
Catification: Designing a Happy
by Jackson Galaxy, Kate Benjamin
A cat behavior and home design guide by Jackson Galaxy and Kate Benjamin showing how to redesign living spaces to meet feline territorial and psychological needs.
$15.22 on AmazonRead our full reviewAt a glance
About the Author
Jackson Galaxy, Kate Benjamin1 book reviewed
Catification
Designing a Happy
by Jackson Galaxy, Kate Benjamin
LuvemBooks Verdict
Best for: Design-conscious cat guardians who own their home and are frustrated that conventional cat furniture clashes with their interior aesthetic — and want a visually rich, actionable guide to resolving that tension.
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- Is it worth reading?
- For cat owners who maintain design-conscious interiors and are frustrated by conventional cat furniture — carpeted towers, utilitarian litter enclosures — Catification is a genuinely useful and well-produced resource. Its New York Times bestseller status and Library Journal's Best Interior Design Book of 2014 designation reflect strong crossover appeal beyond the pet-care shelf. The main caveat is that readers hoping for a clinical deep-dive into feline behavioral science will find the book prioritizes design solutions over behavioral theory; Galaxy's behavioral insights are present but serve the design framework. Renters who cannot make structural modifications may also find some of the more ambitious projects impractical for their situation.
- Similar books
- Readers who enjoy Catification will find strong companions in other titles focused on feline behavior and cat-guardian relationships. Jackson Galaxy's own Total Cat Mojo: The Ultimate Guide to Life with Your Cat goes deeper into behavioral theory, making it a natural next step for readers who want more of Galaxy's behavioral framework beyond the design context. For science-grounded insight into how cats think and feel, John Bradshaw's Cat Sense: How the New Feline Science Can Make You a Better Friend to Your Pet is a well-regarded resource. Pam Johnson-Bennett's Think Like a Cat: How to Raise a Well-Adjusted Cat — Not a Sour Puss and Mieshelle Nagelschneider's The Cat Whisperer: Why Cats Do What They Do — and How to Get Them to Do What You Want both offer practical behavioral guidance. For readers who appreciate the human-animal bond angle, Arden Moore's The Cat Behavior Answer Book rounds out the shelf.
- Who should read this?
- The book's clearest audience is cat guardians who already care about interior aesthetics and feel frustrated that conventional cat products — carpeted towers, utilitarian litter enclosures — clash with their home's design. It is also well-suited to DIY-inclined readers across a range of budgets and skill levels, as the publisher and multiple reviewers note the book presents ideas accessible even to those who are 'DIY challenged and on a very tight budget,' per Adopt-a-Pet.com. Readers seeking clinical behavioral science or who rent and cannot make structural modifications will get less from it than those who own their homes and want actionable design inspiration.
- Is it more design or cat behavior?
- The balance firmly favors design. Galaxy's behavioral insights are woven throughout — his background in diagnosing cat behavior problems informs which environmental features cats actually need — but those insights serve the design framework rather than the other way around. The book's recognition as Library Journal's Best Interior Design Book of 2014 (rather than a behavioral science title) reflects this orientation accurately. Readers wanting clinical feline psychology or a deep behavioral science resource should look to a title like John Bradshaw's Cat Sense or Galaxy's own Total Cat Mojo.
- How hard are the DIY projects?
- The book explicitly covers ideas across every budget and skill level, according to both the publisher and multiple reviewers. Adopt-a-Pet.com noted that 'even if you are DIY challenged and on a very tight budget, there's such a range of ideas for all types of people, cats, and homes.' The step-by-step tutorials and real-world project examples from cat guardians worldwide are designed to translate inspiration into action for a broad audience — though the most ambitious built-environment projects may require structural modifications that aren't feasible for renters.
- How was it received by critics?
- Critical reception at publication was notably strong. Library Journal named Catification the Best Interior Design Book of 2014 — a designation that signals crossover appeal well beyond the pet-care category. Examiner.com described it as 'a must have' for households with one cat or ten, and Adopt-a-Pet.com highlighted its inclusivity for readers of all budgets and skill levels. The book became a New York Times bestseller, reflecting reach well beyond the core cat-enthusiast audience.
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Age & Reading Level
Recommended age
Adult
Reading level
Adult
Skip if you're looking for a clinical deep-dive into feline behavioral science rather than a design-forward enrichment guide
Editorial Review
Co-authored by Jackson Galaxy, star of Animal Planet's *My Cat from Hell*, and Kate Benjamin, founder of the cat design website Hauspanther.com, *Catification* is a New York Times bestseller that doubles as both a feline behavior primer and a practical interior design manual — earning praise from *Library Journal* as its Best Interior Design Book of 2014.
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