Can you see the excitement on my foster cat’s face? He has been listening to me oooh and ahh over the ideas in Jackson Galaxy’s newest book Catification – Designing a Happy and Stylish Home for Your Cat (and You!) and he can’t wait for me to get started on some of the projects I bookmarked! You may be wondering, what is catification? Jackson says, “The Catification process starts by understanding how your cat sees the world.” It ends with you making your home into a well-designed environment for both you and your cat! This book starts out by helping you understand where Catification ideas come from, as well as the terms Jackson and his co-author Kate use when talking about cats and the designing process. If you start out by skipping ahead like me you may miss out on the full meaning of what’s a Beach Dweller or The Cat Superhighway, and part of the fun of this book! Speaking of fun, I counted thirty-four “Catification in Action” projects in this advance copy, wow. Even if you are DIY challenged and on very tight budget, there’s such a range of ideas for all types of people, cats, and homes. The projects are a mix of photos and stories from Jackson’s TV show My Cat from Hell, along with user submitted projects and photos. Even if you’ve seen every episode from all five seasons, the TV episode ones are behind-the-scenes looks at the cats, the issues, and the Certification part of the behavior solutions. The user submitted projects are from around the world, and include the projects described in their creator’s own words, along with comments by Jackson and Kate highlighting what’s so great about them and sometimes how they could go even a step further. So which projects will I be taking on? Read on to find out…
Since I recently moved, the timing of this book to help me Catify my new place is purrfect. Even though I built a catio in my previous home, I’d relied on a contractor to execute my designs. A lot of the projects hang things like shelves from the walls, to make more cat traffic routes and take advantage of vertical space. I have to admit, I’m too insecure about my abilities to make those secure to try any of the wall-mounted ideas — yet! So I started with the Planter Cat Bed. This really is a “project” than anyone can take on, it’s about using “any old planter pot” and adding a comfy cushion to make an instant cat bed. I know how much cat’s like sinks and tubs, and it simply hadn’t occurred to me that a ceramic planter pot is rather like a sink, just portable and much more stylish to have sitting on your floor! I just so happened to have a perfectly sized and shaped clay pot that was empty after yet another failed houseplant attempt. My current batch of foster cats seem to prefer towels to cushions, so I modified the project and now have three cats all vying for the new spot, I mean pot!
Next on my project list… the Kitty Box Hammock! It uses a fleece blanket and a cardboard box. Speaking of fleece blankets, there’s a diagram for how to cut an Easy No-Sew Fleece Blanket I’m going to try too, and… well, I’ve got enough bookmarked to keep me and my supervisors (aka foster cats) busy for a while already!
Jackson Galaxy comes from the animal shelter world. His projects and advice help cats and their people live happy lives together, so fewer cats are abandoned at shelters. Thank you Jackson, for all that you’re doing helping so many cats and their families!
Jackson Galaxy and Kate Benjamin’s fantastic new Catification book comes out this month. You can preorder it now from various online retailers. For every copy pre-ordered, $1 will be donated to organizations dedicated to helping homeless cats! Check out the links to order on Jackson Galaxy’s website at http://jacksongalaxy.com/2014/05/21/pre-order-catification-by-jackson-galaxy-kate-benjamin-and-help-support-cat-rescue/
