All language subtitles for My.Cat.from.Hell.S5E07

My cat attacked our seven -month -old
child.

It was the 911 call heard around the
world.

An attacking house cat forces a family
into a locked bedroom where they have to

call 911 for help.

We got a media firestorm, and we got a
family caught in the middle. I saw my

bleeding. His claw was stuck to his
forehead.

He's charging us.

I told her to grab the baby and the dog
and go in the back room.

He just went full -blown attack mode.

He went berserk.

We're trapped in her bedroom. He won't
let us out of her door.

I have never, ever.

Heard about a cat keeping people
hostage.

That's when the media started
broadcasting reports of what happened.

humiliating. A lot of people are talking
about this story on our Facebook page

and Twitter tonight. The cat's been
crazy after baby pulled its tail. Kick

cat while they're already in an agitated
state, and that's like pouring gasoline

into a fire. The family says they're not
ready to comment on the situation at

this point. My main priority right now
is sorting out facts and fiction. I've

got to make sure that this family's
life, and of course Lux's life, is a

one. Where are you at, Lux?

I'm Jackson Galaxy.

I'm a musician by night and a cat
behaviorist by day.

I've met cats with all kinds of
problems.

But I've never met one I couldn't help.

Oh, hello. In my career, I've worked
with thousands of cats one -on -one,

analyzing their behaviors and retraining
them and their guardians.

When relationships are at an end. I
don't have many more options than to

leave. And cat guardians have reached
their emotional limit. Just get rid of

her. I'm their last hope.

Are you all right? Sorry, I don't know.
Cats have nine lives, but humans only

have one.

I'm here in Portland, Oregon, and on
March 9, 2014, Portland became known as

home for the 22 -pound attack cat, Lux.

Now, I only know what you know. I've
watched the news. I've read social

But I'm here today to hopefully get the
real story and to help out this cat and

his family.

I'm Teresa.

I'm Lee. We are the parents of an 8
-month -old baby named Jesse.

And a four -year -old dog named Smokey.
And a crazy cat.

I got Lux when he was a baby. He was
rejected by his mom.

Before I had my baby, he was like my
baby. I have this bond with him that no

else would.

I came into Lux's life when he was
already an adult, and our relationship's

pretty bumpy.

Lux has had violent issues in the past,
but overall, he's a pretty good cat.

The worst offense Lux has ever done was
when we had to call 911.

911? My cat attacked a seven -month -old
child.

The baby was playing on the ground, and
I looked over and saw the cat's claw was

stuck to my son's forehead.

He scratched the baby after the baby
pulled on his tail.

I was really upset when I saw my son
bleeding.

I wanted to attack the cat.

He ran by me, and I tried to kick him.

And he just went full -blown attack
mode. He went berserk. And he came after

So I told her to grab the baby and the
dog and go in the back room.

We were forced to stay in our back
bedroom.

I know

my cat, and he's not going

to stop at just anything. He wants
blood. In that very moment, he wants

face.

I don't. I know my cat.

I felt that the only way that I was
going to be able to get out of there is

either hurt the cat or call 911.

An attacking house cat forces the family
into the locked bedroom where they have

been.

They're not ready to comment on the
situation at this point. I watch Jackson

TV all the time, and I feel like Jackson
is the perfect guy for this kid. I do

understand that Lux can be dangerous.

I think that the cat can't be trusted.
You know, an animal with five razor

blades on each hand is not safe around a
child.

But you don't know him like I do, too,
though. I'm torn between my cat and my

son, but I don't want to ever see my
child get hurt.

He's a danger and hazard to my son. I
don't know if he's going to flip out.

It's scary because I want to be able to
keep my cat.

It's a hard decision to have to make.

Jackson is our last resort, for sure.

You know, I've got to say, I've never
worked on a case like this before. I've

never walked into a home having the news
precede me.

hysteria that there's no way for either
Lux or his people to get a fair shake.

Teresa, I'm Jackson. Good to see you.
Nice to meet you.

Man, obviously I've heard a lot on the
news. I've read a lot in the paper. I

have looked on the internet. Just like
everybody else, it seems like this story

is everywhere.

What's your son's name?

Jesse. Did Jesse pull tail or something
like that? Yeah, Jesse got a little too

close to the cat before I could go grab
him. By the time I went to go grab him,

Lux had already slaughtered him.

damage to jesse he had two little
puncture wounds in his forehead his claw

stuck to his forehead i scared the cat
and he pulled it off yeah right he had a

big ball like a lump wow man and don't
get me wrong i hate hearing when a child

gets attacked by an animal but in this
case i have to worry about jesse's

and lux's safety as well that's job
number one I know that at that point,

there's the infamous, I kicked the cat
in the butt thing.

I wanted to just, urgh, the cat, you
know? And I tried to kick him, and I

barely touched him with the tip of my
toe. You barely got him with your toe? I

barely even touched him. Yeah. In the
papers?

Right, I'm a cat abuser. You are a cat
abuser, man.

It's never okay to hurt an animal. At
the same time, I can only imagine what

was going through as a parent, seeing
his child in pain.

My first instinct as a mother was to
grab my son, and I moved him to the back

bedroom. So everyone winds up back
there, and... He's at the door.

No.

I knew at that very moment when he was
making those sounds that there was no

negotiating. He wants blood, I can tell
you that.

When the police came, they cornered the
cat and dog stared at him. Did they take

him away?

He's like my baby, so I didn't want him
to go. I wanted to figure out what was

wrong with him. What I'm worried about
is what happened after the fact.

A couple days later, Lux was on his
perch, and I went to go pet Lux, and he

started hissing and yelling and coming
forward towards me. I tried to get near

the cat, but I couldn't do it.

I'd come towards him, and he'd start
coming at me. Did animal control have to

come? Yeah. Animal control came. I told
him to take it.

It broke my heart to see left go, but in
that moment, I needed to do something

about it right then, and then I needed
to call someone to get this under

control. When he wound up at the
shelter, did you guys have a

off the bat saying, there's no way we're
done?

That was the last thing I wanted. It
hurt me. I didn't want him in there.

First thing we started doing was they
took him and started turning him back.

I really admire the dedication that Lee
and Teresa have for Lux. After all

they've been through, having to
physically remove his claw from their

head, living in fear of another attack,
and yet they're still trying to make

this work. I love that. I mean, tell me
how you feel about him now. He's back

here. Same behavior.

Do you trust him? Not at all. I don't
trust him.

Teresa?

I do, but the problem is that he's so
unpredictable.

If you don't want to deal with Lux, I
will.

I will take care of finding him a new
home if I've got to. I don't want to get

rid of my cat.

When I say my cat, I'm pretty much
saying my baby.

I'm going to do everything in my power
to keep Lux in this house with this

family, but...

At the end of the day, if I feel that
this isn't the right place for Lux, or

Jesse's not safe around him, then
rehoming is still very much on the

What's up, mister?

It was literally right here.

And the baby came up and pulled on the
cat's tail.

I went to go try to kick him. I just
barely, barely touched his butt with my

toe.

So Lux comes towards you guys. Where'd
you go?

I went to the back bedroom.

All right, let's head there.

So you scooped up Jesse, and boom, we're
in here. Yeah.

And he's out there.

I kept opening the door to see if he was
gone or if he had... And every time you

opened the door, he was right there. He
would hiss and... I'm shaking.

He's at our door, bedroom door.

One moment, okay?

Man, what cat keeps coming at you like
this?

Where's Lux now?

In the next room.

Since you've gotten him back from the
shelter, have you guys felt okay going

that room? No, not at all. We've been
scared.

All right, well, listen, I'm going to go
in there. I'd like you guys to stay in

here just in case he gets by me.

I'd rather you guys stay safe. I will be
back in just a few minutes, okay? Okay,

perfect.

I'm not going to lie, I'm a little
scared right now.

Lee and Teresa are too frightened to
even go into Lux's room, so how is he

to react to a complete stranger?

Did you see that?

All the media hype. His owners felt the
need to call 911. Cats that went crazy

after babies pulled their tails.

That famous 911 call.

My cat attacked a seven -month -old
child.

In this moment, anything can happen.

Where are you, bub -bub?

When Jackson went into that room, I was
a little frightened.

Just because I've seen what luck can do.

Where are you at, luck?

There you are.

Hey, I see you.

I see you.

Your eyes are huge.

I'm in Portland helping Lee and Teresa,
the couple that called 911 on their cat,

Lux.

My cat attacked our seven -month -old
child.

I'm walking into Lux's room.

There you are, buddy.

I don't know what's going to happen.
Right now, I'm expecting the worst.

Nice to see you.

Okay. Your eyes are huge.

His eyes are completely dilated, and
he's releasing this low, guttural growl.

don't know if he's just scared or if
he's going to attack, but I need him to

come out. And if he's not going to, then
I've got to go in.

I'm going to take this, and I'm going to
move it, okay?

And then you can hang where you are.

Hi, buddy.

Hi, love.

Hi.

It's okay, buddy.

Come here.

That's that look they're talking about,
huh?

I don't know, buddy. I'm not sure about
you.

You know what I don't like, buddy?

Is that your eyes are huge.

You keep looking for a way to get away
from me.

You're a little frozen, man. And I don't
like frozen.

Will you take some food from me?

What is that?

Yeah, you see you're so suspicious
licking your lip.

What I don't see is I do not see a
vicious cat.

Matter of fact, I'm going to get all the
way down here with you.

You're not running.

Your eyes are becoming more normal.

I do not see a killer.

Right now, all I'm seeing is fear, and
not even extreme fear.

Lux is out in the middle of the room
with me. His eyes are back to normal.

scared, but calm.

The cat that I've heard about in the
media.

He's acting crazy.

The cat that Lee and Teresa have been
describing to me is not in the room

now. Now, that doesn't mean that Lux
isn't capable of an attack. I'm just not

seeing it at this moment.

What do we have for you?

Good exemption.

You going to eat for me?

Good boy. Thank you so much.

Man, you're coming back to life. You're
following the trail.

Up, up, up.

Good boy.

Lux is literally eating off my lap right
now. And that's huge because he's

showing me that he can trust strangers
like me by accepting food. But with

everything I've heard, there's something
in the back of my head that's waiting

for that crazy cat to come out at any
moment.

Should I go for the big move?

Should I go for the big move?

Can I pick you up?

Come here.

And kaboom.

This cat keeping someone hostage.

I don't know.

Something is not adding up with you,
buddy.

I can only diagnose what I see. And
right now, I'm not seeing anything but a

seemingly normal cat.

Now, I'm not doubting that something
happened. And I'm not doubting the fear

that Lee and Teresa have towards Lux. Or
what I've heard from the 911 call

itself. In order to get to the bottom of
this, I need to see Lee and Teresa

interact with Lux.

Hi, buddy, buddy. Come on in, guys. Come
on in. Come on in. Everybody in.

Let's close that door.

Now, I just spent however long I was in
here with him,

and he is 100 % normal right

now. It kind of scared me to come into
that room because I don't know what Lex

is going to do. He's unpredictable to
me.

Teresa, are you still dealing with fear
of him?

I mean, I see you're looking over your
shoulder. Maybe a little bit because I

just, like I said, I've seen the way he,
you can see it in his eyes. You

definitely have a relationship with him
based on the fact that you were his

mother. Oh, wow.

You right now are putting this like
electricity into him.

Cats are energetic beings that feed off
the energy around them. And the energy

that I'm seeing around Teresa right now
is not good for luck.

At this moment, I'm not sure who I came
here to help, Teresa or luck.

Let's start talking about what's going
on here.

First things first, I want you guys to
get him to the vet ASAP because I want

him to have a tip -to -tail checkup.

The story that Lee and Teresa told me
and the cat that I met today just do not

fit together. So I need to find out from
a vet if medically there might be a

missing piece to the puzzle, like pain
or a chemical imbalance.

And then I want you to do a little
catification because if he doesn't have

vertical world here available to him,
then Jesse becomes a threat.

Right? Then Smokey becomes a threat,
especially the fact that Jesse is about

start toddling around the world.

I want Lane to reach here to build a cat
superhighway so Lux will be out of

reach from Jesse and Smokey. And you're
going to institute play sessions with

him. Lux has been cooped up in that
cluttered back bedroom for way too long,

that's no life for a cat.

We are here for the best life for your
family and for this cat. And if it's not

here, we've got to talk about that.

All right, guys, I'm going to take off,
okay? Okay, perfect. Great to meet you.

Nice to meet you, too. All right, take
care, man. You, too.

The cat has a couple weeks to get
better.

We're going to do our side of the work,
and hopefully Lex will come through and

do his side, because if he doesn't, then
he's gone.

All right, I'm back in Portland for my
second visit with Teresa and Lee and

their cat Lux, the infamous 911 cat who
trapped these guys in their bedroom.

This thing has gone completely viral.
Normally I would go over to Lee and

Teresa's house. I'm not going to do
that. I have some hands -on research I

to do first because nothing about this
case is normal.

My first stop today is the Cat Hospital
of Portland. I sent Lee and Teresa to

the vet for their homework, so I want to
check in with the doctor and find out

what her experience was like.

Hi. How are you? So nice to meet you.
Nice to meet you as well. Hi, welcome.

you had a chance to spend time with Lux?
I did. We did a full physical exam,

whiskers to tail.

Everything looked really good. I did not
elicit any pain from him, nor could I

find any systems in him that were sick.
Would you say that he's a well cat?

We haven't found anything medically
wrong, which leads me to believe that

might be something that we're missing
based on the reaction of the guardians.

The female guardian repeatedly expressed
that she was fearful of him, even when

he was doing very benign things.

No, don't let him come over here. I saw
more anxiety in the guardians than I did

in the actual cat.

I've seen the same reaction from Lee and
Teresa that you've seen.

I'm stumped. Now, in my experience, a
cat who is aggressive, if they're at the

vet, they're going to do one of two
things.

They're either going to lash out or
they're going to go into freeze mode.

Lux was normal.

What am I missing? What I've heard in
the media.

The cat that went crazy after baby
pulled its tail.

What I've heard from Lee and Teresa, the
911 call itself.

He's charging us.

Things are not adding up. If we can rule
out a behavioral cause, then we might

need to do some other tests that
actually tell us that his brain is

normally and that his spinal cord is
normal as well. So what kind of tests

you looking at? You know, I think at
this point we need to think about doing

MRI. Now, an MRI is definitely costly.

They have to be put under general
anesthesia for it, and it may not be

rewarding. It's hard to know.

Now, before we do the MRI, I still have
to rule out that there's any behavioral

cause to what he's doing. I'll let you
know what happens, and we'll move

if we have to. Okay. Thank you so much
for your time. You're so welcome. Thank

you. All right. Take care. I got one
more stop I have to make before I go to

and Teresa.

Hey, how are you? Hey, I'm Austin
Bushelot. You can call me Tim. Oh,

Tim. I need to hear from the first
officer that responded to that 911 call.

want to talk to you about Lux the cat.
If you don't mind talking a bit about

can you? Yeah, I can. Oh, good, good.

I am trying to catch up. I'm trying to
get up to speed with what actually

happened that night with Teresa and Lux.

I get a radio call. Got a 22 -pound cat.

It's barricading the owners inside their
own room. We aren't safe around the

cats. It's a very large Himalayan.

Do you mind taking me through what
happened when you got there?

We knocked and they yelled, the door is
open, we're stuck inside the bedroom,

help us.

Keeping a dog, a child, a grown man, and
a woman inside their own room.

In my business, there's people either
underplay or overplay everything.

So you're a 22 -pound cat.

This could be a mountain lion. We don't
know. Yeah, yeah. What I found was a

black and white house cat hiding
underneath a chair.

The cat was the one that's supposedly
barricading them.

So I was looking around like, what am I
missing here?

You're like, where's the other cat?
Yeah, where's the other cat? Where's the

one? He pushed himself way back against
the wall underneath the chair. He looked

pretty frightened to me. Yeah, yeah. So
as soon as I got close, oh, the cat just

bolted. Lightning speed.

When he felt threatened by you guys...

He didn't fight. He flighted. Is there
anything else I need to know about Lux

before I go see him? I think you've got
the whole story here, at least my end of

it. You've given me so much great
information. Again, thank you so much,

Nice to meet you, Jack. Thank you for
what you do. Take care.

There's so much in this story that's not
adding up for me. So far, I haven't

experienced Lux as an aggressive cat,
and neither has Officer Bush a lot.

My next stop is to see Lee and Teresa.
Now, these guys are young, stressed -out

parents, and after talking to the
doctor, it's hard to determine if Lux's

environment is provoking him to the
point of aggression or if there's

more medically that we should be
investigating.

I'm really anxious to hear how the past
couple of weeks have been, and I'm

really hoping that things have been at
least a little better since my last

visit.

How have things been?

Tell me how Lux is.

Let's go.

It was getting better until yesterday.

I was trying to go to the baby and his
eyes went boom.

His ears went back and just started
hissing and growling. And the cat was

in attack mode. What happened?

So I was sitting in the living room and
I felt this like burning as if something

was looking at me or like, you know,
eyes in the back of my head.

And he was hissing. I mean, there was
nothing I could have done to set that

I've watched this incident that Teresa's
talking about. What she's describing,

I'm not seeing.

So I'm going to have them reenact the
moment for me. Let's walk through the

incident. What were you guys doing?

I was in the living room sitting down
watching TV.

Lee was in the back room preparing food
for the baby.

I walked towards Lee, and I realized Lex
had his ears pinned back, and he was

already yowling for no apparent reason.

I was a little freaked out. I wasn't
sure what to do.

I need you over here, Teresa.

I need you to help me, please.

So I'm here at Lee and Teresa's house
for my second visit with them and their

cat, Lux. Now, since my last visit, Lee
and Teresa said that Lux had another

outburst.

So far, I haven't seen the violent cat
that Lee and Teresa have been

describing. And to be honest, I'm not
sure what to think right now.

Let me just grab my footage here.

Tell me what you're seeing here.

The closer you get to him, the louder
that sound gets.

I was trying to go to the baby. I saw
the cat was on full attack mode.

Full attack mode?

He's just meowing.

Is he meowing?

Now,

Teresa, you sound completely undone by
this.

From watching this video, I can tell
that there's a real sense of fear from

and Teresa, but for the most part, I'm
not seeing any behavior from Lux that

warrants that fear.

At one point, I did see Lux charge the
door, but I can't tell if Lux is an

aggressive cat or if Lee and Teresa are
stressing him out to the point of

violence. So, ready to get some
homework?

Here's what I want to propose to you
guys. I want to see Lux's behavior in a

neutral environment.

This is such an unusual case, so I'm
going to try something I've only done

a few times in my career.

I want to bring Lux to a foster family
for a week, so I'll be able to determine

if the problem is his environment or if
there's something behaviorally or

medically wrong with him that I just
haven't seen yet. But before I can do

anything, I need to get Teresa's buy
-in. If I don't have that, I'm not sure

what to do. There's a foster parent
that...

I place him in her home for a week, and
I see what his behavior is like.

I just feel bad. You know, it's like if
I had a child and had to give it up for

adoption or give it to someone else, you
know, after I already had this.

This is a decision that we have to make.
And when he comes back here, or if he

doesn't, it's because we made a decision
based solely on his happiness.

So, yeah.

I agree.

I understand.

Thank you. Just take care of him,
please. You don't ever got to worry

with me.

I want what's best for Lux.

There's times where he's got to make
decisions without having to think what

they're feeling.

Do you mind going and putting him in the
carrier for me? I don't mind at all.

I'll take him. I couldn't be more proud
of Teresa for taking such a huge step on

behalf of her cat. And I really believe
that this action is crucial for Lux to

be able to communicate his needs to us.
Okay.

So, we got Lux.

We're going to bring him over to the
foster home tonight.

But when we come back here next time, we
will be able to make a very informed

decision about what to do. All right?
All right. That's pretty cool.

All right. I'm going to take off.

Take care, guys.

Hard for me. That cat means a lot to me.
And, yeah, it's going to be hard.

The Oregon Humane Society is just an
awesome place. They're an excellent

resource for finding foster families.
People hear the word shelter, they

immediately think of this bad place, but
that can't be further from the truth.

Shelters serve to foster and adopt
animals into loving homes, and this

organization is an amazing example of
that.

How are you?

How are you doing? Good.

I'm happy we got a foster parent because
this is going to be really...

Good day for him. Foster families are
absolutely crucial to the success of the

shelter system.

This is Molly and Jim, the foster
parents. Hey, I want to see how Lux

a household with no children and no
dogs.

Now, you guys have been fostering for
how long?

Since 2006.

Have you kept count? How many have come
through?

Over 40.

That's just amazing.

You guys ready to meet Lux? You bet. All
right, cool.

There we go.

I'm sure you can see the news.

There you know him. The whole world
seems to know him.

I know him as being a sweet, scared boy.

He's really beautiful.

I just want to get him to your home.

His life has been so chaotic lately.

There he is, your sweetie.

All right, now, usually I would give you
guys homework right about now, but

instead of that...

All I want you to do is put him in a
stress -free environment, which is your

home. I just want to see how he reacts
in a quiet, stress -free household.

Are you guys up for the challenge for
him?

You bet.

Okay, good.

In a week, I hope I'll finally have some
answers, and ultimately I'll be able to

tell exactly what's best for Lux, but
only time will tell. Well, thank you

much. Take care, okay?

All right, I'm back in Portland for my
final visit with Teresa and Lee and

cat, Lux.

Yes, the cat who famously held his
family hostage in their bedroom.

He's charging us. He's at our door, our
bedroom door.

One moment.

Now, I have yet to see that violent,
unpredictable behavior that Lee and

say is a daily part of their lives. So
the last time I was here, I decided to

take Lux out of that environment, put
him with a foster family, and see how

affected his behavior. So today...

I'm here to figure out what's best for
Lux, to stay in the only home he's ever

known, or is it time for him to find a
new one?

Hey. Hey, how's it going?

Good, how are you doing? Very well,
thank you. Good, good. I've got to ask

I haven't heard anything at all. How are
things going with Lux?

Well, things got off on a great note.
The cat was affectionate. It took very

little time for the cat to warm up.

Good spines all the way through, but
then there was a violent incident.

The ears went back, the eyes got
dilated, and the cat attacked Molly's

blood. Molly actually had to go to the
doctor.

Oh. I know.

Wow. We took him out of one environment,
we put him into another environment,

the behavior came back. It has nothing
to do with the environment at all.

So there's got to be something organic
going on. Because Lux was at Molly and

Jim's house, a quiet, low -stress
environment, now I can 100 % rule out

freestanding behavioral issue. Lux's
aggressive outbursts are just completely

unpredictable, which leads me to believe
that there has to be an underlying

medical issue that's setting up this
behavior.

How are Molly and Jim?

They love this cat. I mean, they meet a
bond instantly.

treasured foster parents here, and so
they just stepped up to the plate, and

it's just terrific.

Thank you for hooking me up with these
parents, because honestly, that gives me

a direction I didn't have before.

Well, you know, we have 350 foster
parents here at the Oregon Humane

and they help over 1 ,500 animals stay
in a home until they can go get adopted.

How many adoptions do you guys do a
year?

We do over 11 ,000 adoptions with a save
rate of 98%. Yeah!

So excited. Not bad, man. That's
amazing.

If it weren't for Molly and Jim,

Lux wouldn't be here. I'll be honest
with you, I don't know what to do. I

I can't take him back to Lee and
Teresa's house because of the baby, the

and I don't want Molly and Jim to be
living in fear.

Got a lot of work to do.

Oh, Jackson, good luck.

Thank you. I'll let you know how it
goes. Thank you so much, Barbara. Thank

I have to find out what medically could
be causing Lux's behavior, so I'm having

Molly and Jim bring Lux back to the
vet's office for an MRI.

Hey, Jackson.

Good to see you. Good to see you, too.
I'm just hoping that we can finally get

some answers. Otherwise, honestly, Lux
doesn't stand a chance.

Glad you're here.

Yeah, I am, too. I know that Lux is now
getting the MRI done.

Give us a chance to talk about what...

happened he turned around and suddenly
started to meow he started vocalized and

his ears went back and he hissed and
tried to get me it's the 911 cat yeah

everything they said my cat attacked a
seven -month -old child he scratched me

badly on the back of my leg Lex was
doing so well, and I was definitely

a bond with him. I really loved him. I
thought he was really adapting to our

home. I do enjoy Lex's company.

You know, if we can get back to where we
were before, it'd be great.

Want to see if the results are in? You
bet.

Hi. Hi.

Hey, how are you? Good. How are you?

Doing okay. I think we're all just a
little nervous.

And how are things going here with Lex?
We do have his test results today.

You do? Yeah. Okay.

And?

Normal. Normal. Completely normal MRI of
the brain, completely normal MRI of the

spine. Because his MRI was essentially
completely normal, I do think that we

should treat him as a form of feline
hyperesthesia syndrome.

The effect is almost like a seizure,
right? That's right.

Feline hypersthesia is a
hyperstimulation of nerves. Now, there's

predict when it's going to happen, but
typically it causes cats to feel pain

throughout their spine, their tail, and
their skin. Now, most cases I've dealt

with, cats with this medical condition
attack themselves.

How rare is it that a hypersthesia cat
attacks people?

Actually, it's not that uncommon.

The more common case is, of course, to
turn on oneself, but that really is the

closest diagnosis we have.

Now, there isn't any kind of medical
test to say, yes, this is 100 % feline

hyperthesia syndrome. The only way to
diagnose the condition is through the

process of elimination.

The bad news is there's no cure and no
guarantee that Lux is going to live a

pain -free life or will not have another
aggressive outburst.

The good news is that once it manifests,
it typically doesn't get worse as the

cat ages, and there's promising
treatments by combining antidepressants

anti -seizure medication.

We've got to start talking about...

What happens next if this medication
doesn't work?

He has another triggered reaction.

Especially if he has one of these
reactions and he's been appropriately

medicated, things really aren't looking
good for him. If he's not well in his

environment, if he's not happy, then we
have tough decisions to make. It's hard

to look at things like euthanasia, but
if he's in pain and we can't control it,

I don't see the other option.

Right. You know?

I'm always going to do everything in my
power before even thinking about a

measure like euthanasia. We've run every
test on Lux medically and behaviorally,

and if this medication doesn't work, if
Lux is suffering, if Lux is in pain,

then euthanasia is the only humane
choice.

But I'm holding out hope that this
treatment is going to work.

Over the next couple weeks, we're going
to get all the answers we need.

I hope so. Hopefully they're good ones.
Yeah, I hope so.

If you don't have any more questions,
Lux is ready to be discharged now.

Now the question is, of course, where's
he going to go? Because I can't

recommend in good conscience that Lux go
back to Lee and Teresa, not with a nine

-month -old baby.

Listen, we've all got a lot of thinking
to do. Do you mind taking him home now,

and then we can just talk about it a
little later, whether he's going to stay

with you guys?

Sure. Good.

Okay. All right, we're going to take
off.

Good to see you again. Nice to see you,
too. All right, bye -bye.

Bye, thanks. Bye.

It's really hard to be afraid of someone
you love, but that's kind of where I am

with Lux right now.

I'm definitely a little uncomfortable
around him, but Lux is such a great cat

that it's hard not to want to take this
next step and try and help him.

Now, while it is a relief to finally
have some answers about luck, now I've

to go back and break the news to Lee and
Teresa.

I mean, since there's no cure for
hyperesthesia and because there's a

strong chance that luck is going to have
another outburst, I am truly worried

that Jesse's not going to be safe around
luck.

Guys, tell me, how's the last week been?
I'd say it's been a little different

around here without luck.

This past week was less worrisome for me
at the house. It was kind of a relief

to know that I could just leave Jesse on
the ground and know that he's going to

be okay. It made my day. It made me feel
a little bit better. I'm glad that you

feel a little less stressed out.

Now, I have an update for you about
Lux's day with the foster family.

He had his moment when he first got
there. He was settling in. He was a

and loving cat, and then he snapped, and
he became violent.

Oh, Lux.

This is where we have to start talking
about what happens today, what happens

the next couple of weeks and the rest of
his life.

The vet has diagnosed Lux with feline
hyperesthesia syndrome.

And while there are some promising
treatments out there, there's no

that this medication is going to work
100 % of the time. And I'm concerned.

I'm concerned for him and I'm concerned
for Jesse.

I know you love Lux, but I don't think
this is the right home for him. What

you're asking me here is if I don't mind
rehoming him into this foster home.

I think that it's the right thing to do.

Yeah, I don't know if I can do that.

There have been several times in my
career that I've recommended rehoming a

In this case, I am sure that it's the
right move to get him into a new home.

Lux is a special needs cat. Any added
stress can only aggravate this

I can't change the dynamic in this
house.

I've got a child who's about to start
walking, and I can't guarantee that Lux

won't have another outburst around
Jesse.

If we need to make changes for him to be
able to adapt and live here better and

happier, then we can do that. You would
have to keep Lux locked up in that back

bedroom to ensure that Jesse's safe. And
that's not a quality of life for Lux.

We made a deal when I first met you
guys. We're going to talk about what's

for him.

And that's what we're talking about. And
as far as I'm concerned, I don't know

what to tell you guys that's going to
make it predictable in here.

I want my cat back.

I'm here for my final visit with Lee and
Teresa and their cat, Lux. Now, through

the process of elimination, Lux has been
diagnosed with feline hyperesthesia

syndrome, a condition that causes
violent outbursts. And while there are

promising treatments out there, there is
no cure, and there is no way that Lux

can stay in a home with a small child.

Right now, I just need Teresa to agree
to rehome him. Believe me, I know this

a hard choice for her, but in my
opinion, it's the only choice.

What you're asking me here is if I don't
mind rehoming him into this foster

home. I think that it's the right thing
to do.

This is your decision to make, not mine.

That's hard.

I know.

I just had that cat for many years, and
I felt like, you know, it was the

closest thing to me.

I'm sorry. I didn't want to upset you.

No, it's fine.

You shouldn't give him a better home
than I can than you are.

You okay with it?

Yeah.

Thank you. It's the right thing, man.

It's been a hard thing to do and a hard
process to go through. I didn't want to

part with my cat for nothing.

I know what's best for him, and what's
best for him just isn't with me right

now. I thank you for thinking in his
best interest over anybody else.

Now, this wasn't an easy decision for
Teresa, but locking Lux up in a room for

the rest of his life in order to keep
Jesse safe is not a good life for Lux.

I'm really proud of her. She put her
family's needs and her cat's needs

her own. Give me a hug, man.

Thank you, Jackson.

You're welcome. Thank you so much.

Lux, I miss you. I love you, and I will
always think of you.

Take care, guys.

Man, this has been a long road.

but there's still one more stop I need
to make before I leave Portland.

Now, normally, foster parents do just
that. They foster.

Usually, I would never ask a foster
parent to adopt because the shelters

all of those foster parents that they
can get.

Hi, Jackson. Molly, how are you? Good to
see you again. Good to see you, too.

But it would be almost impossible to
find a home for a cat with Lux's needs,

in this case, I have to make an
exception.

I know that Molly and Jim have fallen
for Lux. Now I'm just hoping they're

willing to commit to giving him his
forever home.

All right, guys. So I just got back from
Lee and Teresa's.

And before I tell you what went on over
there, I just want to thank you guys. I

know that things haven't turned out in a
storybook way. I know that we're still

dealing with risks. And I can't promise
you it's not going to happen again.

He's the best cat.

He's just so sweet, and he really
deserves the best chance he can get.

what we know now, Lee and Teresa decided
as long as you would take him, they

would let go of him.

So, will you take him? Oh, absolutely.

That's fantastic.

I can't promise Molly and Jim that the
medication is going to work on luck,

You've got to love that they're willing
to give it a try. Now, I'm hoping for

the best, but if at any point Molly and
Jim are in danger, or if I feel that Lux

is suffering, then I'm going to need to
reconsider what's best for everyone

involved. But I'm going to leave here
today knowing that we have done

that we can do to give Lux the
environment and the tools and the people

needs to become a happy and healthy cat.

Thank you so much for giving this guy a
great life.

Now that I know that...

probably this hyperesthesia syndrome.

I'm totally into treating this.

It's only been a week since I've known
Lux, but in that week, I have absolutely

come to love him. I'm hoping that this
medication will do the trick for him.

If you need anything, please let me
know. And again, thank you so much for

everything you've done. Jackson, I
definitely appreciate the fact that you

stepped in to help save this cat, and
I'm really glad that he ended up with

I want him to have a good home, and
hopefully we can provide it.

We're going to try.

Call me if you need me, okay?

I will.

Bye, guys.

This case has been a journey. What began
with a desperate cry for help from a

young family...

My cat attacked a seven -month -old
child. Sparked a media firestorm.

Lux quickly became known as the most
ferocious cat in America.

Lee and Teresa were completely vilified.
I'm a cat abuser. In the end...

Neither was true.

Now I'm sure a lot of people are going
to have a lot of opinions about where

should have gone and how Lux should have
been treated. But as always, this is a

case where we had to listen to the cat.

And Lux has very specific needs.

What once worked simply doesn't anymore.

And now Lee and Teresa no longer have to
live in fear and Lux has found an

appropriate home.

In most other circumstances, a cat like
Lux... would have been surrendered to a

shelter, and because of his aggressive
tendencies, he probably never would have

made it out of that shelter.

But because Lee and Teresa just refused
to give up on Lux, because of shelters

like Oregon Humane and foster families
like Molly and Jim, this lucky cat has a

second chance.