Mysterious Link Between Owning Cats And Schizophrenia Is Real, Study Says

[Oopsie Daisy]

https://www.sciencealert.com/mysterious-link-between-owning-cats-and-schizophrenia-is-real-study-says



Mysterious Link Between Owning Cats And Schizophrenia Is Real, Study Says

A new review suggests that having a cat as a pet could potentially double a person's risk of schizophrenia-related disorders.

Australian researchers conducted an analysis of 17 studies published during the last 44 years, from 11 countries including the US and the UK.

"We found an association between broadly defined cat ownership and increased odds of developing schizophrenia-related disorders," writes psychiatrist John McGrath and fellow researchers, all from the Queensland Centre for Mental Health Research.

This idea that cat ownership could be linked to schizophrenia risk was proposed in a 1995 study, with exposure to a parasite called Toxoplasma gondii suggested as a cause. But the research so far has put forth mixed conclusions.

[sinkingfeeling]

1. Noooooooo!

[NoRethugFriends]

2. I don't believe it. Maybe correlation, not causation.

[Disaffected]

4. And maybe those with schizophrenic tendencies tend

to favour cats.

[NoRethugFriends]

5. Yup. That is what I was implying (nt)

[stopdiggin]

28. yep. if there was any (credible) suggestion

of causation ... Researchers would be tearing in to that data - and all related data and offshoots - to establish a confirmation of cause. What we have here is a 'link' between separate sets of data. Not causation.

It's estimated that around 40 million people in the US may be infected, usually without any symptoms. Meanwhile, researchers keep finding more strange effects that infections may have.

Credit where due - - the article goes on to point to a number of weaknesses within the study(s) - including a number of studies that did not produce analogous results .. (meaning no correlation)

[samnsara]

55. my first thought!

[Disaffected]

3. Well, that will probably induce paranoia

in a some cat owners.

[NoRethugFriends]

7. Oy! Now they have to deal with paranoia and schizophrenia! (nt)

[yorkster]

29. Schizonoia! and paraphrenia! ..

[WhiteTara]

6. It's in the litter.

Something about their poop. So, I'm always shocked when I hear about people scooping poop. I wear a mask, hold my breath, put the entire box in a large garbage bag, seal it up as much as possible and then empty the whole thing in the bag, wash the boxes with the hose and let air dry and make the cats stay outside. I'm trying to train them to poop outside and have been dragging their boxes out into the yard so they will associate the act to the location (anywhere not in front of the house.)

My forest rescue cat is addicted to his box. He must associate it with the only comfort he had before someone dumped him in the country to be raised by raccoons.

[Think. Again.]

11. I have heard....

...that pregnant people should not deal with litter boxes for some fetal health reason.

[WhiteTara]

14. same same

[Ritabert]

23. Toxoplasmosis is the reason

It can lead to eye problems among other things.

[Attilatheblond]

39. some cats carry a parasite that causes toxoplasmosis

and that little bugger might cause neurological issues. Years ago, there were report on tests with infected rodents indicated abnormal responses to stimuli, like no fear of cats, or deep depression

Here's an abstract with more current information
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8548174/]

The intracellular parasite Toxoplasma gondii is estimated to infect up to 30% of the world population, leading to lifelong chronic infection of the brain and muscle tissue. Although most latent T. gondii infections in humans have traditionally been considered asymptomatic, studies in rodents suggest phenotypic neurological changes are possible. Consequently, several studies have examined the link between T. gondii infection and diseases such as schizophrenia, epilepsy, depression, bipolar disorder, dysphoria, Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). To date, there is varying evidence of the relationship of T. gondii to these human neurological or neurobehavioral disorders. A thorough review of T. gondii literature was conducted to highlight and summarize current findings. We found that schizophrenia was most frequently linked to T. gondii infection, while sleep disruption showed no linkage to T. gondii infection, and other conditions having mixed support for a link to T. gondii. However, infection as a cause of human neurobehavioral disease has yet to be firmly established.

When you read 30% of the world population estimated to be infected, and then consider it is suspected in a lot of mental issues, well, it would explain a lot, wouldn't it? Now, we need more research, maybe looking into the % of convicted criminals, psych patients, or MAGAs who eschew basic hygiene practices to protect health might be infected. Perhaps trumpism has an organic component?

[Hermit-The-Prog]

40. Do you hose 'em down after they scratch and roll in the litter box?

[WhiteTara]

43. we have had no rolling in poop, thank the Goddess

I'm hoping that we will have the whole outdoors as the poop box soon.

[littlemissmartypants]

48. I trained my Siamese cat to go in the toilet in our spare bathroom.

My mom gave me the book How to Toilet Train your cat as a Christmas gag gift one year and I actually tried it. And it worked!

?odnHeight=768&odnWidth=768&odnBg=FFFFFF

Product details
Paul Kunkel, who toilet-trained his first cat while in college and who has continued to train his own and his friends' cats ever since, presents a foolproof, 21-Day-Program for teaching any litter-trained cat between the ages of 6 months and 10 years to use a toilet instead of a litter box. (Older cats can still be trained, but the process will probably take longer.) Requiring nothing more than magazines and/or newspapers, masking tape, heavy-duty plastic wrap, and a supply of fresh litter, the plan begins with you placing the box next to the toilet and, after gradually raising it to the height of the seat, ends with the cat--well, using it like any other member of the family. For life. Along the way, concerned owners learn why toilet-trained cats may be happier and healthier cats. In well-researched, fact-filled text, Kunkel traces the history and behavior of this barely domesticated animal and proves why the box is bad for cats; why many cats equate the smell of a litter box with danger; and why the fragrances, deodorants, dyes, and disinfectants found in most litters are detrimental to your pet's well-being.

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

61. I take it you wait until the box is pretty full before you empty it?

I use a wonderful clumping litter, no odor at all, and I scoop several times a day as needed.

[WhiteTara]

63. be sure and wear your mask!

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

66. Why do I need to wear a mask?

This litter is one that doesn't make dust.

[Walleye]

8. Kim Novak In "Bell, Book and Candle"

I have had cats all my life, I think it’s a little late now. I have some mental tendencies but no schizophrenia as far as I know. I do know about this Toxoplasmosis. I was reading that it causes mice to be not afraid of cats.

[Celerity]

38. BELL BOOK & CANDLE - Primary (THE CURE Cover)

Bell, Book & Candle is a German gothic musical group consisting of Jana Gross (vocals), Andy Birr (vocals, guitars, drums) and Hendrik Röder (vocals, bass guitar).

Label: Cleopatra – CLP 0001-2
Format: CD, Compilation
Country: US
Released: 13 May 1997
Genre: Electronic, Rock
Style: EBM, Goth Rock

[Walleye]

45. Cool. I didn't know about them. What was her cats name in that movie, Pyewacket ?

[Celerity]

52. Yes, Pyewacket was her familiar

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pyewacket_(familiar_spirit)

Pyewacket was one of the supposed familiar spirits of an alleged witch accused by the claimed Witchfinder General Matthew Hopkins in March 1644 in the town of Manningtree, Essex, England. Hopkins claimed he spied on the witches as they held their meeting close by his house, and heard them mention the name of a local woman. She was arrested and deprived of sleep for four nights, at the end of which she confessed and called out the names of her familiars, describing the forms in which they should appear. They were:

Holt, "who came in like a white kittling"
Jarmara, "who came in like a fat Spaniel without any legs at all"
Vinegar Tom, "who was like a long-legg'd greyhound, with a head like an Oxe"
Sacke and Sugar, "like a black Rabbet"
Newes, "like a Polecat"
Elemanzer, Pyewacket, Peck in the Crown, Grizzel Greedigut, described as imps

Hopkins claims he and nine other witnesses saw the first five of these, which appeared in the forms described by the witch. Only the first of these was in the form of a cat; the next two were dogs, and the others were a black rabbit and a polecat – so Pyewacket was, presumably, not a cat's name. As for the other familiars, Hopkins says only that they were such that "no mortall could invent." The incident is described in Hopkins's pamphlet "The Discovery of Witches" (1647).

In film and fiction

In the Hollywood film Bell, Book and Candle (1958) Pyewacket is the name of the brown sealpoint Siamese cat/familiar of Gillian Holroyd, a witch played by Kim Novak. The film was adapted from a 1958 Broadway play that continues to be produced in community theatres.

In the 1967 children's novel Pyewacket the title character and protagonist is an alley cat.

Fantasy author Dianne Sylvan’s “Shadow World” series features a Wiccan character, Stella, whose cat is named Pyewacket after the film.

Pyewacket is a 2017 horror film.

[Mossfern]

9. Nope...

I've had cats for more than 50 years (at one point we had six of them)
and scooped litter boxes for as long.

I attribute my mental health issues to trauma, not cats.

As a matter of fact, it's my cats who calm me when triggered or stressed.
They know when to comfort me. They get rewarded with catnip and new toys.

[hlthe2b]

10. You are far more likely to contract Toxoplasma gondii infection from undercooked pork or other

infected meat than cats but it is a very good reminder of the importance of hand-washing, proper handling, and cooking of meat and seafood, proper handling of litterbox waste, and wearing gloves when gardening.

[Think. Again.]

12. Oh well...

...my cat is more important than I am anyway.

[yardwork]

17. Happy to agree with this post!

[AloeVera]

30. Ha ha.

So you are a cat lover too? Well, well.

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

56. Alerting! Obviously, your cat has hacked your DU account.

Typical feline delusions of grandeur.

[ismnotwasm]

13. Meh.

Studies have found that being around cats during childhood might make a person more likely to develop schizophrenia; however, not all studies have found an association.

Some also link cat exposure to higher scores on scales that measure traits related to schizophrenia – which affects a person's thoughts, feelings, and behaviors – and psychotic-like experiences, but again, other studies don't show this connection.

To get a clearer picture, McGrath and his team say there's a need for a thorough review and analysis of all the research on these topics.

[Think. Again.]

15. The U.S. Canine Association approves this message.

[Rebl2]

42. My husband has had cats

since he was young and he is in his seventies. He has no sign of schizophrenia.

[calimary]

51. We have three cats. We're in the same age group as your husband.

Haven't seen any signs of schizophrenia developing in either of us. But there is quite a bit of cat hair to keep cleared away, around the house.

[Rebl2]

54. We only have

one, and it’s cat hair everywhere all the time!

[bucolic_frolic]

16. Breathe deep, cat hormones put you to sleep

but when you wake up at 2 am, WHAASOIFHOEWFN#CR(QN#(qr(*#(*@&VN@(#*@(#(@!!!!

[3catwoman3]

18. I've had cats most of my life, starting at age 5.

We currently have 4, and for a few years had 5. I'm now 72 and have no mental health problems, altho if I weren't married, I would probably have at least 6 cats and possibly qualify as a crazy cat lady.

[True Dough]

26. I must say

your DU screen name is now outdated!

[3catwoman3]

41. When I first needed a screen name, we had 3 cats, none of whom...

…are still with us. That’s where the moniker came from. Rather than adjust it every time our feline population changed, I decided to keep the 3 cat to honor the cats that gave rise to the name.

[Hekate]

19. Isn't Toxoplasmosis the infection that changes rodent behavior so they don't avoid cats so readily?

Isn’t it also the one that pregnant women are warned about?

I don’t know if I’m remembering this correctly at all — but wow.

ETA: I like cats. The only reason we don’t have one since we moved 6 years ago is the coyote packs here in the foothills. Little dog on leash is our animal companion.

[Sympthsical]

20. That's the one

It affects their ability to smell cat urine. It's really strange.

My first knowledge of it was Trainspotting. The character who contracts HIV/AIDS from heroin use buys a kitten for his ex-gf who rejects it. He ends up stuck with a kitten he doesn't know how to care for - and he's too high to do it anyway - so it craps all over his apartment. He contracts taxoplasmosis and dies of a brain abscess.

It was a vivid monologue. I have two cats I adore, but every time I clean their litter box, I remember that part of the movie and sanitize like a madman.

[Walleye]

46. I read some expert on the subject saying if they went to design a drug which does the same thing they couldn't do it

[DBoon]

21. So dog owners are normal?

Excuse me. I have to scratch my back with my rear leg and howl at the moon.

[True Dough]

27. Don't forget

to lick your private parts!

[Sky Jewels]

34. I am a 100 percent cat person, and I have had the weirdest/rudest encounters with dog people.

A lot of them are very arrogant about their dogs and the dogs' behaviors (like not calling off a dog that is charging at me in a full-out terrifying run as I'm trying to walk the neighborhood). Of course NOT ALL dog owners! Many are nice and conscientious. But a not insignificant number of them have been very strange and rude to me.

[Sky Jewels]

36. This is sketchy science. Correlation is not causation.

It won't make any difference to me. The cat-less life is not worth living, IMO.
?v=1630120441

[multigraincracker]

22. I've never went looking for a cat.

They seem to find me. Never more than one at a time and that is plenty.

[Walleye]

47. Same here, that's the way to get a cat, let them choose you

[Jilly_in_VA]

24. Good grief

I scoop tons of poop at the shelter twice a week and will be going back to it next month (doc said yesterday that I could!) and have since forever. I've had inside cats and inside-outside cats and now I deal with strays from who knows where. If I'm going to be schizophrenic I think I would have been by now. I'd say this study is a bit flawed, maybe slightly even bogus. Maybe correlated, but I suspect there's no real causation. Schizophrenia is something else entirely and you aren't going to get it from cat poop.

[SYFROYH]

25. It's a side effect of them stealing your breath at night whilst you sleep.

[orangecrush]

31. I become paranoid

When Catonine's food dish is empty.

She has a way of getting her point across.

[url=https://imgbb.com/][img][/img][/url]

[Bernardo de La Paz]

32. "linked". Correlation or causation? If it is correlation, then this is a nothing-burger. . . . nt

[Martin68]

33. There's a lot of hype surrounding Toxoplasmosis. People more often contract the disease from undercooked meat

than from cats. Even when people get Toxoplasmosis their symptoms can be non-existent or very mild. It doesn’t inevitably result in schizophrenia. From the Mayo Clinic website:

"Toxoplasmosis (tok-so-plaz-MOE-sis) is an infection with a parasite called Toxoplasma gondii. People often get the infection from eating undercooked meat. You can also get it from contact with cat feces. The parasite can pass to a baby during pregnancy.

Most people infected with the parasite do not have symptoms. Some people get flu-like symptoms. Serious disease most often affects infants and people with weakened immune systems. Toxoplasmosis during pregnancy may cause miscarriage and birth defects.

Most infections don't need treatment. Drug treatment is used for people with more-serious cases, pregnant people, newborns and people with weakened immune systems.”

https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/toxoplasmosis/symptoms-causes/syc-20356249

[chouchou]

35. I have 2 stibbar.

I've heard they cause dyslexia.

[doc03]

37. Aren't all cats schizophrenic? I think it may be contagious. nt

[Beastly Boy]

44. Rent them instead of owning.

Problem solved!

[littlemissmartypants]

49. I have read some research on schizophrenia and a link to viruses or fungi.

Can't remember which and I'm too lazy to look for it. Anything's possible I guess.

Inflammation is considered to be the origin of all diseases so if something causes inflammation it could be a culprit.

But I don't think we should boycott kitties just yet.
❤️

[MustBeTheBooz]

50. That's so weird!

My cats were just telling me about this report the other day.

[brewens]

53. Damn! All these years, I thought it had to be the weed!

[dembotoz]

57. study done by Dr Get A. Doggy

[John Shaft]

58. You don't "own" a cat

they own you.

[Wonder Why]

59. It's not just schizophrenia. All mental disorders.

[Hotler]

60. I'm safe, they own me. In fact I'm a hostage and they are the ones that seem to be on LSD.

[Bayard]

62. So that's what's wrong with Mr. Bayard.....

He's in charge of the litter box.

[LudwigPastorius]

64. "Mysterious Link Between Owning Cats And Schizophrenia Is Real"

Maybe so, but at least cats don't go around telling people to go on killing sprees.

[newdayneeded]

65. Me (Looking in a mirror)

No you don't....Yes you do....No you don't.... Yes you do.....

[SocialDemocrat61]

67. My cat read that study

and told me it’s BS.