An Explanation of the Parasites That Exist in Cat Poop That May Cause Mental Illness
“Can Cats Make You Crazy” by Wired explains what the parasite toxoplasma gondii is, where it can be found and what it can do to a developing human brain.
There’s this theory that exposure to this bacterium a young age can lead to mental illness. Surveys show that people with schizophrenia were exposed to cats as adolescents 10% more often than those without schizophrenia. Although that ten percent difference is kinda significant, it’s not conclusive. But it raises an interesting question – is a bacterial infection partly responsible for causing mental illness?