How Your Cat Is Making You Crazy

The Atlantic ^ | 2/11/2012 | Kathleen McAuliffe

[JoanVarga]

"In fact, he says, schizophrenia did not rise in prevalence until the latter half of the 18th century, when for the first time people in Paris and London started keeping cats as pets. The so-called cat craze began among “poets and left-wing avant-garde Greenwich Village types,” says Torrey, but the trend spread rapidly—and coinciding with that development, the incidence of schizophrenia soared. "

***

“If I had to guess,” says Torrey, “I’d say 75 percent of cases of schizophrenia are associated with infectious agents, and Toxo would be involved in a significant subset of those.”

***

"Closer inspection of Flegr’s reaction-time results revealed that infected subjects became less attentive and slowed down a minute or so into the test. This suggested to him that Toxoplasma might have an adverse impact on driving, where constant vigilance and fast reflexes are critical. He launched two major epidemiological studies in the Czech Republic, one of men and women in the general population and another of mostly male drivers in the military. Those who tested positive for the parasite, both studies showed, were about two and a half times as likely to be in a traffic accident as their uninfected peers. "

[JoanVarga]

Mind parasites! Fun read for a Saturday.

Fun questions for political discussion automatically arise: Cat People v. Dog People

Does Allstate's Mr. Mayhem suffer from Toxo?

[FDNYRHEROES]

Well, this would explain why all those women with 20 cats are crazy!

[duckman]

Toxoplasmosis, if I understand it correctly is bacteria on raw meat and transferred to the feline, if the feline ingests raw meat. I assume it can transfer to humans when they clean the litter box. I am not a vet but had discussions with a vet about this topic.

[G Larry]

All of the Schizo folks I know have cats.....

[Free Vulcan]

I’m a dog person.

[AnotherUnixGeek]

How Your Cat Is Making You Crazy

Well, ours have traditionally done it by running underfoot - apparently it was just a diversion from the brain parasite infection they were trying to give us.

[Netizen]

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2844832/posts

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2845102/posts

[benewton]

Wrong.

You don’t own a cat, they own you.

[Farmer Dean]

Well,this could explain the voices in my head.The ones that say buy more tuna,buy more tuna.

[JoanVarga]

Yes, I realized after I posted that I had not vetted the site for duplicates. I don’t post often enough to remember that. Maybe I have a dog parasite. . .

Thanks. Can someone flag it for removal?

[equaviator]

Cats...Ya don't have to love 'em.

[Paved Paradise]

LOL!

[A_perfect_lady]

From the article: Indoor cats pose no threat, he says, because they don’t carry the parasite. As for outdoor cats, they shed the parasite for only three weeks of their life, typically when they’re young and have just begun hunting. During that brief period, Flegr simply recommends taking care to keep kitchen counters and tables wiped clean. (He practices what he preaches: he and his wife have two school-age children, and two outdoor cats that have free roam of their home.) Much more important for preventing exposure, he says, is to scrub vegetables thoroughly and avoid drinking water that has not been properly purified, especially in the developing world, where infection rates can reach 95 percent in some places. Also, he advises eating meat on the well-done side—or, if that’s not to your taste, freezing it before cooking, to kill the cysts.

[Sequoyah101]

Are cat people liberals or conservative?

[M1903A1]

I’ve known several genuinely crazy people along life’s highway. One was a legitimate schizophrenic. None of them had any pets at all.

[Milhous]

I got one dog and got adopted by one cat. I’m mostly a dog person during working hours and a cat person off hours.

[right way right]

Oh well, whatever doesn’t kill you can often makes you more interesting.

[Lady Lucky]

Toonces alert!

[JoanVarga]

As The Tick says: Isn’t sanity just a one-trick pony?

[BenLurkin]

[the_Watchman]

My father was infected by toxo while he was in Army training during WWII. It caused him to be totally blind. He went to Mayo Clinic in Rochester and an ophthalmologist gave him an experimental treatment which restored 80% of his sight which allowed him to function normally most of his life.

His eyesight became impaired again during the late nineties.

My brother-in-law, who is a doctor, says that toxo is a problem in France where they like to eat raw beef. (They don’t know the meaning of “well done”. On the other hand, I think that “well done” is an oxymoron.}

[chuckles]

ping for later so my wife can read this and maybe throw some cats under a bus.

[libertarian27]

This suggested to him that Toxoplasma might have an adverse impact on driving, where constant vigilance and fast reflexes are critical.

Oh great, now with cell phone bans and texting bans we'll have to add Cat "owners" to the list of driving bans....:)

[Albion Wilde]

"Jaroslav Flegr is no kook. And yet...he suspected his mind had been taken over by parasites... Could tiny organisms carried by house cats be creeping into our brains, causing everything from car wrecks to schizophrenia?"

......

Hmm, I zee you hav worn ze sweater I picked out for you, Doctor Flegr.
BWAHAHAHAHAHA!

[blueunicorn6]

A cat is never happy where he is. If he’s inside, he wants out. If he’s outside, he wants in. If he’s in a vacuum cleaner bag, he wants to be under the bed.

[Rage cat]

I think my board name is appropriate.

Do I own cats?
Yes.

How many cats do I have?
….More than enough….

My political leaning?
Rabidly conservative.

What gets me is their statements are contradictory. Where they state the primary vector is cats….. Yet, cats get if from mice, or other infected meat. And they only can pass it on for three weeks. The only way you can get it from them after then is if you eat the cat raw.

Basically, cats are not the primary vector, unless cat meat is routinely served as raw food in this country.

Mice, beef, pork, lamb and other food animals are the primary vector. People/things eat them and then become infected. Ether directly via eating the meat, or indirectly via other animals that are under our care eating them meat, then infecting us via the contagious period.

I wish they would get that simple fact straight.

[Lx]

As a conservative cat and dog owner I have to post this comic. I think they have them backwards though.

It's just a feeling but I believe the artist leans leftwards (he's on his side he's so far left).

[Albion Wilde]

This story is back again today! More funny comments and graphics...

[Slings and Arrows]

This story is back again today! More funny comments and graphics...

[Sarajevo]

How Your Cat Is Making You Crazy

Which one would that be. All-in-all, we have 16.

[SWAMPSNIPER]

[Tallguy]

Beware! Pet cats have carefully stashed “pods” somewhere in each owner’s house.

[Tallguy]

I believe the bumper sticker says, “Dogs have owners. Cats have staff.” Sounds about right!

[NoGrayZone]

"How Your Cat Is Making You Crazy"

Whew! Thought it was just me!

[snooter55]

Cats = “ moving targets “ ;o)

[NoGrayZone]

Not funny.

[JoanVarga]

Pretty funny.

[JoanVarga]

Lord knows I tried to kill this thread. Just more proof that cats demand we talk incessantly about them.

After all, the Internet was invented for cat videos.

[RedMDer]

All contributions are for the Current Quarter Expenses.

[snooter55]

Ok NoGrayZone,
Not tryin’ , nor do I need to , justify my “ moving targets “ comment BUT - step in a pile of your neighbors free range kitty's crap that was deposited by YOUR backdoor steps.It's unbelievable adhesion properties are only trumped by its F U N K ! Yes , here in Charlotte, NC we have leash laws that apply to the “ Worshiped Felines “ as well as to dogs. I keep my critters in my yard - along with their droppings. My neighbor refused to corral, contain , control her adopted cats. Animal Control ( not unlike our current president ) also refused to uphold the LAW . She did continue to feed them and allow them to run amuk ( not unlike our current president concerning illegals ). So , when the little furry bast@$*ds ventured onto MY property again to “do their business”, they became MY property. I trust I don't need to draw you a picture for the rest of the story. I even took care of the disposal of the flea infested trespassing remains. It turned out to be a great learning experience for my neighbor ( no longer a cat owner ) in regards to my diplomatic requests to keep her cats (and their crap) on her property. We get along just fine and she most certainly believes now that I mean what I say .
My critters are well cared for in every aspect of their lives and probably enjoy better health care than 99% of the human population around here. I WILL NOT have that compromised by several ( owned , but feral-like ) cats.
You care for your critters - I'll care for mine.
Love Ya, Mean It !
Snoot ;o)

[chris_bdba]

We considerer ourselves Dat people here since we have owned both and sometimes at the same time.We are both conservative and we are now owned by the friendliest little feline yellow guy you have ever seen/ :)

[LucyT]

[Twinkie]

Yeah; I remember old Toonces - the cat who could wreck a car.

[Fawn]

Cat lady here....Conservative.

[Fawn]

Pit Bulls = Moving targets..

[ZirconEncrustedTweezers]

I’m a dog person with zero dogs, but two cats. And I love both my kittehs, and I’m a conservative.

[ZirconEncrustedTweezers]

I’m a dog person with zero dogs, but two cats. And I love both my kittehs, and I’m a conservative.

[snooter55]

Copy that Fawn !
I had another neighbor that had a pit . It burst through a storm door and came running straight for my wife,myself and “Snooter”, our Sheltie as we were walking the block. Some will not believe this but the owner caught up to the beast as he was about 15 ft. away from us ..... I was gonna drop the hammer on the Colt .45 @ 10 ft.. They left the neighbohood within 2 weeks. Thought we were too rough for his tastes...... Buh-Bye Big Guy !
Looking back , perhaps I should have dropped the hammer on the owner - lack of training , absolutely no control over the animal. Voice commands nonexistent. Animal cruelty of the highest order.
Snoot ;o)

[FDNYRHEROES]

Cats....such little animals....so much ATTITUDE...

[GOPJ]

Well, this would explain why all those women with 20 cats are crazy!

The same article tells of people infected with the flu virus - how they become more social and extroverted while contagious - (before they come down with major symptoms...) the better to spread the virus.

Soon scientists will discover a strange cat virus that makes women crazy to collect more cats - to spread the crazy cat virus...