Research Mysterious link between owning cats and schizophrenia is real, study says

[C C]

https://www.sciencealert.com/mysterious-...study-says

INTRO: 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.

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... (MORE - details)

[Magical Realist]

Looking at you crazy hoarder old lady who lives alone in a run-down house with 30 stray cats!

[Zinjanthropos]

Have read that one can contract toxoplasma from dog fur. Did anyone check that for this article? Many people own both cats & dogs .

From article:

Schizophrenia is a neurological disorder that interferes with a person's ability to consistently process reality. It results in the development of false beliefs, confused and disorganised thinking, and distorted self-experience that often includes hallucinations

That just about describes the dog owners I know. They treat their mutts like people, they believe their dogs can do no wrong, it’s never the dog’s fault, its always the human’s fault, their dogs hump people’s legs because they really like them, and they can’t ever see their dog attacking anyone (leashed or unleashed). There’s more but I like to be brief.

Despite all the breeding, has evolution favoured the pooch who may be predisposed to attach to humans for the above reasons and more? It’s not us that evolved to have a canine friend, it’s the other way round The more schizo an owner, the better chance Rover survives.