect with your cats. So I got the courage to leave this comment.
I am a fan for over a decade; if you could hear one thing I said to you "Thank you for being who you are."❤
😻Hello Jamie!👋What a clever lady!!🌺Tossing the treats into the air like that- I Love it!!👏👏👏 It makes life more fun,yes!! Thank-you for sharing this cool tip hun'! I'll bet that you have more creative ideas,I'd like to hear them! (And hey, don't we all need abit more Fun right now??🐾🐈🐾😸💞
I do the same things with my cats!! They know the deal as soon as I walk towards where I store their treats, they start running after me meowing and they LOVE running after the treats, usually they end up batting them around for awhile so they get some good exercise too! A win win win!
I cast single kibble treats around the house for them to catch. It's the last part of play sessions so they get stimulated to eat. Works a charm to estabilish the ending of play time.
me too!
Oh wow I do that with my cats too! I either scatter the dry food across the kitchen area and all three them soon find every single morsel with their noses.
The other game is the cat “stick” treats that I can snap into larger pieces than the dry food kibble. It’s much easier for them to see the pieces when I toss them. I make sure she (the cat I’m playing with) can see the piece in my hand and her eyes lock on target. Then I toss it and she usually either catches it in midair or gets it with her paw deflecting it elsewhere for her to hunt, catch, kill and eat.
It’s a great game as it taps into all their natural hunting instincts. I just didn’t think anyone else did it.
Thank you for all of your cat advice Mr. Galaxy. Me and my s/o try to apply it to make our cats lives better. I don't comment normally, but your intro in this video struck a huge chord because the last week one of our cats were showing stress/pain and we took them to the vet as soon as we could. Turned out they had a bad tooth with infection that got removed, much like your example. Thankfully they are recovering well and getting back to their regular self. You help make their lives better with all of your videos. Thank you so much.
A similar thing happened to me a few years ago. My cat was fourteen at the time and one day she started behaving differently. She was slower and kinda tentative in some of her movements and she vomited way more than the occasional hairball. So I took her to the vet and it turned out she had hyperthyroidism and kidney disease. She would have died in weeks if I hadn’t. Instead the medication and renal food slowed down the kidney disease and bought me two and a half more years with her. Totally worth the expense and effort.
I hope you get a chance in the video to address people like me who have a problem with obsession and giving too much attention to my cats!
"Too much attention to my cats"??? From who's perspective? the cats will let you know when it is too much... anyone else does not matter!
Good idea. I'm a self admitted kitty helicopter mom. Sometimes I over do it and have to back off.
Helicopter cat owners like me have trouble with routines (see the great comment below about ADHD and routines!), because it occurred to me, I get so excited when I have successful communication with my cat, that I reward it. Never mind the fact thati know it's not meal time, I'm excited that I know that my cat is asking for food and I want to reward him by showing him that I know what he's saying.
I've had cats my whole life, but my newest babies (two black cat sisters) LOVE when I'm cleaning and rearranging furniture. I've never met cats like this before, but they hang out in the room with me, sleep, roll around with bellies up, asking for scratches, the whole nine. As soon as the room is clean theyre playing and finding the newest comfy cat spot. Every other cat i've met steers clear of cleaning day and hates rearranging, but not my girls. can't explain it, but as someone who's gotta change things around often, I am thankful for it.
Love your channel, you've been a huge help to our cat family. Thanks for doing this channel!