Does Your Cat Have Mojo?
Jackson Galaxy, Total Cat Mojo

Cat-daddy Jackson Galaxy has a house-full of his own cats (news flash), plus dogs and a turtle. So does he have the same problems as us common folk? You bet he does. Find out how he keeps harmony in his household.

Jackson Galaxy has a new book out called, "Total Cat Mojo." He says it is everything he thinks he knows in one place! The book has been a long time coming and he's actually really proud of this and is excited for people to get a hold of it.

Inside the book Jackson has ideas for creating your own mojo map. So what is cat mojo? Jackson explains that there is a whole chapter called, "Que es Mojo?" This is because he was lecturing in Argentina and going on and on about cat mojo. He was running around the stage and sweating and suddenly there was like crickets in the audience. He suddenly realized that nobody had any idea what it was. The translator then said, "Que es Mojo?"

Jackson says that mojo derives from slang. It was in a lot of blues songs in the 1940's. When you talk about getting your mojo working and you got your mojo on, mojo has a sense of like inner confidence. You know that strut that you have when you're not trying to prove anything to anybody? It's all coming from this interior place of you knowing who you are, where you are and where you belong. It's the utmost confidence.

In the book, Jackson details when mojo came to him it was the concept of John Travolta at the beginning of Saturday Night Fever just strutting down the street in Brooklyn. You see that look as the camera pans up and there he is holding a slice of pizza looking at a girl down the street. That's mojo, because you know he so owns Brooklyn.

It's comfortable in your own skin or in this case it's comfortable in your own fur. This is all connected to what Jackson calls the raw cat. Our cats have this very direct line, from the cat sitting on your lap to the cat in the Fertile Crescent tens of thousands of years ago. They are very much the same animal. We haven't messed with them very much. Their primary objective when they wake up every day is to do exactly what that cat did years ago. So as we adjust, as we transition from a working cat lifestyle, which we still are doing, into more of an urban pet lifestyle, we still have to provide the raw cat what they need. And of course, do it in a socially acceptable way. So that's really the centerpiece of the whole book.

So does Jackson have cats at home? Jackson says he has a lot of cats at home and several of them are feral or quasi-feral, as well as others that are in varying stages of rehab. In terms of the cat mojo, when they're outside in the 'catio,' they have you know uber mojo. In the house, around feet and arms and legs, it's less so. So we're working on that. Altogether Jackson has nine cats, three dogs and a Chinese Box Turtle named Sammie. Jackson inherited Sammie when his mom passed. Sammie is around 20-years-old and lives the highlife.

All of his cats have varying degrees of mojo but that's the concept in his house as well as everybody else's. We have to define what he calls the mojito cat, that absolute center, by who they are in the first place and not who we want them to be. Not every cat is going to greet you at the door and offer you a mojito and lead you into the house and give you a tour. Some of them, like his, will sit on the mantel and watch you walk in, give you a little bit of a blink and let you walk by without any without any sense of fight or flight or anything like that. To Jackson, that's mojo as well.

So what kind of problems does Jackson deal with in his household? Jackson says it's the same problems that we all deal with in living with anybody, especially when there are a lot of people in the houses, you're going to have arguments. They also get sick of each other's faces. They have moments, like everyone else, which happens when there are too many beings. For example, two out of three of Jackson's dogs go to a daycare on a regular basis because he's crazy busy and they're really energetic dogs. But on the weekends, of course everybody's there. And when you've got three dogs, nine cats and a turtle, as well as two humans sharing a not so big place, you know stuff happens. Fortunately it resolves very quickly. The good thing is there's no dispute over territory because of the 'catio' as well as him 'catifieng' his space.

Surprisingly, with Jackson's multi-cat household he doesn't have a problem with inappropriate cat urination. However, he is having problems with his rescued dog. This dog was a year and a half old when he adopted him and had never stepped foot into a house. So, Jackson is back to square one with the potty training. Jackson said it's been a slow, frustrating process with him but he wouldn't trade it for the world.

So who does Jackson turn to for help with his dogs? Jackson has a new show coming out on November 11th. The TV show is called 'Cat Meets Dog: Fur Flies - Or Doesn't' on Animal Planet. It's the same basic premise of Jackson going into people's houses fixing problems, but this time it's cat problems and dog problems in the same house. For the show, Jackson has a dog trainer buddy with him, Zoe Sandor.

Jackson has corralled Zoe to help him with his little problems in his house. Jackson states, "That's what you get for co-starring with me - you get wrangled!"

People are surprised when they hear that Jackson has some issues in the house. He thinks that everybody who works in this profession will eventually have these problems, because you really can't properly analyze your own family. Jackson says it's like us with our own brains. You go to therapy because you've got to make sense out of your own brain. The human brain can't sit there and analyze itself, so it's the same thing.

Just like Jackson's previous show, "My Cat From Hell," is that the beauty of doing shows like this, among other things, is being able to dispel myths. He feels the myth of cats hate dogs and dogs hate cats is so silly. He get's to really blow that up. One of the funniest parts about doing the show is that there's always this running thing between Jackson and Zoe like, "OK whose fault is it?" Jackson thinks that it's always the dog's fault.

He says when you walk into someone's house, they're blaming the cats and most times the cats are not to blame. He states it's nice being the representative of these cats in that most of the times they are innocent. He really gets to take apart what relationships are.

Besides the whole connection to the raw cat and what mojo is, the other thing that threads through the book is the concept of relationships and the idea that you don't have a cat. If you are in a relationship with a cat, and the same thing goes with any animal in your life, and it's something that he really hammers over and over in his book, because he thinks it is one of the most integral shortcomings of humans when it comes to dealing with the animals in their life, is the concept that give and take exists. You actually have to compromise just like any other relationship if you want it to be successful. That's the cool thing about the new show and the book itself, he really is just boring in on relationships.

Jackson thinks it's amazing that we just don't think about the fact that the animals are asking for something and we're just saying no most of the time you know or sometimes yes, but there's in the middle. With cats, being barely domesticated at all Jackson thinks, you've got to bend a little bit.

So does Jackson dress his pets up for Halloween? No and he says please don't dress up your pets! This is one of those real pet peeves Jackson has. He can't stand it. He claims that 90-percent of our cats, if they had a vote, would vote no thank you. When people dress these cats up, they get that shaming look on their face that says, "No, I don't want to look like a hotdog!" However, if you have one of the 10-percent of cats that you know really likes it, he says go for it!

Check out Jackson's book, "Total Cat Mojo: The Ultimate Guide to Life with Your Cat" and catch his new show, 'Cat Meets Dog: Fur Flies - Or Doesn't' premiering on November 11 on Animal Planet.

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Blessing Your Pets
Dr. James Capers

Grab your pets and bring'em around the radio for our annual "Blessing of the Animals" performed by the extra charismatic Dr. James Capers. Our virtual ceremony celebrates the pets in our lives.

Dr. James Capers joins us to "Bless" the animals. Traditionally a Catholic holiday, the Blessing of the Animals is held every year to commemorate Saint Francis of Assisi (1181-1226). It has become a worldwide festival, celebrated by a variety of religions in recognition of our animal friends. St. Francis of Assisi was a Roman Catholic friar and is the patron of animals and the environment. He believed that humans had the ability and moral responsibility to protect animals, a simple and compassionate edict that we should all do our best to live by.

'Do-it-yourself' Franciscan Animal Blessing For all animals:

Blessed are you, Lord God,
maker of all living creatures.
On the fifth and sixth days of creation,
you called forth fish in the sea,
birds in the air and animals on the land.
You inspired St. Francis to call all animals
his brothers and sisters.
We ask you to bless this animal.
By the power of your love,
enable it to live according to your plan.
May we always praise you
for all your beauty in creation.
Blessed are you, Lord our God, in all your creatures! Amen.

For a sick animal:

Heavenly Father,
you created all things for your glory
and made us stewards of this creature.
If it is your will, restore it to health and strength.
Blessed are you, Lord God,
and holy is your name forever and ever. Amen.

Dr. James Capers has been a pet clairvoyant for close to 25 years, first learning how to communicate with animals with his cat, "Felicia," who lived to be 21 years and 6 months old. He has done pet counseling and has helped a dog who refused to eat dog food after being fed only table scraps; he helped a cat who refused to get off the bed (it turns out she was afraid of mice!); and an elderly Schnauzer who was afraid his guardian was going to "put him to sleep."

BrilliantPad Testimonials

About a little over a month ago we gave out a dozen brilliant pads. Those are the self-cleaning automatic potties for your dog. We check in once again to find out how the dogs are training to it.

Sherri has three dogs, Ruby Sophie and Ivy. Sherri tells us that she has a couple of outdoor rugs, which her dogs like to go potty on. So in order to encourage them to get on the BrilliantPad, she put a bigger piece of the rug and put it on top of it. Over time, she shrunk the carpet down, to where it now only covers about 1/3 of the BrilliantPad.

This seems to be working great for her dogs, as they recognize the rugs, and they go right on it. Her littlest one, Sophie, is still a little frightened of it. However, she's gone on a couple of times and Sherri is still working on her.

This is the same training that Judy Francis did with her dog Ladybug. Judy used the same technique but with artificial grass that Ladybug was used to using. She then slowly reduced it in size until there was nothing left. Now Ladybug automatically gets on it does her business.

Sherri loves the new changes with the BrilliantPad. This means that she longer has pee pads all the way around her house.

She can now eliminate the waste with the push of a button and doesn't have to touch anything. She also tells us when she would come home, she could smell if her dogs had gone to the bathroom in the house. Now, with the BrilliantPad, she doesn't smell anything.

Sherri has used her first roll and is now on her second roll. She says it was easy and there was no mess when removing the roll. She did say it was a littler heavier, but that's because it has all of the urine and waste neatly contained.

She now just needs Sophie to come over to this side. Sherri claims that Sophie doesn't know she's a dog, so that's going to take a while!

We will check back with Sherri in a couple of weeks and hopefully Sophie will have taken to it by then.

Next we check in with Lisa, who has some good news to report. Her Chihuahua Molly actually peed on the BrilliantPad. She is still working on getting Molly to poop on it and is halfway there. Lisa also loves how there is no smell whatsoever!

We will also check back with Lisa in a couple of weeks.

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Pet Halloween Costumes: Spook-tastic or Just Crazy? -Dr. Debbie

Will Fluffy or Benji be dressed up for Halloween this year? Pets are increasingly recognized as family members and often included in the holiday costume craze. But are pet costumes just for human folly, or do pets actually LIKE sporting the costumes, hats and accessories?

Admittedly, I fall among those that do indulge in this practice, but my pets enjoy wearing Halloween costumes. Years of positive reinforcement with treat rewards, and my dogs will happily wear anything in the off chance of a tasty morsel. The mere sight of a costume starts my Labrador prancing and bouncing as if on a trampoline.

In my home, Halloween pet fun has evolved a step further than most, as I proudly maintain a sizeable collection of pet costumes. After 13 years, the collection of doggie costumes includes firemen, doctors, princesses, cowboys, police officers, pumpkins, caterpillars, pirates and skeletons spilling from the overstuffed confines of the cabinet. My pet costume collection is akin to Katherine Heigl's character in the movie "27 Dresses," in which her mass of bridesmaid dresses fills a closet and generates smirks from others.

Call me crazy, but I adore seeing my critters ham it up for Halloween. And clearly I am not alone. According to consumer surveys by the National Retail Federation, 170 million Americans will be celebrating Halloween. Among those individuals 15.1-percent will be dressing the family pet in costume too. That's a lot of consumer spending on pet wear when budgets are tight, but the smiles and giggles arising from seeing your pet dressed in a spooky or silly costume, is well worth the expenditure.

Some might argue that pet costumes are frivolous or humiliating, but I disagree. Dogs enjoy costumes when introduced in a positive manner, just as they do with gradual acclimation to car travel or swimming. Plus, a dog is devoted companion and wishes to please its owner. My own dog family adores the celebration and attention they receive. Cats on the other hand, may not enjoy any part of dress up and are often indifferent to the idea of pleasing or serving us, as it is often the other way around.

Featured veterinarian known as "Dr. Debbie" on national pet radio program, Animal Radio. Ebook author of "Yorkshire Terriers: How to Be Your Dog's Best Friend"; "Pugs: How to Be Your Dog's Best Friend"; "Mini Schnauzers: How to Be Your Dog's Best Friend"; and "Shih Tzu: How to Be Your Dog's Best Friend."

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5 Reasons Halloween Can Be The Scariest Holiday For Your Pet
Robert Semrow, Listomania

Halloween is all about escaping from reality for a night and having a fun time with your family and friends. However, there is a family member that should not be subject to the Halloween activities and that is your pet. That's right, for many animals Halloween is the most scariest and dangerous holiday there is. For your pets, there are fewer nights more confusing and bewildering to them. So let me bewitch with some things to consider:

Let's start with the costumes, people and pet costumes. On Halloween people get dressed up in a variety of costumes from fantasy to sci to horror inspired and more. This alone is confusing for our pets who aren't sure what the heck happened to their favorite neighbor who now resembles a zombie and is acting like one to.

Then there are the pet costumes, and let's admit it, the costumes for pets have gotten much better, much more comfortable and much cuter than ever before. However, that still doesn't change the fact that most pets don't wear clothing on a regular basis. So if your pet is not enjoying being dressed up like your favorite movie character, then let them be au natural for the Halloween festivities.

Next up are the constant pounding of the door and the ringing of doorbells. Your pets are convinced that the whole world is coming to take over your house. For some pets, it's their mission to protect their home and their beloved family from strangers, especially wild and crazy looking ones that keep showing up with bags in hand and demanding treats. Every pet knows that you can't just demand a treat, you have to earn it and knocking on a door is not a treat to them.

Speaking of treats, the treats handed out on Halloween are especially unsafe for our pets. Chocolates, candies and more are not safe for our pets and can cause serious injuries if ingested by curious pets who think they have earned a wrapped treat since they have been alerting the family to these costumed intruders all night. Keep the treats in an area where no pet can access them, for their sake and safety.

For many people Halloween is also about the decorations, for pet's this is one more area of potential danger that is enticing to the curious pet. From candles to ingestible objects and more, decorations need to be pet safe if you are going to have them within reach of them.

Finally, Halloween is an overwhelming holiday for pets. The costumes, the constant intruders, the confusing sights and sounds, it can make a pet stress out and lash out. We don't need a door dash or worse yet, a show of force from your pet who is triggered by that scary clown costume. Seriously why is there always a scary clown? Ok, I digress. Keep your pet safe this Halloween. It might be all fun and games to you, but give your pet the night off. You protect them and keep them in safe area away from it all.

Share your pet Halloween thoughts on our Animal Radio Facebook Page.

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The Dogfather's Grooming Tip with Joey Villani

What You Need To Know When Selecting a Groomer
Joey discusses what you need to look for when you bring your pet to a pet groomer. You also need to remember that you're bringing you're pet into a profession, which he doesn't say proudly, is not policed and regulated.

Unfortunately, anyone can become a pet groomer, open up a shop and take in someone's pet and not have any formal training. So before you drop your pet off, you need to ask a couple questions.

You should ask if they have attended a grooming school. Most groomers haven't, but you shouldn't immediately shy from them, because some of the most experienced programmers that Joey knows never went to school. Ask them how often they've been in business, what their training is and if they have continuing education, which is important.

Also ask to see the back of the salon. What does it look like? Does it smell clean? Just think, if you wouldn't have your hair done there, then you shouldn't have your dog groomed there as well.

Don't leave your pet if you feel that something is not right. Ask all the questions you need to feel comfortable enough and if the groomer does not want to answer them, go to somebody else.

How does the groomer look? Do they look professional or are they in jeans and t-shirts? They shouldn't wear jeans. Joey tells us he is a real stickler on uniforms because hair sticks to it. He doesn't want to see somebody with hair all over themselves who doesn't look like a trained professional.

Your first impression is that they should look like a professional. Just like a veterinarian looks like a doctor and a construction worker looks like a construction worker. A pet groomer should look a pet groomer. Joey's uniform consists of grooming pants and a black shirt. So when you see him, you think that he is going out for a Friday night.

What are some of the signs that maybe it wasn't great? One of the biggest sign is if you didn't have a drastic change in your dog's haircut.

If you have a dog that is in bad shape and has to be cut down real short, the dog might respond in a negative manner. They might go home and hide. They might not want to see you and they're going to feel shy. This is normal because of the drastic change. They know that something has changed. However, if your pet has a routine a haircut and comes home and it's acting weird and shy, and when you go to pick the pet up and before you get your hands on the floor, it's whimpering because they are afraid that you're going to hurt them. This is a telltale sign that maybe something bad happened in the salon.

It might be absolutely nothing, but it couldn't hurt to call up your pet groomer. If nothing happened, they shouldn't get defensive about it. They should explain to if you if there were any problems. If they do get defensive, that's when your antenna should go up because there's no reason for it.

Joey explains it's also important to greet the client when they walk in the door. However, before he greets a client, he greets their pet. He wants you to know that he cares about your pet more than anything else. That's first and foremost when you come into his care.

One last thing, a good idea before you take your pet to be groomed, make a visit with the salon to check it out and meet the groomer to make sure you want them to groom your pet.

Animal Radio News - Lori Brooks

California Pet Stores Can Only Sell Shelter or Rescue Pets
California Governor Jerry Brown has signed the Pet Rescue and Adoption Act into law, making California the first to have such a law that is statewide. Thirty-three cities and counties in California already have local bans on the retail sale of puppy-mill dogs and cats in local pet stores. However, starting January 1st of 2019, dogs, cats, and rabbits will arrive at pet stores in the state already vaccinated and spayed or neutered. It will also become a criminal offense for pet stores to sell dogs, cats, and rabbits unless they come from a shelter or rescue. Pet stores who violate the law can be fined $500 for each animal that is not a rescue. As one animal advocacy group described it, "...the law will spare tens of thousands of animals who are killed every year in shelters due to a lack of space and available homes." It is also a devastating blow to puppy-mills and some deceitful backyard breeders that have been breeding purebred animals for profit without concern for the health and well being of the animals they sell. California taxpayers currently contribute $250 million each year to support city and county animal shelters, so the new law is a win/win for both humans and pets. The biggest opposition to the law came from The American Kennel Club and the California Retailers Association.

Americans Spend $440 Million on Pet Halloween Costumes
According to the National Retail Federation, Americans plan to spend $440 million dollars this year on Halloween costumes for their pets. It's more of a dog thing than a cat thing to dress up for Halloween, as most cats don't like wearing anything. Just seven years ago, American consumers spent $220 million on pet costumes. That number has risen nearly every year and has now doubled. More than 28 million pet owners say they plan on dressing up their animals. The most popular costumes are pumpkins, hot dogs, lions, pirates and bumblebees. But what about those who have pets and children and decorate their house and hand out candy for Halloween? They will spend an average of $86.13 for the holiday this year. A record $9.1 billion dollars will be the grand total in Halloween spending for 2017. Finally, among those who love the Fall-idays, 71-percent plan to hand out candy, 49-percent will decorate their home or yard, 48-percent will wear costumes, 46-percent will carve a pumpkin, 35-percent will throw or attend a party, 31-percent will take their children trick-or-treating, 23-percent will visit a haunted house and 16-percent will dress pets in costumes.

Ikea Launches Pet Furniture
Ikea has launched their very first collection of furniture designed especially for pets. It's called Lurvig, which is Swedish for shaggy and it's a pretty well rounded collection with just about everything a pet lover needs. The Lurvig line includes pet beds, scratching posts, bags, bowls and toys, all designed by animal-loving designers with insight from veterinarians.

Woman Wins Sick Pay to Care For Pet
An Italian college professor and dog owner has won the right to sick pay from her employer, after she took time off work to care for it. She only asked for two days' leave because the dog needed constant medical supervision before it could be taken into surgery. When her employer refused her request, she appealed, demanding her right to paid leave as a public servant. Italy's Penal Code prohibits the abandonment of pets and that keeping an animal in conditions that may cause it to suffer is a crime in the country. Each is punishable with jail time or a hefty fine. So, the university reconsidered the case and ruled in the woman's favor, granting her the leave, which is traditionally granted only for workers dealing with serious personal or family problems. The dog has survived the surgery and was now doing well.

Casting Call For Puppy Playdate
October Films, an independent production company based in London and New York, is in the early stages of a show called Puppy Playdate. They put out a casting call on social media recently looking for single dog owners in the London area. The show will feature all breeds, personalities and backgrounds.

New Dating Site Just For Dog Lovers
There is a new dating site online that's just for dog lovers. It's called HotDiggiddy.com and their slogan is "Where Dog Lovers Find Love." According to the founder, HotDiggiddy is a "social dating site" for dog lovers. Social dating is about getting to know a person and how they respond in social situations, so it's a place for dog lovers (and their dogs) to meet, whether for a date, to arrange a doggie playdate or just to find a group of dog-loving friends.


Listen to the entire Podcast of this show (#934)