Cat owners are twice as likely to become schizophrenic, study finds

If the chats are far from having revealed all their secrets, they could now be a danger to the mental health of their owners. The latter would even be twice as likely to develop schizophrenic disordersaccording to the researchers. This is what emerged from a study the results of which were recently published.

It’s true that sometimes these adorable balls of fur tend to literally make crazy their masters. This is particularly the case when they start meowing for no reason or ask to come in two minutes after going out. In short, it is not easy to know what is going on in the minds of these animals which were considered sacred and revered from the time of ancient Egypt.

According to a study, more cat owners develop schizophrenic disorders

But Australian researchers have come to a completely different conclusion. In December 2023, they published the results of a “revolutionary analysis in the Schizophrenia Bulletin.”as explained by the site futura-sciences.com in an article published on October 9. The scientists compiled the results of 17 studies carried out over a period of 44 years in no fewer than 11 countries.

Their observation is clear. “People exposed to cats are approximately twice as likely to develop schizophrenic disorders.” And this is not due to the sometimes inexplicable behavior of these endearing felines, but rather to the presence of a microscopic parasite. THE toxoplasma gondii is a “microorganism, generally harmless for most people” but he “could play an unsuspected role in the development of mental disorders.”

This risk is due to a parasite transmitted to humans by cats

It is transmitted through raw or undercooked meat, contaminated water or cats that are already infected themselves. You should know that according to scientists, no less than 40 million Americans would be carriers of this parasite, the vast majority without any symptoms. But it is also capable of tackling central nervous system and in this case it can cause mental disorders.

During the observations carried out in the past on guinea pigs infected, behavior that was unusual to say the least was reported. Thus, rats which would usually have fled when sniffing a cat’s urine were instead excited by this smell. And this would tend to go in the direction of the risks for the mental health in human beings.

This parasite present in cats presents a greater risk for pregnant women

But regarding the link between the parasite and schizophrenia, “It is essential to note that correlation does not imply causation.”as our colleagues point out. Indeed, another American study has invalidated the results of Australian researchers. Out of 354 subjects studied, there was no report of “direct link between cat ownership and schizotypy scores.” Alone “People who had been bitten by a cat had higher scores on certain psychological scales.” So there is no reason to panic For now.

Toxoplasmosis which is the disease caused by toxoplasma gondii can also be responsible for malformations congenital during pregnancy. The risk is therefore greater among pregnant woman. In 2022, no less than 131 cases of congenital toxoplasmosis were observed in France. Fortunately, in most cases, babies are born without abnormal symptoms, but these can develop throughout life if the fetus has been infected.