Known being “The Cat Daddy”, Jackson Galaxy has established a name in being one of the trusted and known cat behaviorist across the globe. From shows like “My Cat from Hell” to movies like “The Paw Project” and having more than 2 million subscribers in YouTube, he established himself as a well-distinguished figure in cat behaviorism. Get to know more about Jackson Galaxy through his TV shows, business and income sources, net worth, his wife, and health-related issues.
Who is Jackson Galaxy?
Born as Richard Kirschner on April 28, 1966, a young boy from Manhattan did not dream about being a cat behaviorist but to be a rockstar.
He derived his current name from the name of his guitar, “Jackson” and Galaxy just popped in his head when he was composing an album.
His life changed when a cat named Benny was dumped by a woman in front of the shelter where he was working and Jackson Galaxy, who was an alcoholic and drug addict during that time, realized that his life was the same as Benny. He remembered,
She said he was an ‘unbondable’ cat. When she used that word I realized that that’s me. So as I’m driving him to the hospital to get him patched back up, I looked into the carrier and it was one of those moments when I realized how broken I was by looking at how broken he was. It was a hard left, and my work with him over the next 13 years really mirrored the work I was doing on myself.
“He was a really challenging cat, very difficult, but it kept me humble. In a way he was sort of a symbol. He saved me
This made him continue life in the shelter which later on, he practiced as a cat consultation that led him to who he was today.
TV Shows
Jackson Galaxy initially stared in the documentary TV series; “Cats 101” in 2008. It aired until 2012 and it kickstarts his career in television. He was in “America’s Cutest Pets” (2013) and “Cat vs. Dog” (2017).
He had his own show entitled “My Cat from Hell” that aired last 2011 and had 11 continuous seasons. It was followed by “My Cat from Hell: Worst Cat-astrophes” (2016), “My Cat from Hell: Cat Facts” (2017), “My Cat from Heaven” (2018), and “My Cat from Hell: Jackson’s Kit-Bits” (2020).
The success of these shows portrays how effective Jackson Galaxy is in being a cat whisperer and behaviorist.
Business and Income Sources
Aside from the earning he had with the TV shows he was in; Jackson Galaxy also has business ventures and other income sources. One of those is his YouTube channel garnering almost 2.5 million subscribers. He also has a website and a company that retails harm-free cat products, from toys to health supplements and beds, one can buy anything for their furry friends from Jackson Galaxy’s business website. Jackson Galaxy’s income also comes from consulting and cat training, books, products sponsorship.
My cat from hell star also owns Jackson Galaxy Enterprises Inc., an e-commerce and e-learning company located in Beverly Hills, California. He also authored a number of books that can add as one of his income sources. There is no doubt that there is a butt-load of money coming in to Jackson Galaxy’s pockets with his love and passion to cats.
Net Worth
Knowing that Jackson Galaxy was a successful person both in business and in television, many people are surely wondering what his current net worth is. Cat behaviorist Jackson Galaxy’s net worth is $10 million.
All of that comes from his television career, book sales, and business ventures. His diverse revenue streams and business decisions made sure that he will have financial stability over the years.
Jackson Galaxy Wife, Minoo Rahbar
Jackson Galaxy is married to Minoo Rahbar, who has the same passion as him. She was an animal activist that graduated Anthropology at the University of California, Berkeley.
Jackson and her met during the Kitten Rescue Gala Award, which led to them giving their contacts to each other. The 15-minute planned coffee date started their dating history which eventually led to marriage.
They got married last 2014 at a no-kill pet sanctuary in Utah where they made their dog Mooshka, as the ring-bearer. The couple is still together as of June 2024 and has no record of having kids. But they treated their nine cats, three dogs, and two turtles as their kids based on the couple’s updates on their social media accounts.
Does Jackson Galaxy have cancer?
Rumors about Jackson Galaxy’s health especially with regards cancer has been the talk of the town for some time. However, no information has been confirmed yet. His 2016 Facebook post reveals that his mother experienced pancreatic cancer and his cat Barry also had cancer, both of whom passed away.
Weight Loss Journey
Aside from the cancer speculations, one thing confirmed by Jackson Galaxy is the significant loss of his weight. In an interview with parade magazine, Jackson revealed that he initially weighed 400 pounds which was a risk to his health.
In 2007, My cat from Hell star went through a gastric-bypass surgery which transformed him into 250 pounds. Realizing that losing weight wasn’t only way to be healthy, Jackson decided to quit other bad habits including smoking. After quitting smoking he gained a little weight and the Cat Daddy reached 300 pounds.
Another changes he made in his lifestyle was adapting to Vegan diet, like his wife who have been a vegan since 2000s, which helped him drop another 100 pounds in about 14 months time, and now Jackson Galaxy weighs 2000 pounds.