Houston Chronicle

Fierce feline lives up to TV show’s name

- ASSOCIATED PRESS

PORTLAND, Ore. — In what truly epitomized the title of his TV show, “My Cat From Hell,” feline behavioris­t Jackson Galaxy is calling his attempt to tame the Portland cat notorious for attacking a baby and boxing his panicked owners into a bedroom “the hardest case I have ever worked.”

It got more difficult after the happy ending for the cat named Lux soon unraveled.

In the reality show that aired last weekend, Galaxy persuades another Portland couple to take Lux while the cat is treated with antidepres­sants and antiseizur­e medication. A veterinari­an diagnosed Lux with feline hyperesthe­sia syndrome, which can trigger violent behavior.

But after the episode’s taping, Lux attacked his new guardians and they gave him up for their own safety.

“It was the worst letdown,” Galaxy said. “I don’t think I’ve ever had a bigger shock. This is the hardest case I have ever worked.”

But take heart, Lux supporters. The 4-year-old cat has become Galaxy’s buddy, and the reality star says he hasn’t given up. He’s placed Lux in a veterinary clinic, where the cat undergoes treatment to try to identify what turns this feline Dr. Jekyll into Mr. Hyde.

Lux became one of the most notorious cats in pet history after his owner, Lee Palmer called 911 on March 9 and told dispatcher­s Lux had scratched his son’s head and was out of control. The family barricaded themselves in a bedroom, and Lux could be heard screeching menacingly.

 ?? AP Photo / Animal Planet ?? Jackson Galaxy, host of Animal Planet’s “My Cat From Hell,” has a cat that lives up to the name.
AP Photo / Animal Planet Jackson Galaxy, host of Animal Planet’s “My Cat From Hell,” has a cat that lives up to the name.

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