Jackson Galaxy defends cat who terrorized family
Lux – cat with a history of violence?! I think not but let’s check.
The story of Lux, the Portland, Oregon cat who held his family hostage, has gone viral since the March 9 incident. Michael covered the story suggesting that the cat could have been provoked and was acting defensively. Michael also suggested the cat be rehomed.
It’s unlikely anyone knew the impact this story would create in the cat world. Cat lover’s have turned against Lee Palmer, Lux’s owner, calling him every derogatory name imaginable after word came out Palmer had kicked Lux when Lux scratched his 7-month-old son. The reason for the attack most likely stems from the boy pulling the cat by the tail.
Between people offering advice on how to deal with a cat in the household with a young child, and those wanting Mr. Palmer punished (perhaps even tortured), Celebrity cat Jackson Galaxy has offered to speak on the cat’s behalf.
Although Galaxy hasn’t met Lux, or visited the home, he does have a lot of experience with aggressive cats. Galaxy is speaking out to defend Lux, who most likely went over the edge with the tail pulling incident. Palmer has made it clear that Lux has had a problem with violent episodes in the past. Perhaps he was only trying to explain his cats behavior, but that plan backfired when the complaints started coming in concerning the kick the cat episode Palmer used to get Lux away from his son. Take a look at some of Palmer’s Facebook post responses as people express their outrage. https://www.facebook.com/lee.palmer.75?fref=ts
Galaxy said in a phone interview that Lux really needs to see a vet. The famous cat wants Lux’s vet to rule out medical conditions that cause pain in the cat. Perhaps Mr. Palmer should read Jo Singer’s article on how to tell if your cat is in pain. Galaxy explains that anything could be going on medically, from an abscessed tooth to a brain tumor. Once a medical problem has been ruled out, the family needs to focus on any problems in the home that may have pushed Lux into cat insanity mode.
A lot of people have responded, both on news media articles as well as Palmer’s Facebook page, that Lux needs to be rehomed immediately. Palmer, at this time, wants to keep Lux because his family “loves” him. I won’t go into that one, because the actions taken and the word love are at odds in this case. Many, who commented on the story, have suggested that Jackson Galaxy should use Lux in an upcoming episode of his TV show ‘My Cat From Hell.’ Right now his main concern is finding out what went wrong. Jackson stated
“I want to know what it is that caused this to happen. At the end of the day, I don’t want this cat to die because of the viral nature of this story.”
The famous cat behaviorist is afraid the impact of the story will cause parents with young children, or who are expecting a baby, to dump their cat at the nearest shelter. It also isn’t good that Palmer is having to handle all of the publicity, fending off allegations of everything from child abuse to animal cruelty. It’s scary, mainly because of the lynch mob mentality of those who follow this type of story. It would likely be in the best interest for everyone if Palmer finds a calmer home for Lux. In the end, it isn’t the owner expressing love for their cat, it’s in doing what’s best for the cat in the long run. Sometimes the best option isn’t the easiest option to live with.
What do the readers here think of how this situation going viral, and the anger it’s created? Please leave a comment.