Can cat owners really get schizophrenia from their cats?

[Alnitak7]

I just came across this article.

"Is your cat making you crazy?" from the New York Post. I had never heard of anything like this before.

http://nypost.com/2015/10/25/cats-may-be-behind-rise-of-schizophrenia-researchers

As stated in this article, when people don't wash their hands and don't disinfect the surfaces in their homes they can get sick. In this case the idea that someone can "catch schizophrenia" can sound kind of silly.

If this is true, it's important to get the facts out into the general public.

[Whispera, MSN, RN]

I read the article and it's reporting on the work of a couple of people who have done some work to correlate toxoplasma gondii with schizophrenia. One is a well-recognized psychiatrist that I respect. It seems it's possible there is some correlation. In any case, if you have cats, it's always a good idea to wash your hands after cleaning litter boxes, as well as surfaces on which they walk, regularly. They do walk around in their litter boxes, after all!

[emtb2rn, BSN, RN, EMT-B]

As a long time cat owner, i think they're a bit more sociopathic than schizophrenic.

[Farawyn]

I was going with Narcissistic.

[JustBeachyNurse, LPN]

I thought all cats had Aspergers and all dogs had ADHD

All Dogs Have ADHD: Kathy Hoopmann: 9781843106517: Amazon.com: Books

All Cats Have Asperger Syndrome: Kathy Hoopmann: 9781843104810: Amazon.com: Books

[No Stars In My Eyes]

I have watched the show, "My Cat From Hell" and could not believe some of the cases that guy has worked on, most of them with a fair amount of success. He's one that really 'understands' cats; he really focuses on their body language and the dynamics in the household. But really, some of those cats are absolutely terrifying in their bad behavior.

Jeez, I hate to say it, because I am a cat lover from way back, but if I had a cat like some of the extreme ones dealt with on that show, I would NOT keep it and go through, what, cat behavioral therapy? Even if the behavior changed for the better, I would not be able to trust that cat to "maintain", know what I mean?

[Meriwhen, ASN, BSN, MSN, RN]

As a long time cat owner, i think they're a bit more sociopathic than schizophrenic.

Now that I think about it, a lot of cats do have an antisocial personality disorder flavor to them.

[poppycat, ADN, BSN]

Now that I think about it, a lot of cats do have an antisocial personality disorder flavor to them.

Flavor?! You mean you've tasted a cat?!

[Rose_Queen, BSN, MSN, RN]

Flavor?! You mean you've tasted a cat?!

Who hasn't had Americanized "Chinese" food? :sofahider

[No Stars In My Eyes]

Cat's aren't antisocial, they are asocial.

[poppycat, ADN, BSN]

Cat's aren't antisocial, they are asocial.

This is a myth. Cats are selectively social! (It's kind of like selective deafness or selective memory.)

[Meriwhen, ASN, BSN, MSN, RN]

Flavor?! You mean you've tasted a cat?!

One of my late cats loved to groom me awake, including on my face, whenever she wanted food...so I have tasted cat, albeit unwillingly :)

At least the other cat just bit my scalp until I woke up.

[Rose_Queen, BSN, MSN, RN]

This is a myth. Cats are selectively social! (It's kind of like selective deafness or selective memory.)

This. My cats ignore me in themorning, expect me to use my opposable thumbs to open the cans of cat food when I get home from work, and then love to be social once they've eaten. In fact, I only get about 1/3 of my bed because they all want to sleep with me. And of course, the four of them fight amongst themselves over which two get petted.