Ep 2. Darkness Comes Knocking

The show My Cat From Hell is back with its seventh season and the second episode is titled Darkness Comes Knocking. In this episode, Jackson Galaxy, a cat behaviorist, comes to the rescue of the Meadows family that is being haunted by their cat named Shadow.

The Meadows family, consisting of mother Beth, daughter Abby, and son Eli, are scared to death of their cat Shadow. Shadow is a gorgeous black cat, but his behavior has become erratic and unpredictable. He hisses, spits, growls, and scratches everyone who comes near him. The family believes that their house is haunted by some sort of evil spirits that have possessed Shadow and turned him into a monster.

Jackson arrives at the Meadows’ home to assess the situation, and he quickly realizes that Shadow is not possessed but is instead acting out of fear and insecurity. He observes that Shadow is spending most of his time hiding behind the sofa and avoiding contact with the family. Jackson discovers that Shadow has a problem with resource guarding, which means that he is fiercely protective of his territory. Shadow has decided that the whole house belongs to him, and he sees the Meadows family as trespassers who need to be chased away.

Jackson sits down with the family to discuss their lousy relationship with Shadow. He explains that the family needs to establish boundaries and rules that Shadow can understand. Jackson tells the family that they need to give Shadow some control over his environment, so they should provide him with a safe and comfortable space that he can call his own. He recommends that they set up a cat tree or a shelf that is exclusively reserved for Shadow.

The next step is to modify Shadow’s behavior by training him to accept new rules. Jackson uses a clicker to train Shadow to associate a positive stimulus with a specific action. For instance, Jackson trains Shadow to give a high-five every time he hears a specific sound, and he rewards Shadow with a treat every time he performs the action correctly. The aim of this training is to replace Shadow’s negative association with the family with a positive association.

Finally, Jackson introduces an anti-anxiety medication to help Shadow cope with his fears. The medication is designed to calm Shadow’s nerves and reduce his anxiety. Jackson advises the family to administer the medication on a daily basis and to monitor Shadow’s behavior closely.

After several sessions with Jackson, Shadow’s behavior starts to change dramatically. He becomes less fearful and more sociable with the family. He stops hissing and growling and instead starts to purr and cuddle with them. The family is amazed at the transformation that has taken place in Shadow, and they thank Jackson for his help.

In conclusion, My Cat From Hell season 7 episode 2, Darkness Comes Knocking, is a heartwarming episode that showcases Jackson Galaxy’s exceptional skills in understanding and helping cats in distress. The episode emphasizes the importance of giving animals control over their environment and the necessity of understanding their behavior. Jackson shows that with patience, skill, and the right medication, even the most challenging cat behavior can be modified.