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How Your Cat is Making You Crazy (Toxoplasmosis)
The Atlantic ^ | March 2012 | KATHLEEN MCAULIFFE

Posted on 06/22/2012 2:56:31 AM PDT by Bon mots

Jaroslav Flegr

Jaroslav Flegr is no kook. And yet, for years, he suspected his mind had been taken over by parasites that had invaded his brain. So the prolific biologist took his science-fiction hunch into the lab.

What he’s now discovering will startle you. Could tiny organisms carried by house cats be creeping into our brains, causing everything from car wrecks to schizophrenia?

→ more...

(Excerpt) Read more at theatlantic.com ...


TOPICS: Health/Medicine; Pets/Animals; Science; Weird Stuff
KEYWORDS: brain; cats; disease; kittyping; tgondii; toxoplasmosis
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Toxoplasmosis carried by cats is damaging people, and may be more destructive than malaria.

Long known to be deadly to the unborn, it is now clinically proven to severely damage human brains.

Long known to alter the behavior of infected mice and rats - it actually encourages them to commit suicide by seeking out cats. Infected rodents find the smell of cat urine irresistible and they seek out the cat... which results in them being eaten, thereby passing the disease on to the cat... etc.
Now, we find out it changes human behavior and alters our brains. Scary and very true...

More Articles
Mood altering parasite makes women more friendly and men into jerks.

Mood altering parasite – Fox News article

Large increase in traffic accidents thanks to toxoplasmosis infections

Schizophrenia and toxoplasmosis – Increases chances of schizophrenia

Changes in testosterone levels from Toxoplasmosis infection

Reconsider the carpaccio...

1 posted on 06/22/2012 2:56:45 AM PDT by Bon mots
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To: Bon mots

There are many that think that Toxoplasmosis may be responsible for changing the political affiliation of people - that is, it makes you vote Democrat and support illogical economic and social positions.


2 posted on 06/22/2012 2:58:32 AM PDT by Bon mots ("When seconds count, the police are just minutes away...")
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To: Bon mots

Oh nooooz...I feed about 10 cats every day, and several of them come into the house.


3 posted on 06/22/2012 3:01:44 AM PDT by AlexW
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To: AlexW
Oh nooooz...I feed about 10 cats every day, and several of them come into the house.

You are infected.
Vote Obama. :)

4 posted on 06/22/2012 3:05:46 AM PDT by Bon mots ("When seconds count, the police are just minutes away...")
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To: Bon mots

"...this guy would make me cross the street in traffic, tell me he hasn't a dark past when it comes to cats...I wouldn't let him trim my claws."

5 posted on 06/22/2012 3:06:49 AM PDT by Doogle (((USAF.68-73..8th TFW Ubon Thailand..never store a threat you should have eliminated)))
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To: Bon mots; Slings and Arrows

PING this one over to Slings And Arrows. :)=^..^=


6 posted on 06/22/2012 3:09:13 AM PDT by Biggirl ("Jesus talked to us as individuals"-Jim Vicevich/Thanks JimV!)
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To: AlexW

OOOOOOOOOO NOOOOOOOOOOOOOZZZZZ! If this is infection then infect me! Love me some furry personality ball. :)


7 posted on 06/22/2012 3:09:56 AM PDT by GOP Poet
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To: Doogle
I ordinarilly don't make fun of how a person looks ... certainly not now, as I age and fall apart myself ... but ...

There's just sumthin' about this guy that ....

8 posted on 06/22/2012 3:11:42 AM PDT by knarf (I say things that are true ... I have no proof ... but they're true)
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To: AlexW

Whatever you do, DON’T try to give one of them a pill!

1. Pick cat up and cradle it in the crook of your left arm as if holding a baby. Position right forefinger and thumb on either side of cat’s mouth and gently apply pressure to cheeks while holding pill in right hand. As cat opens mouth, pop pill into mouth. Allow cat to close mouth and swallow.

2. Retrieve pill from floor and cat from behind sofa. Cradle cat in left arm and repeat process.

3. Retrieve cat from bedroom, and throw soggy pill away.

4. Take new pill from foil wrap, cradle cat in left arm holding rear paws tightly with left hand. Force jaws open and push pill to back of mouth with right forefinger. Hold mouth shut for a count of 10.

5. Retrieve pill from goldfish bowl and cat from top of wardrobe. Call spouse from garden.

6. Kneel on floor with cat wedged firmly between knees, holding front and rear paws. Ignore low growls emitted by cat. Get spouse to hold cat’s head firmly with one hand while forcing wooden ruler into mouth. Drop pill down ruler and rub cat’s throat vigorously.

7. Retrieve cat from curtain rail, get another pill from foil wrap. Make note to buy new ruler and repair curtains. Carefully sweep shattered figurines from hearth and set to one side for gluing later.

8. Wrap cat in large towel and get spouse to lie on cat with its head just visible from below spouse’s armpit. Put pill in end of drinking straw, force cat’s mouth open with pencil and blow down drinking straw.

9. Check label to make sure pill not harmful to humans, drink glass of water to take taste away. Apply Band-Aid to spouse’s forearm and remove blood from carpet with cold water and soap.

10. Retrieve cat from neighbor’s shed. Get another pill. Place cat in cupboard and close door onto neck to leave head showing. Force mouth open with dessert spoon. Flick pill down throat with elastic band.

11. Fetch screwdriver from garage and put door back on hinges. Apply cold compress to cheek and check records for date of last tetanus shot. Throw T-shirt away and fetch new one from bedroom.

12. Ring fire brigade to retrieve cat from tree across the road. Apologize to neighbor who crashed into fence while swerving to avoid cat. Take last pill from foil wrap.

13. Tie cat’s front paws to rear paws with garden twine and bind tightly to leg of dining table. Find heavy duty pruning gloves from shed. Force cat’s mouth open with small spanner. Push pill into mouth followed by large piece of fillet steak. Hold head vertically and pour pint of water down throat to wash pill down.

14. Get spouse to drive you to emergency room; sit quietly while doctor stitches fingers and forearm, and removes pill remnants from right eye. Also, be quite still for your tetanus shot before beginning your 10-day regimen of antibiotics (MfM). Stop by furniture shop on way home to order new table.

15. Arrange for vet to make a house call.


9 posted on 06/22/2012 3:12:03 AM PDT by Carriage Hill (All libs & most dems think that life is just a sponge bath, with a happy ending.)
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To: knarf
I ordinarilly don't make fun of how a person looks ... certainly not now, as I age and fall apart myself ... but ...

There's just sumthin' about this guy that ....

I know what you mean.
He looks like he has TOXOPLASMOSIS!

But it's not just him, there are more and more studies showing that it modifies human behavior. The first studies I had seen were done in Asia.

10 posted on 06/22/2012 3:13:45 AM PDT by Bon mots ("When seconds count, the police are just minutes away...")
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To: Bon mots

Does it give you bad hair, too?


11 posted on 06/22/2012 3:15:17 AM PDT by Ken H
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To: Bon mots

It’s the Zombie parasite.

http://www.zombiehub.com/zombie-parasite.html


12 posted on 06/22/2012 3:20:46 AM PDT by 109ACS (If this be Treason, then make the most of it. Patrick Henry, May 1765)
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To: GOP Poet

Article on Toxoplasmosis in Science Daily



ECONOMIST Article on Toxoplasmosis and new evidence that it affects human behavior



Increased incidence of traffic accidents for military drivers infected with toxoplasmosis


National Institute of Health article


13 posted on 06/22/2012 3:21:33 AM PDT by Bon mots ("When seconds count, the police are just minutes away...")
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To: Bon mots


Could tiny organisms carried by house cats be creeping into our brains, causing everything from car wrecks to schizophrenia?




14 posted on 06/22/2012 3:23:54 AM PDT by ari-freedom
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To: Bon mots
He looks like he has TOXOPLASMOSIS!
It's the first thing I thought when I saw this picture of him.

But seriously, I think there's something to this. I read this and it seems plausible to me.

15 posted on 06/22/2012 3:24:21 AM PDT by samtheman (If we want Obamugabe out, we must vote him out.)
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To: Bon mots

Now we know how the term “Crazy Cat Lady” came into use.


16 posted on 06/22/2012 3:27:10 AM PDT by 109ACS (If this be Treason, then make the most of it. Patrick Henry, May 1765)
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To: samtheman
But seriously, I think there's something to this. I read this and it seems plausible to me.

I cannot find the original studies that alerted me to this, but they were done in Asia - at least the ones that I remembered. I went to search for them to send them to a doctor friend who does not speak good English and found this..

"The Economist" article is well worth reading. Also shows that the story is going mainstream and is not just some nutty theory. Quite a number of serious researchers and institutions are following up on this.

Good reason to eliminate feral cats without prejudice.

17 posted on 06/22/2012 3:32:08 AM PDT by Bon mots ("When seconds count, the police are just minutes away...")
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To: Bon mots
What he’s now discovering will startle you. Could tiny organisms carried by house cats be creeping into our brains, causing everything from car wrecks to schizophrenia?



18 posted on 06/22/2012 3:36:46 AM PDT by ari-freedom
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To: ari-freedom

LMAO! I’m sitting on a train reading that laughing my butt off and people are staring at me like I’m nuts. THaNKs A LOT


19 posted on 06/22/2012 3:37:18 AM PDT by GrandJediMasterYoda (Some day our schools will teach the difference between "lose" and "loose")
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To: Bon mots
Quit making fun of me or you'll pay

Image Hosted by ImageShack.us
Shot at 2008-03-06

20 posted on 06/22/2012 3:40:38 AM PDT by GeorgiaDawg32 (This tagline for rent. Contact GeorgiaDawg32 for pricing and excellent financing options.)
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