Cat Talk

Animal Planet seems to be FINALLY shifting away from its ultra-lurid phase of shows like "When Animals Attack" and "20 Most Vicious Animal Attacks" and "Parasites That Will Make You Want To Wash Your Hands" and "I Got Bit." (Those last two aren't the shows' real names, but I know you know which ones I mean.)

In particular, Animal Planet has started three new cat-related shows which cat lovers will definitely want to check out!

Must Love Cats
For the longest time I thought this show was a spin-off of the Janeane Garofalo movie "Must Love Dogs." Which makes no sense, and yet I know at least one other person who thought the same thing!

Must Love Cats is basically a nation-wide travelogue show, similar to Charles Kurault's "On The Road." The show's host, singer-songwriter John Fulton brings us cat-related stories in each episode. He finishes each story with a trademark song, which he sings while playing acoustical guitar. Also, he often (always?) uses the word "kitty" which I find incredibly endearing in a grown man.

I'm pretty sure this show is geared towards eight year olds, but I really enjoy it.

My Cat From Hell
This show can be easily described as "The Dog Whisperer but for cats." But this simplistic description overlooks the show's more subtle charms. Jackson (pictured above) is the Cesar Milan of cats, but I like Jackson a lot better. He looks like a hard-core biker at first glance, until he begins speaking in his trademark calm voice. (P.S. all of his tattoos are of kitties.) And where Cesar shows people how to train and dominate their dogs, Jackson calmly explains how people need to rearrange their lives to better suit their cats.

Cats can experience a surprising range of behavioral problems, but all the shows I have seen so far focus on violent cats. Hopefully the show will expand its scope, and cover the other naughty things that cats do.

If Cesar Milan is forever telling people to "beee the pack leaderrr," Jackson is forever telling his clients to listen to what their cat is telling them, and to respect their cat's wishes. And while there is definitely some Victoria Stillwell vibe going on when Jackson explains how the owners will need to clean up their act (providing quality food and regular exercise, for example), Jackson's laid back, reasonable approach is a welcome one.

Too Cute
Is this just a one-off show? I hope not! I hope it will become a series! I could literally watch this show all day long. It's like Puppy Bowl, but with kittens, and not as demanding.

Too Cute mimics the style of nature documentaries, although its scientific vigor is somewhat lax. It follows three litters of kittens (Persian, Abyssinian, and Bengal) from birth to eight weeks. Mostly, it's just close-up footage of kittens. Can television get much better? I think not.

Also, one of the kittens is named Reginald, which is pretty much the best thing ever.