Spaced Out? Reckless? Might Be the Cat’s Fault

I’ve shared before the accounts of parasites in ants making them do bizarre, self-destructive behavior that serves to the advantage of the parasite. But I admit I never considered that such behavioral influence was possible by parasites in higher creatures.

Toxoplasma gondii, is the cat-box parasite many expectant mothers are aware of. As I recently discovered, it turns out that it is not just of human concern because of its potential impact on pregnancy.

Toward the parasite’s survival, it’s presence in cysts in the brain alters cat-feces eating mouse behavior (what attracts them (cats) and their fear reactions: cats are cool!) such that the males especially become more likely to be eaten by cats, and thus perpetuate the parasite into still more cat feces.

This is great for cats, and perfect for Toxo. It’s not so good for the mice. And it turns out, after years of smoking gun suspicion, that this same parasite has, if not intentional, then at least significant and alarming collateral-damage affects on the half-billion infected humans, some more than others.

It’s a long article from the Atlantic (How Your Cat is Making You Crazy), quite suitable for reading in Instapaper on the iPad on an airplane, but only one of you Fragments readers will click the link and read every word.

So in summary for browsing butterflies before you flit away:

▶  the parasite may be implicated in reduced reaction times and thus, in auto accidents.

â–¶ It effects those from Mars differently than those from Venus (which is very interesting in itself) making men more withdrawn and women more gregarious.

▶ And it may be implicated as an “environmental releaser” in mental disorders including schizophrenia.

The good news is that cat owners can (AND SHOULD!) take the necessary precautions. I encourage anyone who lives with cats (especially those who free-range and then come indoors to the cat box) to read this article.

There are practical take-homes, but the science itself is fascinating for an old biology-watcher like me.  And if you’ll read the “related article” you’ll discover there are other forms of aggregate human behavior equally as bizarre and self-destructive, called Super-PACs.

Related articles

• Toxoplasmosis or Super PAC? How to Tell Them Apart (unlikelyexplanations.com)