Design Your Way to Feline Bliss…
is a headline from the cover of Jackson Galaxy and Kate Benjamin’s new book, Catify to Satisfy. The book is now available from Amazon.com ($9.99 – Kindle and $13.16 – paperback). We received our review copy about ten days ago, and I couldn’t wait to start reading. I was tempted to immediately turn to Chapter 3: Let’s Talk About Litter Boxes. I didn’t do it, however. I eagerly read the book from start to finish, and my review is included in this post.
When I interviewed Galaxy at the beginning of October, our main focus was the Jackson Galaxy Foundation. However, we discussed the new book as well.
I wanted to know why Galaxy and Benjamin thought it necessary to write another book so soon after the success of their best seller, Catification.
According to Galaxy, “I talk a lot about community and the importance of community and that community which I call Catification Nation.” The moment Catification came out, this community started pelting Galaxy and Benjamin with questions about the things they didn’t discuss in Catification. Galaxy adds, “You can’t cover all the bases, and we did not.”
Galaxy says: “And so this time around we’re delving more into things like dreaded litter box issues where behavior and design collide normally in a very unpleasant way. We are trying to deal with that 1000-pound elephant in the room.”
This is one of the main problems I face in my house with eight cats. I had been waiting since our interview to have the opportunity to study this chapter.
Galaxy, adds [It’s] “not just about what features to have in your house and not just about design but the behavior behind the design. A litter box is not just a litter box. A litter box for a cat is a sign post. It says I live here. I own this territory. It gives me that Cat Mojo. It makes me secure .”
“When we start debating about how many litter boxes you should have in your house, we need to start looking inward. We need to look at ourselves.” This is what Galaxy calls putting on your cat glasses.
“We don’t like litter boxes. We don’t like them out in the open. We don’t like them to not have covers, and we don’t like them in our chosen significant areas like the living room and the bedroom. But I am here to say that it is better for the house especially in the multi-cat house. It’s important and so we spend an entire chapter on that.”
“We spend more time profiling the people within Catification Nation. People who really took the task and came up with beautiful results, and we profile them, their lives, their relationships with their cats and the great work they did. There’s nothing like seeing being the proof. You can take a deep breath and go do something so life changing for your cat and for yourself as well.”
“We went deeper. We went wider, and I think the results are complementary to Catification but Catify to Satisfy can stand on its own.”
My Review
I totally agree with Galaxy’s final statement. If you read Catification (My copy is falling apart.), this is the perfect companion book. If you missed the first book, don’t despair. Catify to Satisfy has many great ideas and examples of of projects to make your and your cats’ home a place where everyone is comfortable, happy and “owns” the space.
Peter Cohen of Goleta, California, has catified his house to turn it into a kitty paradise.
This new book is full of wonderful projects completed by others who share their space with cats, including a redo of the facility where Galaxy got his start some 20 years ago, Humane Society of Boulder Valley (Colorado).
Inspiration abounds on every page of this book. We constructed our catio several years ago after what I’d seen on Galaxy’s Animal Planet show, “My Cat from Hell.” We added some shelves a few months ago, but I can see, after reading the new book, that these need some modifications. And now, I am brainstorming and planning the construction of a cat super highway inside the house so Astrid can feel confident enough to start coming upstairs again.
Chapter 2 addresses the problem and solutions for kitties scratching in inappropriate places, like your furniture. This section explains why your kitty does this and includes projects (with instructions) to create a variety of scratching posts and surfaces. One of my favorite projects was created by Kate Benjamin—a vertical scratcher that can be attached to a wall. It’s created by repurposing a picture frame and a sisal rug remnant or carpet square. This will be my first project from the book. I already have a frame and will be picking up the carpet in the next few days.
I know I will be referring to Catify to Satisfy often as I make our home (that our vet already calls Kitty Paradise) one that will promote Cat Mojo even more than it does now. I recommend this new book to anyone who shares their home with one or more cats or works with a shelter that could use some catification.
Book Tour
Galaxy and Benjamin have already embarked on their Book Tour. These are the remaining dates and locales.
Austin, TX
Nov 20 • 7pm – Jackson Galaxy
hosted by Book People
603 N Lamar Blvd.
Austin, TX 78703
Miami, FL
Nov 21 • 6-7pm – Jackson Galaxy
Miami Book Fair
Miami Dade College
Room 2106 (Building 2, 1st Floor)
300 NE Second Ave.
Miami, Fl 33132
Milwaukee, WI
Nov 22 • 7pm – Jackson Galaxy
hosted by Rainy Day Books
Turner Hall Ballroom
1032 N. 4th Street
Milwaukee, WI 53203
Kansas City, MO
Nov 23 • 7pm – Jackson Galaxy
hosted by Rainy Day Books
Unity Temple on The Plaza, Sanctuary
707 W 47th Street
Kansas City, MO 64112
If you missed Part One of my interview with Galaxy, where we discussed the Jackson Galaxy Foundation, you can read it here. This is a three-part series, and I will be posting the final installment next week. It will include news from PAWS PR (see my original post) about a joint project with the Foundation and Photographers for Animals to help shelter animals find homes for the holiday season. And Galaxy will answer some questions I posed not specific to either the Foundation or book.
Giveaway
I was given a free copy of Catify to Satisfy by the publisher, and I pre-ordered a copy for myself. In view of this, I will be giving away one of the copies. For the opportunity to win the book, leave a comment on this post. You will have until Friday, November 27, at 5 p.m. EST to do so. The winner will be selected using Random.org.
(Credits: Photos of Jackson Galaxy: Jeff Newton. Excerpted from CATIFY TO SATISFY: Simple Solutions for Creating a Cat-Friendly Home by Jackson Galaxy and Kate Benjamin with the permission of Tarcher/Penguin, an imprint of Penguin Random House. Copyright Jackson Galaxy and Kate Benjamin 2015.)
Can’t wait to read this book.Seven cat household.
I love Jackson Galaxy and this sounds like a fabulous book!
Thanks for the opportunity to win – hope you are having a fabulous Thanksgiving weekend!
I am hoping to have the opportunity to read this book soon! I think Jackson and Kate some awesome ideas for enriching a cat’s environment and making a cat’s life better. Thank you for sharing your interview and book review with us.
This books sounds great! What a great interview you must have had with Mr. Galaxy.
We so need to catify our house! And being that I’m more of a dog brain that cat, I need to learn more about cats!!
We’d love to win a copy of the book.
You review and interviews are pawsome! Mom won us a copy of Catification at a rescue fundraiser last year. We’d love to win a copy of this new book. I hope we get our catio by spring!!
Woo Hoo! Please count us in! Your interview and posts are awesome. I would love to sit down with you and Jackson and chat! Hugs!
It makes me want to build something for the kitties.
This is a great book review, and it has me itching to get a copy! Jackson always has such commonsense solutions. He’s such a great resource. Thanks for the opportunity to win his book!
Pawsum innerview. We wuld luv to win this book. Actually weez be purrayin’ we win this book. Weez entered a few places, but so far weez lost to udder pawsum pet peeps. Maybe this will be our time. 🙂 Have a gweat weekend.
Luv ya’
Dezi and Lexi
Great review and looks like an awesome book! And your Sunday selfie with Rainbows is very pretty.
We love the first one and would love to have this one as well! This is a pawtastic interview, concatulations!
Putting our paw in! We would love a copy especially now that the sunporch is almost done!
Oh, I would LOVE to win a copy of Catify to Satisfy! Thanks!
Really looking forward to reading that book 🙂
Purrs xx
Athena and Marie
Catify to Satisfy would definitely satisfy US! It’s about time our owner read up on how to please us. She is slowly learning that we run the house and this book may help her get up to speed! We couldn’t get her to check out #1, so we are urging her not to miss this opportunity!
My Mom and Dad need this .book in the worse way. Thanks for the giveaway
I know Mr Galaxy is a real star and so cat savvy!!
We are so excited to read this book! Thank you for the really great review, Mom Janet.
Did you know that picture next to Jackson Galaxy was taken at PAWS? That room was catified by our friend and fellow volunteer Maggie (of the”Sundays at the Shelter” blog), and her husband Rick. That cat is our adoptable pal, Mimi)! 🙂
HUGS!
I really like this guy. He seems to have he,ped a lot with cats being better understood. I’ve seen his show and there is more to what he recommends that just ‘get a cat tree’. I’d love to read his book.
OMC! We think meowmy would love a book like that, then we can direct her to do some of those ideas, MOL!
Thanks so much fur the chance to win one fur her:))
JG sure knows his stuff and the book sounds like a must have for all human cat lovers. I was beside myself with the house with stairs and platforms to jump on. I want to live there or at least visit.
Shoko
Catify to Satisfy is a book our Mama would love to win! She is always trying to find solutions to ongoing litter box problems (we have seven boxes for four cats!!), all kinds of trees, scratching posts/surfaces etc. etc. and still have occasional issues. That chapter would be the chapter she would delve into!
Great review and interview Miss Janet 🙂
the critters in the cottage xo
I can’t wait to read this book and get some ideas for our home.
Sounds like a lot of good info in that book. We don’t have the money for books or to catify; in fact, when Pop recently cleared off his night stand so I could jump on his armoir, she said he catified his room. We have covered litterboxes more for me that then cos I like my privacy.
Hi, Janet, I think I need to get a copy of this book whether I win it or not. If all goes as planned, it now looks like we’ll be moving 500 miles with our seven cats to a new home at Christmas. Needless to say I’m a bit stressed. I have plans for a new catio already but would love some new ideas and advice!
We think we’re gonna get this book for the mom for Christmas. Don’t tell her!
We pre-ordered our book in September and can’t wait to receive it ! Purrs
I must admit that I have not read Jackson Galaxy’s first book, but I will definitely be getting this one (and the first one too most likely!) if I don’t win your giveaway. Your review is awesome — thank you so much for sharing about the book with us. I am making a list of catification projects for our new home, so I can’t wait to get my hands on it!
Sampy sends Astrid a kiss for every hair on her sweet little head, and we all send lots of love!
We have had our superhighway all around the living room walls since last year and love it. We 7 live in a smallish area and Dad also did Super Jumbo litter boxes for us. That meowed we need Dad to get a copy of this book as even though he thinks he knows a lot we differ… MOL
Purrs and thanks for a great review
Timmy and the Crew
Great review. We wish our Mom would Catify our house more!!
The Florida Furkids with special smoochies and love to Mau from Allie
I just got a copy of his book, too, and just from paging through it, I have a zillion ideas. Now if only I have the time, energy and resources to put them in place. With 4 cats, I have the same litter box issues and superhighway needs. I’ll be interested to see how you do it!
–Purrs (and wags) from Life with Dogs and Cats
Our mommy could certainly learn a lot from that book! We need to catify our house! We enjoyed your interview and review very much!
What a very good review and the books are so full of great information. Oh would I love my very own high up space where no one could get me.
we got a copy too and mom is looking to see what can be done around here. we can’t wait to see pictures of the things you are doing 🙂
Dang, I sure would like to catify our place!
I would love to read this book and share it with my om and her 4 cats.
Mom would really love to read this book. She has had a multicat household for years and wants to know what else she can do to make the cats even happier!! Great review.
First of all, I’m still thrilled you had some one on one time with Jackson. He sure knows the mind and heart of a cat. Secondly, that bathroom of the “cat daddy” in California who’s turned his house into kitty nirvana city is AMAZING. Love all the little touches – the shark house up there, the layers, steps…….I just love it and wish we could do that here……….Sam is too old to enjoy all that activity but younger cats would consider it true paradise. Thirdly, thanks for giving us the info on the new book – sounds like a winner!
Hugs, Pam (and of course Sam)
Everycat needs more catification in their lives! The head peep could find lots of projects to make our house even more cat-friendly from this book, for sure.
I’d love to read Jackson Galaxy’s book!
I bet my human could learn a lot from this book!
Oh I wish we could win this for our mommy!
Punkin, TC and Gin Gin
Sounds like a great book!