Surprising : Cat Ownership in Childhood Linked to Psychosis Risk in Adulthood

Owning an outdoor cat as a child is associated with an increased risk of psychotic experiences in adulthood — but only in males, new research suggests.

2,206 individuals aged 18-40 years share information about cat ownership at any time between birth and age 13 and if the cats lived exclusively indoors (nonhunting) or if they were allowed outside (rodent-hunting). They also completed the Community Assessment of Psychic Experiences (CAPE-42).

Rodent-hunting cat ownership was associated with higher risk of psychosis in male participants, compared with owning no cat or a nonhunting cat. The suspected culprit is not the cat itself but rather exposure to Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii), a common parasite carried by rodents and sometimes found in cat feces. The study adds to a growing evidence showing exposure to T gondii may be a risk factor for schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders.

Source : Journal of Psychiatric Research. Volume 148, April 2022, Pages 197-203