4 ms·

If youve ever known people that have been traumatized by their health or experiences, they like cats to keep them company because they give oxytocin, are really

If youve ever known people that have been traumatized by their health or experiences, they like cats to keep them company because they give oxytocin, are really chill and don't require a lot of upkeep. I don't see how it isn't obvious which way the causality is swinging. Toxoplasmosis isn't causing this great variety of symptoms, that makes no sense. It's more like people with a great variety of symptoms use cats to cope with life.

knownjorbist 5y ago
Also, doesn't this #1) only happen to outdoor cats, and #2) emit from them once in their life if they ever get it?
- fipar 5y ago
  My understanding is yes to both, but I can currently only find a citation for #1: https://www.cdc.gov/parasites/toxoplasmosis/epi.html https://www.cdc.gov/parasites/toxoplasmosis/epi.html (strictly speaking, the cat must eat an infected pray, so a domestic cat could get this if it hunts)
ceph_ 5y ago
You make a strong argument for recreational cat use, but I can't say I'm fully convinced.
- antonzabirko 5y ago
  lol
- sn41 5y ago
  That's true. Moreover, it could be a gateway pet.
  - vertis 5y ago
    Definitely a gateway pet. I've started using dogs now.
    - eurasiantiger 5y ago
      Psh. Everyone knows by now that the gateway theory is utterly debunked. Some people start with cats, some people start with dogs, not everyone ends up using both, and some quit the pet trap altogether - for example, if their new partner does not like the smell of cat piss. The only reason cats look like a gateway pet is because the same dealers sell both cats and dogs - and everything up to venomous tarantulas and constrictor snakes. And you bet they make a better profit off the more dangerous pets, because you need more equipment to use them on a day-to-day basis. The feds let it happen because eventually all retail chains get a chunk of the sales. Food, enclosures, electronicals, silicone sealants, plastic containers, special furniture, all bought with hard-earned cash that could have chosen otherwise. Pets are the real matrix.
  - brewdad 5y ago
    I'm still only using cats but I use two now to get the same boost as one a decade ago.
DoreenMichele 5y ago
To my mind, as someone who isn't a pet person, that's potentially a useful perspective to keep in mind when trying to sort this out. But I don't think your observation is something we can say confidently disproves the idea that toxoplasmosis contributes to a variety of other health issues. It's possible that it's a little of column A and a little of column B rather than either/or. People tend to want to "pick one" (and only one) and that's often a poor way to try to sort out what's really going on.

knownjorbist 5y ago

Also, doesn't this #1) only happen to outdoor cats, and #2) emit from them once in their life if they ever get it?

fipar 5y ago
My understanding is yes to both, but I can currently only find a citation for #1: https://www.cdc.gov/parasites/toxoplasmosis/epi.html https://www.cdc.gov/parasites/toxoplasmosis/epi.html (strictly speaking, the cat must eat an infected pray, so a domestic cat could get this if it hunts)

ceph_ 5y ago

You make a strong argument for recreational cat use, but I can't say I'm fully convinced.

antonzabirko 5y ago
lol
sn41 5y ago
That's true. Moreover, it could be a gateway pet.
- vertis 5y ago
  Definitely a gateway pet. I've started using dogs now.
  - eurasiantiger 5y ago
    Psh. Everyone knows by now that the gateway theory is utterly debunked. Some people start with cats, some people start with dogs, not everyone ends up using both, and some quit the pet trap altogether - for example, if their new partner does not like the smell of cat piss. The only reason cats look like a gateway pet is because the same dealers sell both cats and dogs - and everything up to venomous tarantulas and constrictor snakes. And you bet they make a better profit off the more dangerous pets, because you need more equipment to use them on a day-to-day basis. The feds let it happen because eventually all retail chains get a chunk of the sales. Food, enclosures, electronicals, silicone sealants, plastic containers, special furniture, all bought with hard-earned cash that could have chosen otherwise. Pets are the real matrix.
- brewdad 5y ago
  I'm still only using cats but I use two now to get the same boost as one a decade ago.

DoreenMichele 5y ago

To my mind, as someone who isn't a pet person, that's potentially a useful perspective to keep in mind when trying to sort this out. But I don't think your observation is something we can say confidently disproves the idea that toxoplasmosis contributes to a variety of other health issues. It's possible that it's a little of column A and a little of column B rather than either/or. People tend to want to "pick one" (and only one) and that's often a poor way to try to sort out what's really going on.