The Internet Asks: Do cats cause mental illness?
Source:
Science’s Answer: The rumor that cats can cause mental illness stems from the fact that some cats carry a parasite called Toxoplasmosis gondii, which can cause the disease toxoplasmosis under the right circumstances. However, you are just as likely to become infected with the parasite by eating under-cooked meat as you are from owning a cat, and most people infected with the parasite are not even aware of it (immune system FTW). Scientific studies have not found a relationship between cat ownership and the development of mental disorders. That being said, the CDC does caution pregnant women against cleaning the cat litterbox, because toxoplasmosis shed in cat feces may harm fetal development. In the end, probably just thoroughly cook your meat and don’t eat cat poop.
While it’s true that cats just see us as very warm, very loud, food delivery animals, and are probably plotting to overthrow the human race, they definitely have not developed mind control capabilities quite yet (or have they?).
Yes, it’s May the 4th, and we mild-mannered nerds here at UseYourBrain! are just as excited as you are for all the geekiness that comes with this most hallowed of nerd holidays, so we thought we would celebrate by exploring a few burning (pun!) questions most often posed by the Star Wars universe:
Could Lightsabers be Real?
