You may have heard about the mind-altering illness known as toxoplasmosis that's carried by cats. Pregnant couples are especially warned about the disease, which was typically throught to be harmless in most cases. Around 60 million people in the United States are thought to carry the parasite, but now studies are showing that those who do might have a 50% higher risk of developing schizophrenia. Those who do experience mind-altering from toxoplasmosis are known to have depression or to engage in riskier behavior than normal. Some have even been in car accidents due to the condition.
As terrible as this news is, is anyone surprised that it's cats who give it to us? I love cats, but I could also see any of my cats eating me if they were the size of a tiger, and I could see them thinking it serves me right getting a parasite since I'm too big to eat and I don't always get up to feed them when they stand on my head. Still, it's distressing to think that the pets we love so much could cause these health conditions.
Have you head any other interesting cat news this week? Share it in the chat.
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