Cat Parasite May Affect Cultural Traits In Human Populations

Science Daily ^ | August 4, 2006 | University of California - Santa Barbara

[nmh]

The Bengals are part Asian Leopard and part Egyptian Mau. Debbie LOVES water and swims in our pool. If the door isn't closed, she'll join you in the shower. She's a regular gymnast. When she was teething I gave her a dog bone. She's a riot. August 3 was her first birthday. She's a poultry girl so I made her a little chicken. She's so spoiled. Thomas and Debbie get along well. She adores him because he's a big guy too!

I won't be able to talk him into it ... the puppy will just have to "appear" as Debbie did. ;) Then he'll give in as long as I maintian the dog. He'll adjust ;) .

[ConservativeMind]

23 percent of the US population has toxoplasma gondii, meaning at one time they had some form of toxoplasmosis. Toxoplasmosis is the early, active infection or the end-of-life reawakening of it. So if you were infected at one time, you would show an immune response for it, but not an active infection, thus not having toxoplasmosis.

[spaced]

A few years ago there was a book titled Parasite Rex that addressed the idea of parasites altering the behavior of hosts and shaping the evolution of the host species. It was a fascinating read.

Although the theory sounds outrageous, a few decades ago who would have thought that the population of prey species has a major influence on the population of the predator species? And yet studies have shown that to be true.

[doc1019]

Just for my own edification (and to store it in my library of things to remember), why were you tested for toxoplasmosis?

[annie laurie]

Ping

[Slings and Arrows]

Awww! I want to adopt them all!

[Slings and Arrows]

Toxoplasma redux ping!

[Young Werther]

Not to worry. My studies have shown that conservatives have a natural immunity to low lifes. Meanwhile liberals are lowlifes, cogito ergo sum, the affinity of parasites to low-lifes is a foregone conclusion.

My two Huskies won't allow my cats in the house. So they live on the porch in a crate which I've fashioned into a Cathouse! Halle is a long haired, totally white cat with an afinity for producing totally black kittens!!!

[dragonblustar]

So cats are responsible for liberalism? No wonder they were burning them during the dark ages.

[SunkenCiv]

I almost think this could be a GGG topic, considering how long cats have been allowing humans to share space.

[stylin_geek]

My fiance and I have a faithful dog and cat. Our female cat cannot stand our dog getting all the attention, so, if the dog is with us in the house, the cat is right there also. Very strange. The cats and dog get along pretty well, too. And the cats were all at least two years old when the dog was brought home.

[Tribune7]

[Tribune7]

ping