I decided to buy Jackson Galaxy’ latest guide “Total Cat Mojo: The Ultimate Guide to Life with Your Cat”. Check out this detailed review to learn what is this book about and how did it affect relation with my cat?
Jackson Galaxy is a wordwide-known cat behaviorist, the star of the hit Animal Planet show “My Cat from Hell”, and the author of four books about cats. Total Cat Mojo book is his newest one.
What is Cat Mojo?
Mojo is the theme of the whole book. But what exactly is Cat Mojo? The answer is surprisingly simple – it’s a cat’s confidence. It is a state in which the cat is happy, healthy, and ready for friendly interactions with the world.
Behavioral archetypes
Based on the idea of the Mojo and many years of experience, Jackson Galaxy described three cat archetypes:
- Mojito is a cat who has Mojo – he has confidence, he feels safe and happy and he loves his territory.
- Napoleon is a cat who is possessive and is constantly afraid of losing his territory.
- Wallflower is a “victim” cat who tries to be invisible because he sees danger in everything.
By observing your cat, you can determine which archetype your cat belongs to, which will help you better understand his behavior and problems.
My cat Apollo has a lot of the Mojito cat in him. He is the proud host of our apartment, he always eagerly greets guests and parades around the rooms with his tail proudly raised. Unfortunately, when there is noise in its immediate vicinity, e.g. a vacuum cleaner is approaching, it turns into a Wallflower cat and runs as much as possible under the sofa. I hope that thanks to the advice and tips from the book I will be able to convince him that the vacuum cleaner is not so dangerous 🙂
What is the book “Total Cat Mojo” about?
“Total Cat Mojo” is a very comprehensive guide for cat parents, which loosely and humorously answers the very important question “How to understand a cat and make a life together happy?” The book contains information on how to understand the cat’s behavior and needs, as well as advice on how to use this knowledge in practice.
Jackson Galaxy explains that in every cat there is an inner primitive cat that affects all aspects of a cat’s life – from food to relationships with people and other pets. By properly caring for cat nature and respecting cat instincts, it is possible to make a cat truly happy. The author in each part of the guide deals with other topics:
Chapter One
This chapter presents the history of the species Domestic Cat (Felis catus) and tells about the inner primitive cat of each cat. Here you can find information on, among others, domesticating and spreading cats around the globe, the first exhibition, the formation of the first cat food and litter, as well as the first sterilization.
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Chapter Two
This chapter focuses on the nature of the cat, reminds that cats are predators and ruthless carnivores and presents the natural cycle of the primary cat’s functioning because it is the instincts that direct the behavior of each cat: “hunt, catch, kill, eat, groom, and sleep”.
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Chapter Three
This chapter contains tips on how to play with a cat, emphasizes the role of regular play, describes a diet compatible with cat’s nature, and provides advice on cat trees and litter boxes. There is also a description of introducing the cat to other family members (so-called socialization with isolation) and catification that improves the living environment with cats.
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Chapter Four
In this chapter, you will learn what to do when your cat: scratches furniture, bites people, is shy or aggressive, or when it gets out of the litter box. The author proves that cats are not capable of malignancy, and irritating or unusual behaviors signal a problem that requires human intervention, e.g. a visit to a veterinarian.
My advice: Read the first three parts of the book in full, and then go to the specific topic in chapter four that deals with your problem.
My opinion about Total Cat Mojo
The most important ideas appearing both on my blog and in the book “Total Cat Mojo”, under which I, Joanna, sign under with both my hands (and Apollo with all his paws):
- A cat is a family member who needs to be looked after because you do not have to “own” cat, you have to love him.
- Cats are ruthless carnivores and should not eat plant foods.
- Feeding a cat with dry food is not healthy and not natural.
- Leaving a cat on its own is a senseless exposure to death.
- Cats are not malicious, but not understood. If the cat behaves abnormally or annoyingly, it means a problem that requires human help.
- The introduction of daily rituals, e.g. everyday playtime, is the key to the happiness of every cat.
I am really impressed by the simplicity of the language and the complexity and multitude of advice and information presented in the book. The book strengthened me in many of my beliefs and also introduced me to some completely new ones that I had not yet dealt with. This guide really teaches responsible care and empathy for cats.
I found only one flaw: the author sometimes repeats and presents a summary of information that has already been described elsewhere in the book. But is this really a disadvantage? If you read this book on the one breath (like me), then these passages may seem unnecessary. However, if you read it in excerpts, then these summaries may be a good reminder of previous content.
Cats are very complex creatures whose behavior and motives are so different from human ones that when we compare them to us we will never be able to get along with them. Only understanding what makes a cat a cat and caring for this cat’s otherness will make both the cat and its guardian happier. “Total Cat Mojo” is not just a guide, it is a real treasury of knowledge that I recommend to all cat parents.
PS. If you like our paw bookmark, you’ll find the instruction and the template here: How to make a felt 3D cat’s paw bookmark
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What do You think?
I would love to see your thought, suggestions and questions in the comments below!
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The illustrations in this article are photos of selected pages of the book “Total Cat Mojo: The Ultimate Guide to Life with Your Cat” by Jackson Galaxy. I do not claim any rights to them and I have placed them only for demonstration purposes.
