Cats should be BANNED!

Roughly half of the people in the world are infected with the parasite Toxoplasma gondii. That is the one that gets into the brain and is famous for causing mice and rats to become suicidal or reckless.

Normally, mice and rats try to avoid areas marked with cat urine or with cat body odor. However, after they are infected with toxoplasmosis, they stop avoiding cats. The parasite forces mice and rats to lose (or at least reduce) their fear of cats.

Cats are also hosts of this parasite, and they transmit it to humans. That is why millions of people around the world are infected with toxoplasmosis. Cats are the reason so many people are infected. That's why cats should be banned.

Toxoplasmosis does have mental effects on humans, not only on rodents. Schizophrenia and other neuropsychiatric disorders are more likely to develop in people with toxoplasmosis. In addition, it is possible that toxoplasmosis triggers or increases risky behavior in humans (this one needs further studies to confirm). It also causes other disturbing mental effects.

Toxoplasmosis is also a sexually transmitted infection. Yes, the parasite can be transmitted by having sex under certain circumstances. It is disgusting.

One of several ways that humans get infected by this parasite is eating meat that has not been cooked for long enough at a sufficiently high temperature. Another route of infection is cleaning the box or places where cats defecate.

This parasite is especially dangerous for pregnant women and their babies. If a pregnant woman is infected, the child can suffer major birth defects including eyesight damage, hearing loss, brain damage, intellectual disability, and seizures.

Toxoplasmosis is generally considered to be a permanent infection. Once infected with the parasite, it normally remains in the body for life. It forms cysts in tissues like the brain, muscles, and eyes.

Alternatively, instead of banning cats, I would agree with a plan to allocate sufficient R&D funding to develop a cure for Toxoplasmosis.

The rates of infection vary greatly in different regions. Some regions are far worse hit than others. Either way, money should be allocated to find a cure. Or simply ban cats!!