Something amazing happened a few weeks ago. Teresa Barker, Lux’s original human-mom left a comment on one of my blogposts. Teresa is the woman who gave Lux up through Jackson after Lux scratched her baby and terrorized her family in 2014. She is the beginning of the story, and though she declined to do an interview with me, she did approve my sharing her comments in a blogpost.
This is what she wrote:
(My comments are in bold)
Teresa Barker
Jul 26, 2018
“So for those of you out there who do not know, I was the one who raised Lux since the very day his mother gave birth to him in my apartment! I kept him and his mom. He was the only one out of the litter I did keep. He was tiny and a bit feisty then, but all for good because he was still in the sack left there when I came to his rescue. I chose to keep him after weeks of dropper feeding him, and if not for me, he probably would have been left for dead by his momma. Now I don’t know if mom cats can tell if something is wrong with their kittens, because she was great with the other three— just not with Lux, so I had a soft spot for him and kept him.”
That’s an interesting question: Did Lux’s mother know there was something different about him right from the start?
“He was great over the years, my best friend who always slept right next to me. A year before all this happened, I had my son’s grandma passing away, and I moved in with her several days out of the week to take care of her. I was staying in two places, but I would always come home to Lux every day or so and give him food and water and check on him and play with him. Then I ended up pregnant, and shorty after that, my son’s dad and I moved into an apartment together. Of course I took Lux with me, and he took his dog that was given to him when his mom (my son’s) grandma passed away. The cat and the dog were fine together— me and my son’s dad were not getting along very well though. He was constantly yelling at me to get rid of Lux. He didn’t like him. I, of course, refused.
“Lux never acted like this until after my son’s dad moved in, so I’m not exactly sure what all took place or what happened other than that day, but it makes me wonder if, when I wasn’t around, something else was going on. Needless to say my son’s dad and I are no longer together.”
Here is another insight. Was something happening while Teresa was gone that she didn’t know about?
“…Then he started attacking me when I walked away, and I didn’t like it. It scared me… he didn’t use to do that. I wish I had read the signs better; maybe I could have prevented some of what happened, but I’d just had a baby and was trying to please everyone around me…
“I lost my best friend. Even Jackson new how painful it was for me to give Lux up, but I didn’t do it because I didn’t want him— I did it because I felt in my heart that it was the best thing for him right then. I was juggling too much as a new-time mom and dealing with the stress of everything else…
“I think about Lux every day. I named him Lux because it meant light; he was white and black, and I wanted his name to complement his lighter colors. He was my best friend, and he is truly missed.”
I love finally knowing how he got his name!
“I just wanted to finally put my side of the story out there… I really feel people got the wrong impression of me. Lux was my world, I tell ya. He was a great cat, and there’s always two sides to every story. I’m not sure who to blame, but I know I was a great owner, and he was a great cat. What people don’t understand is I had Lux for 4 years, and he never once used to be like that. It truly makes me wonder, looking back, if something else was going on when I wasn’t home; however I can’t attest to that because I wasn’t around. I don’t even like to think about that because it’s awful. I will say I miss him and I love him and I still carry him in my heart every day.
I’m sorry, Luxie. You truly were the light of my life.
Love you, Lux!”
………………………
I am so moved by Teresa’s bravery, coming forward and telling her story so heartfully. People can be quick to judge, and when, during my first weeks of caring for Lux, he was nothing but sweet, I admit I did a little judging myself. As a shelter volunteer, I run into people all the time who basically don’t know how to interact with cats. It’s not their fault; no one is born with feline intuition— I earned mine through many years of work and study.
I just assumed the family was responsible for Lux’s outburst.
Then out of the blue and with no warning whatsoever, Lux attacked me! I had to change my preconceived notions fast! In the past 4 years, vets, behaviorists, and a cat psychic or two have been trying to unravel what goes on in that sweet cat’s mind when he suddenly turns into a monster. So far, we still don’t know it all.
Again I want to thank Teresa for allowing me to present her story.
Mollie Hunt: Crazy Cat Lady Mysteries and more 
Interesting. It’s good to hear her side of the story. And yes, it does raise a couple of interesting questions to wonder about.
I felt honored she would share with us.
It was very nice of her to let you share her words.
One of my rescues has PTSD (she was a neighborhood cat and somehow got chased up a tree where she was trapped for 3 days – one of them with near-blizzard conditions – before someone finally rescued her ) She will snuggle and cuddle, and also whap & bite.
Yes, and we can’t always know from a cat’s standpoint what the stresser is.
I’m surprised that Lux hasn’t told someone what the deal is, sounds like he is sure trying to express something.
I don’t think Lux knows. His outbursts seemed to come as a complete surprise to him, something like a panic attack comes to human people.
Just late night speculation but that almost sounds like what happens after some forms of epileptic seizure, when the person wakes, does not know what happened, and is generally disoriented for a short time.
That was one avenue looked into by Lux’s doctor, a condition called feline hyperesthesia syndrome. He was on medication for a while but it didn’t help. Still a possibility.
I just watched Jackson Galaxy repeat about Lux and of course you were in it. It’s strange everything kicked off when the dad appeared but then again who are we to judge. I knew by watching the film that he was a special mummies boy. I hope he is happy where he is poor soul people thinking he was a really aggressive cat.
He’s a lucky boy to have so much love.
There is always an underlying reason to all actions by Cats and dogs (and even humans) I hope what it is with Lux you can find out and help put it right. Maybe a PET scan could help?
Purrs for Lux and his mom, who clearly was in a bad spot with a tough decision to make…
ERin
Still looking.
I LOVE CATS SO MUCH…EACH ONE HAS THEIR OWN PERSONALITY…PERHAPS LUX IS A BI-POLAR CAT OR HAS A TUMOR (ON THE BRAIN)? YOU NEVER KNOW. PEOPLE ARE WEIRD SO CATS CAN BE WEIRD TOO IN THEIR OWN WAY.
I love cats too! Lux was checked for a brain tumor, but it’s definitely some mental weirdness.
I just watched the episode of My Cat From Hell this morning telling Lux’s story. Having been a pet parent for many years, many of them being cats, I tried hard not to judge at first glance of the situation he was in. But there just seemed to be so many missing pieces to the puzzle. I so appreciate Teresa telling her side of the story and really feel for her loss in not being able to keep Lux. That had to be a very difficult decision. And Lux is in safe, loving home. I have 3 cats currently and the 2 older ones, 10 & 17, have some mental issues that arose as they became older. When medications had little to no effect, I started using a holistic product called, Rescue Remedy for Pets. I put 3 to 4 drops onto their food in the morning and the results are amazing. It has a calming effect without any drowsiness and is non-addictive. I hope you are able to find the answers to Lux’s condition as well as a treatment that works for him. Kudos to you for opening up your home and hearts to him!
Thank you for your comment. Lux’s is an ongoing story, originally airing in 2014, so we have learned a lot since the film was made.
Found this blog doing a search for news on Lux after seeing the Cat From Hell episode for the first time today. I’m another cat fosterer (check out my Tumblr!) so I’m delighted to find this blog!
I don’t know if Teresa is reading these comments, but I’d like to say if it’s any consolation to her, my boyfriend and I watching the show didn’t think for a moment that she was guilty of anything that might have caused Lux’s trauma. Her love for him was obvious and I nearly cried myself when she agreed to let him go because I felt her pain viscerally. I’m glad to see from this blog that he’s doing well now, and I hope she is too.
You sound like a good and fair person. Thank you for fostering!
Hi, I appreciated so much for the update of Lux, but I found him in recent picture not looking so well, the hair is rough, I’m worried about him, link-> https://mobile.twitter.com/deckakards/status/1028058731370737665?s=12&from=singlemessage&isappinstalled=0
He got a lion cut this summer, so that accounts for the rough look as it grows out. I wish I knew more, but everything I’ve heard is good.
Okay, thanks so much
Thanks for the update on Lux. However, I’ve seen comments elsewhere by Teresa and… there were probably things going on when Teresa wasn’t home that she knew nothing about.
The poor little guy probably has PTSD. Like people, animals don’t react well to being abused. I’m so happy that he seems to be doing well now! He’s safe and loved, and that’s what matters.
Katrina, I had to edit your comment a little because I cannot post accusatory comments on this blog, but I agree essentially that Lux had/has PTSD. Watch for some great news coming soon!
Sorry to hear that Lux has not responded as well as hoped to thehyperesthesia meds but glad to know he has committed caretakers in both of you regardless. I suspect that the former boyfriend had something to do with Lux’s transformation since he had never shown any aggression prior to the boyfriends arrival but we will never know. Just wonder if Teresa ever adopted another cat.
Lux now lives with a devoted family who understands his needs. That’s an interesting question about whether Teresa adopted another cat. I do hope so.
I would suggest you look up Body Talk System, then Animal Talk. It is a wonderful system that most likely undo whatever caused the issues in Lux. It is harmless and you have nothing to loose by trying it. I know from 13 years of working Body Talk that “miracles” come through this system. It is the second most used helaing mode in the world. http://www.bodytalksystem.com What do you get when you combine the wisdom of advanced yoga, the energy dynamics of acupuncture, the clinical findings of applied kinesiology, and Western medical expertise? Miracles…….
Thanks for the suggestion. I will look into it. I don’t support unsolicited advertising on my blog however.
Thank you for sharing Teresa’s update. Like others who’ve ended up here, I just finished watching the My Cat From Hell episode. One thing I find disturbing about this show is that Jackson Galaxy often seems to blame bad cat behavior on a guardian, usually a woman, transmitting negative energy through nervousness. And here, too, it felt to me like he was accusing her of being the source of Lux’s problems. To me, Teresa came across as a very loving owner, and if she was nervous with her baby because of Lux’s unpredictable behavior, she had every reason and right to be. It is very revealing, and disturbing, that there was a significant problem with the baby’s father.
Cathy, it’s hard to edit down the dozens of hours Jackson spends with a client into clips for the show. Plus he’s not the one doing the editing. During the time I spent with him, he was respectful of everyone, but getting to the bottom of Lux’s behavior was his main concern. Sometimes love isn’t enough, and that’s why Teresa, and then I, had to give Lux up. He was a special case for sure!
I don’t really know much about cat psychology but in human behavior this would be just a classic case of ptsd, cat has a trigger(s) and revisits a different state of mind when he’s having an episode, would explain why everyone agrees he’s a completely normal cat except for when he’s suddenly not and like his original owner said he only started acting like that after her ex moved in and had that argument about him. Ofc it’s all speculation but the time line suggests that guy traumatized the cat somehow
The only way to confirm or deny could be through a brain scan? If we’ve advanced so far in pet care that a specialist could tell the difference if there was one
I guess there’s no real cure just long term medication. Hope this little guy gets better, it’s probably unpleasant and scary for him too 💔
You are right that Lux’s outbursts were scary for him too. Thankfully he has finally put whatever it was behind him and hasn’t had an outburst for 3 years. He lives with a loving family and is enjoying the transition into his senior years. Thanks for caring.