The connection between owning a cat and mental health issues can be traced back to a study conducted in 1995, which linked the risk to exposure to the Toxoplasma gondii parasite. This parasite can be transmitted through undercooked meat or cat feces. While some subsequent studies supported this association, others were not in favor of it and hence there hasn’t been a definitive connection established between owning a cat and schizophrenia.

According to a review of 17 studies published in the Schizophrenia journal, spanning 44 years and involving 11 countries, there is an indication that owning a cat can potentially double the risk of schizophrenia-related disorders.

How can cat parasites cause psychotic symptoms?

The single-celled parasite T. gondii enters the central nervous system of humans and affects the neurotransmitters. This causes personality changes, the onset of psychotic symptoms, and neurological disorders like schizophrenia.

According to the researchers, the 17 studies which were mostly case-control studies cannot establish a cause-and-effect relationship. Also, the quality of some studies was deemed low affecting the credibility of the cause-and-effect relationship. Although the findings varied, the higher-quality studies suggested that factors influencing the results could affect unadjusted models.

Connection between childhood exposure to cats and schizophrenia

Studies also revealed that being in the presence of cats during childhood might potentially increase the possibility of developing schizophrenia symptoms. However, this finding was not supported across all studies.

A recent analysis of 17 studies demonstrated a notable positive correlation between owning a cat and an increased risk of disorders related to schizophrenia.

Individuals exposed to cats were found to have roughly twice the risk of developing schizophrenia after adjusting for covariates, according to the research team.

The researchers emphasized the need for more high-quality, extensive studies to gain a better understanding of the potential role of owning a cat as a risk factor for mental disorders.