My Cat From Hell - General Discussion

[lovesnark]

The woman with Precious is  proof that some people aren't bright enough to have pets. Especially dogs.  The dogs terrorize the poor cat to the point of her living on top of the refrigerator and the woman is too stupid to make the connection. Her barely being able to muster up a 'bad doggie' as those two little terrors went for the cat told me everything. She got the dogs and has treated them  like stuffed animals, never giving a thought to the fact that they're dogs and need to be treated as such.

 

I was hoping Jackson would ask her if she'd want to use her own bathroom if being chased down the hall by a couple hungry wolves was part of the deal. 

[lovesnark]

It's no longer a show called "My Cat From Hell." It should be called "My Owners From Hell." Cats submit videos of owners who just don't understand what it means to own a pet, who refuse to set up a proper pet environment and who torment them with other out-of-control pets. After the owners sit there rambling on about what a bad kitty BooBoo is, the first thing out of Jackson's mouth should be "OK, let's see what YOU are doing to make this situation so bad." 

 

I adopted a three year old male feral cat. He was 13 pounds yet skinny and malnourished when I adopted him. He was king of the mean streets of Phoenix (torn up ears, scars, busted teeth). He had been dodging coyotes for a long time. This cat should have been completely messed up. I provided only gentle touches, many cat condos, toys, kittyTV outside his window perch (bird feeders), organic food and too many beds. He has turned into the most amazing indoor pet cat ever (and 17 pounds). My sister, who was involved in the Feral Cat Initiative in NYC and has handled thousands of feral cats, is in awe of this cat. It can be done. This is why I have no patience for some of these idiots on this show.

My Owners From Hell is the perfect name for this show.

 

How wonderful for you and your once feral guy! I am part of a coalition that promotes and educates people about TNR and have a huge soft spot for gnarly toms. So many times, they become big lovers after being neutered and given a chance to live the good life. 

[Galloway Cave]

 

So many times, they become big lovers after being neutered and given a chance to live the good life.

That is exactly how Duchesne turned out. It has taken a year and a half for him to adapt, but he loves everyone who comes in contact with him. Very smart and when I go away for a week or two (I am a Grand Canyon river guide) he is OK with ruling his roost, as long as the neighbors come by twice daily for some loving. I did have to draw the line at his hunting lizards under the screen door (the big 9-12 inch desert ones)........

 

I was interested to see Jackson use his Spirit Essence this episode. I just received his Easy Traveler drops for my mom's cat Rosie. Rosie gets violently ill when traveling and so far has not responded to any medications, so hopefully herbal will be the way to go. 

[Bella]

(I am a Grand Canyon river guide) 

 

Awesome! We've hiked from the South Rim down to Phantom Ranch and back on 3 occasions, but never gone onto the River. Some day, somewhere on the Internet, I'm going to use Bessie Hyde as my screen name.

 

 

I was interested to see Jackson use his Spirit Essence this episode. I just received his Easy Traveler drops for my mom's cat Rosie. Rosie gets violently ill when traveling and so far has not responded to any medications, so hopefully herbal will be the way to go.

 

I was so happy to see him mention the drops by name. We use Scaredy Cat with our former ferals, and had great success with Changing Times when we moved last year. The drops work wonders. Good luck with the Easy Traveler drops.

[izabella]

She got the dogs and has treated them  like stuffed animals, never giving a thought to the fact that they're dogs and need to be treated as such.

 

Where did the dogs come from?  Did she get them, or did they belong to her boyfriend?

 

Either way, she's an idiot if she never noticed that Precious started living on the fridge because of the dogs, didn't notice that they chase her, and didn't realize she couldn't use her littler box because of the dogs.

[Ketzel]

I thought she was the one who adopted the dogs, too. Certainly, the boyfriend wasn't acting like he cared much about them either. (Unlike the one from a few weeks ago with the "sensitive gag reflex" around the cat his wife had adopted before they met,  who clearly adored his own dog.) And he wasn't living there at the time of the show because of  all the "disgusting" and "unsanitary" cat behavior, so I don't think they were his dogs, living there without him.

 

But honestly, what kind of person has a cat for twelve years and then brings two untrained high energy dogs into the house? It's just a mean thing to do to an older cat and she showed absolutely no insight and no compassion for Precious at all.

[Fauxliage]

Jackson does some pretty stupid stuff sometimes in the beginning ("hmmm let me stick my hand in the face this cat with very aggressive body language, WHOA I GOT THE WORST SCRATCH IN THE HISTORY OF MY SHOW AGAIN") but on what planet was that a "controlled" meet? Dumping a clearly terrified cat in the middle of two dogs without any way to physically keep them apart.

 

Annnd, unsurprisingly, the cat is terrorized while humans cluelessly chase behind. Good thing Precious knows how to hustle.

[Mindymoo]

I did appreciate that Jackson looked like he wanted to strangle Precious's guardian's boyfriend when he was initially meeting and speaking with them. What assholes those people were.

[ratgirlagogo]

 

What assholes those people were.

Plus a thousand.  The woman kind of lost me when she had the pile of what looked like maybe seven or eight bathing suits on the bed and described them as "three thousand dollars worth of bikinis" that Precious had ruined by peeing on them.  I didn't like either of them but he's not the one that brought those two dogs in and then refused to acknowledge that the cat was being terrorized by them.

[riley702]

(((Bastet)))

[lovesnark]

Where did the dogs come from?  Did she get them, or did they belong to her boyfriend?

 

 

She said she got the dogs at about the same time she got the boyfriend. It boggles the mind that someone could be so dense. Two untrained dogs terrorize your 12 year old cat, cat lives on top of the fridge because it's the only place she can escape the dogs, cat pees randomly because she can't get to her litterbox for a year and you have no idea why the cat is behaving that way. I wish Jackson would be tougher with dumbasses like these people. Like go all Gordon Ramsay on them.

 

I also thought it was really stupid to not have the dogs on leashes when they put Precious down with them. That poor kitty.

[riley702]

Let's have another rescue, ala Luxe! That would improve this show. Have Jackson ream these idiots and take the cat for its own good. I'd bet a bunch of these idiots would agree to that possibility because they'd never think it could happen to them. Have viewers compete to be the new owners.

[Bella]

Yes, turn the show into cat-owner boot camp. Make them go through simulated situations from the cat's POV, like Jackson did with the fire. "You've got 2 enormous wolves (I think wolves are fine in nature, but let's play along) snarling and baring their teeth at you, your bladder is full, and you have to run past them in order to get to the bathroom. Oops, you peed in place! Bad human, bad, bad human! Let's put you on death row for that."

[lovesnark]

Yes, turn the show into cat-owner boot camp. Make them go through simulated situations from the cat's POV, like Jackson did with the fire. "You've got 2 enormous wolves (I think wolves are fine in nature, but let's play along) snarling and baring their teeth at you, your bladder is full, and you have to run past them in order to get to the bathroom. Oops, you peed in place! Bad human, bad, bad human! Let's put you on death row for that."

That would be appointment TV! Another boot camp situation I'd pay to see.  You live in a house with four people and everyone shares a bathroom. No one flushes the toilet. Your challenge is to use the bathroom several times a day even though it looks and smells like an episode of Hoarders. Leaving the house to do your business isn't an option. You peed in the corner? Off to jail with you!

[cosmic1]

That would be appointment TV! Another boot camp situation I'd pay to see. You live in a house with four people and everyone shares a bathroom. No one flushes the toilet. Your challenge is to use the bathroom several times a day even though it looks and smells like an episode of Hoarders. Leaving the house to do your business isn't an option. You peed in the corner? Off to jail with you!

I am totally on board with that! In fact, I was thinking that what Jackson needed to do in his attempt to understand Mia's PTSD would be to be left in the house where the simulated fire was set with no protective gear and have to run and hide under the bed until they let him out. Then he would really know what it felt like. Even better to have the pet owners go through it too!

[Woodsyl]

Hi all....I'm new here so if I goof up,please let me know. I'm glad to see that I am not the only one who thinks these owners were horrid. Who could not see how traumatised poor Mia was, they replaced their things, yet never considered that after being terrified in a fire, they gave her nothing. Nothing!! And Precious....forget it. Those dogs were little monsters.  And no one was to blame,but the guardians.And the bf...he would be out the door right behind those mutts. ( I love dogs too, but my cat comes first) I love Jackson...but he needs to speak up with some of these people. I adopted a semi-feral 3 year old cat last year, and altho I've had cats all my life, I've never had one like this boy. I started watching Jackson's show to see if I could help my very aggressive boy, because I would never give up on him. And Jackson helped. It is still a work in progress,but I know that he is happy and feels safe in my house. The rest will come. Hope to comment again.

[Bella]

 

Frankie the cat pees and poops all over Daniel and Desiree's new mulit-million dollar dream home; newly adopted Dyna hunts has the other cat, Sugar, hiding for her life.

[Ketzel]

Poor Frankie, another perfectly nice cat whose world was turned upside down and inside out by his people, and who was communicating sadness and distress in the only way he could. I was somewhat taken aback at Jackson's comments on how angry and borderline out-of-control Daniel was, ranting about how disgusting Frankie had become and how he had to go. To me, those outbursts came across as bad acting and nothing more.  Every time he went into a tirade about the cat with his wife in the frame (the one who originally adopted and adored Frankie) it was obvious that Desiree could barely keep herself from laughing.(Equally over the top was his expression of love for the cat after Jackson solved the problem for them.) One clue that he was pretending to be enraged was his reaction when Jackson told them to line the bedroom wall that Frankie had taken to marking with five different litter boxes. I find it hard to believe that someone as furious and disgusted by the cat would be calmly accepting of the idea of installing multiple cat boxes in the bedroom, but Daniel was apparently just fine with it.

 

Was Jackson pretending to be so worried about Daniel's "extreme" response to the cat? Or was he genuinely taken in by what I imagine to be production's instructions to the guy - "Now, when Jackson gets here, we want you to really unload on him! Make him believe you are ready to throw the cat out now, if he can't fix the problem! Don't hold back!"

Edited June 29, 2014 by Ketzel

[Bastet]

I finally watched Mia's segment, but changed the channel after about two seconds of Precious' owner and her dipshit boyfriend.  "It's me or the cat."  Fool, bye.

 

Mia's story gave us yet another clueless family, headed by a man who declares his intentions to dump the cat at the shelter should s/he not magically stop exhibiting the behaviors the owner induced.  Let's see - a group of people who understand what fire is got out of the house, and a terrified little creature who has no idea what's happening was left behind for hours.  Everybody lived someplace else for a time, and then upon returning to the repaired house the humans get living spaces and touches of home while the feline gets jack shit.  Gee, I'm certainly stumped as to why she's acting out.

 

But as much as I'm over these idiot owners, I'm also over Jackson as he plays for the cameras.  The melodramatic pauses were one thing on their own, but now he's declaring that a cat is suffering flashbacks - which he knows by having walked through a simulated fire.  And that poor cat was clearly terrified to begin with, nevermind by upset to her routine, and they haul in a production crew -- Jackson, at least two camera operators, a boom operator, lighting equipment and technician(s), etc. -- and call it help?  I remain a fan of his as a behaviorist, but this show has long since crossed a line.

[Captanne]

Like so much on television nowadays -- they underestimate the intelligence of the viewing audience.  (Thank you, PT Barnum.)

 

I'm not removing the show from the DVR schedule because I like Jackson so much.  I mean that -- I've read his autobiography and it's fascinating.  I like him -- warts and all.  

 

I would have been sorry to miss the Lux episode whether I thought it was worth the watch or not.  Frex, I'd never even heard of that cat and to discover it really is a genetic mental disease was a surprise to me.  It made for interesting family discussion about the responsibility of owning a pet and valuing the difference between how we handle violence as an illness in a pet versus in a human.  As you can imagine, there were a lot of different opinions.  I've just lost both my parents and my very beloved Father's dementia included chasing people with knives.  (Apologies for the TMI and apologies to Dad for airing his end-stage life on the Internet.)

 

ANYway, I'm no longer going to watch ordinary episodes.  If one is new to the show, it's kind of fun and groovy.  The answers are good and practical and most of the owners are either clueless or heinous ("Pump" lady, I'm looking at you.)  

 

However, by the third (?) season, I don't need to see it anymore.  As you pointed out so well, Ketzel the obvious, disingenuous audience manipulation is too much for me.  I'm kind of insulted.

[Captanne]

In re:  The Crossed Line (™, Bastet)

 

I'm starting to see the same responses in all the threads (I put mine in the most recent episode thread.)

 

The clear audience manipulation -- to include, I'm sure, bald-faced lies ("We took him to the vet and they have no idea why he's seizing and falling off the bed!"  Ahem, bullshit.)

 

Your ultimatum is worded better than mine, though.  This show has indeed crossed several lines -- but I now feel the focus "best interests of the cat" is lost.

[Bella]

I'm not removing the show from the DVR schedule because I like Jackson so much.  I mean that -- I've read his autobiography and it's fascinating.  I like him -- warts and all.  

 

I would have been sorry to miss the Lux episode whether I thought it was worth the watch or not.  Frex, I'd never even heard of that cat and to discover it really is a genetic mental disease was a surprise to me.  It made for interesting family discussion about the responsibility of owning a pet and valuing the difference between how we handle violence as an illness in a pet versus in a human.  As you can imagine, there were a lot of different opinions.  I've just lost both my parents and my very beloved Father's dementia included chasing people with knives.  (Apologies for the TMI and apologies to Dad for airing his end-stage life on the Internet.)

 

ANYway, I'm no longer going to watch ordinary episodes.  If one is new to the show, it's kind of fun and groovy.  The answers are good and practical and most of the owners are either clueless or heinous ("Pump" lady, I'm looking at you.)  

 

However, by the third (?) season, I don't need to see it anymore.  As you pointed out so well, Ketzel the obvious, disingenuous audience manipulation is too much for me.  I'm kind of insulted.

 

Sorry about your dad's dementia - my dad's wasn't quite so dramatic, possibly because he could only shuffle and was so unfamiliar with the kitchen that he wouldn't have been able to find the knives. Those last months or years can be dreadful. Same with cats. Senile cats howl because they become fearful and confused, which isn't simple to address. 

 

I have the same mixed feelings about this show. I think Jackson has done some wonderful things, and I loved his bio, but I dread watching the show because it's become so contrived and boring.

[Bella]

This is our "how to fix the show" thread, and since the new season is proving tedious, I'm wondering if anyone has ideas.

 

My over-arching idea is to feature more than just the worst class of owners. The owners this season have been unbelievably stupid. If I wanted to see stupid people, I'd watch a show about the Kardashians or others of their ilk.

 

I get that there are owners like that, and that some viewers are smacking their foreheads and saying "wow, cats like toys!" as if it's a great revelation. But could we have a few episodes aimed at the less obvious issues? Cats that got along for years and suddenly became enemies would be interesting. Indoor cats that rush open doors might be informative. How a shelter or rescue group could make their cats more appealing and adoptable would be helpful if it also included info on what to look for when adopting a shelter/rescue cat.

 

There are hundreds of stories out there, and we kept being told the same ones over and over and over again. This is wrong!!!

[Captanne]

Not only contrived and boring but, I think, manipulative.  Personally (and MMV vastly), I think that some of the owners are actually lying.  Whether the show knows this, encourages it for dramatic purposes, or blithely ignores it doesn't really matter to me.

 

It's tangential to the point of the series (helping people and pets) but it is a show-stopper for me because it undermines the point -- I don't believe the cures if the diseases are based on unreliable information.  I won't watch lies.  If you can't tell me the truth, I honestly don't have the time to waste.

[Ketzel]

We already know some of the owners are lying about some things - after the infamous "Pump" episode, the people effectively admitted they never had any intention of keeping Pump, no matter how Jackson managed to modify Pump's behavior. And there was some feedback from the people with the Sphynx cat that they had had no intention of giving up the cat no matter what they said on the program. Plus, you often have guardians claiming to have put up with unbearable behavior for years and years with no explanation of why they had reached a breaking point at exactly the moment the show was casting. So we get a show with a lot of bad acting and pointless dramatics (and now stupid human tricks by Jackson.)

 

My preference would be to eliminate all the "from hell" and "the cat is a whisker away from euthanasia!" emphasis and substitute more education instead. I don't think Jackson trots through the house, meets the cat or cats, sits down with the owners, announces the homework assignment and leaves. I want more info on cat psychology, more on how he deals with human resistance and/or ignorance, more explanation of why and how the homework will lead to improving the situation, more demonstrations of "catification." And I want fewer shots of bloody hands and shins and fewer "serial killer" references.

Edited June 29, 2014 by Ketzel

[CoderLady]

Heck, I'd settle for more time spent on documenting the cat's progress rather than on the meatheaded owners blustering about moving out or whining about what the cat's been peeing on lately. The bulk of the segment is taken up with the owners boo-hooing and bitching. And don't get me started on Jackson's new little side trips to do on-camera consults (wasting more time when a summary would do) or to have totally unnecessary "experiences".

 

As far as screen time with the actual cat, now there's only time for a bit of hissing and swatting in the first visit, very little progress in the second visit but more owner drama, then ending with a rushed scene of the cat doing something it wasn't doing at the beginning of the fix, stretched out with a lot more stupid drama.

 

Each episode seems to be less and less about the fix and more about the idiots who are being obstacles to the fix. I feel like I'm watching Kitchen Nightmares but with less swearing. By the way, that show has run its course and is ending.

Edited June 29, 2014 by CoderLady

[possibilities]

This season's new thing seems to be the field trip. "Sending the people to jail" was like "visiting the fire department" in a previous episode. I don't know why they think they need these transparent devices. Why can't they just focus more on the details of each case? The attempts at audience manipulation are embarrassing. All shows do it, but this show is so obvious about it, it's hard to figure out what they think it accomplishes.

 

I feel sorry for these cats and it's become kind of depressing. In earlier seasons, you could often feel like the people were really at their wits' ends, had tried everything they could think of, and just didn't know what to do. But the more recent cases I often wonder how the people could be this stupid and why they aren't being prosecuted for cruelty.

 

I did like how Jackson showed in this week's case with Sawyer and Frankie how the cats weren't actually hostile to each other, they were just confused about their place together. The contrast between that and cats who really did have territorial aggression issues was clearly visible, so there was some payoff for people who've watched multiple episodes. Also, it reminded me of Turid Rugaas's work on calming signals for dogs-- she talks about how dogs use their body language to de-escalate conflict, and this week it was clear the cats were using some of the same signals dogs use. Cat and dog body language is not always the same, so that was interesting for me to watch in progress. But at the same time, it was hard to believe that a family with so many resources had not called a behaviorist before Jackson, and for three years had just been unable to think of anything to do besides put a tarp over their bed. They had cute kids, though, and didn't seem like anger management wackos generally.

 

In the other case, with Dyna and Sugar, the extreme terror of Sugar was hard to see, even after the case was supposedly successfully resolved. The show is painful in that way, and I don't trust that the outcomes are what they tell us, because so much else on the show is so clearly faked for effect.

[Captanne]

Yeah, don't get me wrong.   I know this isn't a scientific documentary on NOVA or the latest in PEW research results.  Accuracy is not a requirement.  

 

However, since the "plot line" depends on helping owners with pets -- the fundamentals of the story have to be credible or watching the "hero" solve the problem is time wasted.

Edited June 29, 2014 by Captanne

[Neurochick]

To me the problem with this show is just that, it's a show.  And when something is a show that means it's about drama and conflict.  It's like the Food Network; that channel isn't about cooking, it's about personalities and drama.  These days if I want to see something educational, I watch PBS.  

[Bella]

To me the problem with this show is just that, it's a show.  And when something is a show that means it's about drama and conflict.  It's like the Food Network; that channel isn't about cooking, it's about personalities and drama.  These days if I want to see something educational, I watch PBS.  

 

Good point. I think the frustration is that the show could be so much more. Jackson is devoted to helping cats and cat owners beyond just having this show, and I wish this were a better platform for him.

[Neurochick]

Good point. I think the frustration is that the show could be so much more. Jackson is devoted to helping cats and cat owners beyond just having this show, and I wish this were a better platform for him.

 

I agree.  It's a shame he can't have a show on PBS or something.  Cable networks and all networks are about making money and networks know that drama and conflict gets people talking.  An educational show can work for a few episodes, but maybe not for more than one season; because I can usually tell what the problem is and why the cat has the problem.   In the case of Frankie,  I would have told the owners to see the cat like a child.  You know, you have a child for 9 years and they're an only child and then BOOM, their whole world changes and suddenly they have three noisy siblings.  A human child would be a bit upset.  

[Bastet]

After I had quit watching but before I had changed the channel, as I was passing through the room I heard Precious' owner say something about "maybe I should find her another home" and it just made me want to scream.  Where does she think this mythical "other home" is?  There are millions of cats euthanized in U.S. shelters each year because there are that many more of them than there are homes for them.  Approximately 70% of all cats who enter the shelter are euthanized there, and "all cats" includes kittens; the euthanasia rate for adult cats alone is even higher.  During kitten season, an adult cat's chances are, on average, next to nothing; in some areas, entire litters of kittens are euthanized without ever even hitting the adoption floor, because there just isn't room for them. 

 

This is the sad reality in which we currently live.  So where is this "other home" she's going to find?  And if she does find someone willing to take her cat, that's one less home available to shelter cats; most people have a finite number of pets they are willing and able to care for. 

 

I'm just so tired of these people.  They create a problem, they do jack all to resolve it until they can get their 15 minutes of fame while doing so, and all the while they blather on about dumping their pet rather than living up to their responsibility.  I get that part of the reason are shelters are so full of cats is because people do take this attitude, but if I'm going to see them on TV, I'd also like to see Jackson hit them with some hard truths.  Like when the husband in Mia's family states that he'll take Mia to the shelter if things don't improve, I don't want to just see Jackson make his sad face and camera talk that the stakes are high.  I want to see him tell that jackass exactly what is likely to happen to Mia if he does so. 

[Captanne]

We're talking over in the other thread about how we understand this isn't a Gallup poll or "how to perform brain surgery" - where accuracy and veracity matter.

 

The problem is, though, the more they shade the series with blatant audience manipulation and lies from the main characters, the more they undermine the plot.  The plot is, of course, Jackson Galaxy helping cats and owners get along.  

 

If the fundamental plot line is unreliable then Galaxy's solutions are also because they are based on false premises.

 

Why watch this?

[ratgirlagogo]

 

How a shelter or rescue group could make their cats more appealing and adoptable would be helpful if it also included info on what to look for when adopting a shelter/rescue cat.

PLUS A MILLION!!!!!

[izabella]

I will keep watching as long as this show is on the air because I just love the kitties!  I love Jackson, but the cats are still the stars of the show for me.  There aren't many shows with cats, so I'll keep supporting this one.  Jackson's heart is in the right place; the producers are the ones forcing the drama.

 

Maybe Frankie's owner was told to be over-the-top angry on camera, and maybe Dyna wasn't in danger of being rehomed.  But, unfortunately, there are a lot of people who get cats and have no idea how to deal with them, so they end up in shelters and worse. 

 

I was surprised Jackson didn't ask the owners to play with Dyna and Sugar in the same room, so they could get used to each other.  Maybe he did, and we didn't see it.

Edited June 30, 2014 by izabella

[lovesnark]

I'd love to see an episode devoted to TNR. I'm getting very tired of watching what should be titled 'Cat Guardians From Hell'.

 

Jackson has a pretty awesome platform to educate and would love to see an episode with him going with a group of trappers and showing the process from start to finish. From how to successfully trap, transport to a clinic, what happens at the clinic, post-op care and release.

[walnutqueen]

I guess I must be done with this show, as I deleted the last episode without watching.  I just don't enjoy the show enough to put up with the owners and Jackson's antics any more.  :-(

[walnutqueen]

Jackson has a pretty awesome platform to educate and would love to see an episode with him going with a group of trappers and showing the process from start to finish. From how to successfully trap, transport to a clinic, what happens at the clinic, post-op care and release.

 

 

I'd watch that, lovesnark.  I have a small colony of backyard ferals who have all been trapped, neutered & released at no cost to me thanks to the help of The Feral Cat Coalition.  They are well fed and have a wild and very sheltered home here, and bring me much joy.

[Bella]

I guess I must be done with this show, as I deleted the last episode without watching.  I just don't enjoy the show enough to put up with the owners and Jackson's antics any more.  :-(

 

I get that - I still have the Luxe episode and the most recent one on my DVR with no immediate plans to watch them. 

 

Still, this forum can be good for general cat-related discussion, so I hope that you and anyone else who decides to quit watching the show will stick around here. I like what you said in the other thread about your feral colony, btw. Our current housecats were rescued from a feral colony as kittens, after which the entire colony was eventually TNR'd.

[lovesnark]

I'd watch that, lovesnark.  I have a small colony of backyard ferals who have all been trapped, neutered & released at no cost to me thanks to the help of The Feral Cat Coalition.  They are well fed and have a wild and very sheltered home here, and bring me much joy.

High five! Thanks for making sure they're well fed, not reproducing and living a happy life. Should we bombard Jackson with pleas to feature TNR for a whole episode? I wonder if he'd go for it?

[CoderLady]

What a great idea! Since the showrunners have decided to spice up the format by having Jackson do field trips, why not field trips the viewers actually want to see? And this is an area Jackson has experience in and probably knows plenty of people in feral cat rescue organizations who would really appreciate the exposure. It would be an all-around win.

[izabella]

My sister and her husband just adopted two brother cats from a shelter over the weekend, hooray!  This particular shelter rescues cats from the city shelter when they would need to euthanize since they are overcrowded, and then brings them to Petco's for adoption weekends already spayed/neutered and ready to take home.  Two more cats now have a loving forever home!

[Bella]

I'd love to contact the show to make our case.

 

Please just let me check with the PTV site admin to make sure this wouldn't be crossing any lines. If it is something he'd rather not discuss on a forum, we can contact each other via PM.

[Bella]

Okay, if anyone actually wants to pursue this, here's what the site admin said:

 

 

that's a-ok. Just make sure no one is posting personal email address/phone numbers for the show people.

 

Looks like we're good as long as we honor that.

[Mindymoo]

Me and the missus saved this little guy from the middle of the road! We named him Schwayne Jr. off of a character from "Angry Boys" who sang a song about a squashed Aboriginal boy. Since he was nearly squished, we thought it fit. He was splayed out on the highway, so we put our hazards on, got him to the shelter immediately, and he's doing fine! We even went to visit him a couple days later and he remembered us! He wasn't feral at all, he was a precious little guy, and loves to cuddle with people and his little beanie baby. He fit in the palm of my hand. That's my wifey holding him so I could take a pic. He is almost all black, with little whispy white hairs on his belly, and the prettiest blue eyes. I'd have kept him, but I don't think Fig and Floyd would think too much of having that much cuteness in that one house.

Edited June 30, 2014 by Mindy McIndy

[possibilities]

Oh God, the adorableness....

[riley702]

I love black kitties! We had "barn cats" on the farm, growing up, and the majority of them were black.

[riley702]

My Lucy was born feral and rescued as a kitten. She's such a love bug. She came to snuggle under the covers with me last night. <3

[Mindymoo]

I do too, and sadly, those are most often the ones that are abandoned and euthanized. Like I said, I would have kept little Schwayne  Jr. if I could have, but someone will give that beautiful little darling a happy home. The owner of the no-kill shelter fell in love and fostered him over the weekend. When we stopped the car and put on the hazards (we were in the entrance to a parking lot at that point) he crawled up into our wheel well, and we had to climb in there to get him down. He sprayed booty juice on us, he was so terrified! He was a doll though- never bit or scratched us once, he was just scared. And once he felt safe and got some food in him, he perked right up. I like to think he is the reincarnation of the disabled swan I named Swan Swami who died over the winter. I lost a swan I loved and gained a kitten for someone else to love.

[CattyTiger]

I wouldn't mind also having a more serious show, but this style show and even the title, gets people watching who would never watch a PBS style show. 

 

I personally was a little offended at the title, but since it was about cats, we tuned in.  So glad, since I got to learn who Jackson is, bought his book, and subscribe to his Google webcasts which is him talking about cat issues and answering questions.  He also has shorter ones addressing certain issues.  A recent one was what to do about your cat attacking your ankles.

 

So, although there's those frustrating typical reality-type moments, it still puts a lot of great info in the show that then can lead to more resources.  Like TeamCatMojo.:)  And, of course!, I love seeing the cats in spite of how being a long time viewer makes me raise an eyebrow about Jackson going into the fire, although I did like that he took the couple to jail - lol.

 

I think a lot of us would like to graduate to a higher level, but hey, it is what it is, and new people are finding it all the time.  So we put up with the "reality" part - eh.

 

I need to check out other threads soon.  We have a TNR'd colony of about 14 that we feed, so I'm interested in other's.

 

I like that Jackson has no qualms with telling the TV crew to leave in a couple of cases.

Edited July 2, 2014 by CattyTiger